'No one else has authority': Dalai Lama reaffirms Trust to choose successor as China watches

 

In a strong statement made ahead of his 90th birthday on July 6, the 14th Dalai Lama affirmed that "the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue" and Gaden Phodrang Trust, the foundation he founded, will have the sole authority to recognise future reincarnations.

"No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter," he said, which is seen as directed at China, that has said it had the right to approve the current leader's successor.

In a video message, following the start of a three-day religious conference of top Tibetan Buddhist monks on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama spoke about his succession, referring to a September 2011 statement. At the meeting he said that "concerned people should decide whether the Dalai Lama's reincarnations should continue."

The Tibetan Buddhist head said that, over the past 14 years, "leaders of Tibet's spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, participants in a Special General Body Meeting, members of the Central Tibetan Administration, NGOs, Buddhists from the Himalayan region, Mongolia, Buddhist republics of the Russian Federation and Buddhists in Asia including mainland China, have written to me with reasons, earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue."

He has maintained that his successor would be born in "free world" and could be a boy or a girl. On recognising the next Dalai Lama, he said that the Gaden Phodrang Trust should “ accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past traditions".

Born as Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935, in Amdo, northeastern Tibet, he was identified as a reincarnation when he was just a two-year-old. The Tibetan government had sent a search party and made the decision based on multiple signs, including the toddler reportedly identifying the belongings of the 13th Dalai Lama, saying, "It's mine, it's mine."

Meanwhile, China views the Dalai Lama as a rebel and a separatist. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against the Chinese government. The country has said that it will choose the next Dalai Lama using state-controlled religious channels after he passes.

"The core process of recognising the reincarnations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is as per the unique Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Hence, we not only strongly condemn the People's Republic of China's usage of the reincarnation subject for their political gain, and will never accept it," read Central Tibetan Administration president Penpa Tsering, from a written statement issued after a closed-door meeting of top Tibetan Buddhist monks.

India