Key points
- The 14th Dalai Lama said the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue to exist after his death and a successor should be found in accordance with Tibetan religious customs.
- China insists that the next Dalai Lama should be sought on Chinese territory with the approval of the central government, while Tibetan Buddhists believe that the spiritual leader himself chooses the body for reincarnation.
Dalai Lama announces reincarnation / Photo AP
Before his 90th birthday, the 14th Dalai Lama made a video address to a conference of Buddhist religious leaders. The spiritual leader of the Tibetans confirmed that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue to exist after his death.
The conference participants supported the spiritual leader of the Tibetans regarding the succession. This is reported by 24 Kanal with reference to AP and BBC.
The Dalai Lama stressed that his successor must be found in accordance with centuries-old Tibetan religious customs, but he cautioned that no other party, including China, has the right to interfere in the process of recognizing a successor.
The Tibetan spiritual leader noted that the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which he created in 2015, will be responsible for finding and recognizing his successor.
China, in turn, insists that the next Dalai Lama should be sought only on the territory of the PRC and only with the consent of the central government. However, Tibetan Buddhists believe that the spiritual leader himself chooses the body for reincarnation.
Background: Traditionally, a new Dalai Lama is sought after the death of the previous one. This process takes years and begins with identifying a child by religious characteristics, after which he is raised as the new spiritual leader.
According to media reports, believers from Tibet, Mongolia, Russia, China and other countries approached the Dalai Lama with a proposal for reincarnation.
