The Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born outside China, a declaration likely to intensify a long-running dispute with Beijing over the future of Tibetan Buddhism and the political status of the Himalayan region.
In a new book titled Voice for the Voiceless, the 89-year-old spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism stated that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue beyond his lifetime, and that his reincarnation will take place in the “free world” — a term he uses to refer to countries outside Chinese control.
“Since the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry on the work of the predecessor, the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world so that the traditional mission of the Dalai Lama – that is, to be the voice for universal compassion, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the symbol of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan people – will continue,” the Dalai Lama writes.
The remarks, disclosed in the book reviewed by Reuters ahead of its Tuesday release, mark the first time the Dalai Lama has explicitly stated that his successor would not be born within Chinese territory.
He had previously only suggested that he could reincarnate outside Tibet, possibly in India, where he has lived in exile since fleeing in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was just 23 when he escaped to India with thousands of followers after China’s Communist forces, led by Mao Zedong, consolidated control over Tibet.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent campaign to preserve Tibetan culture and autonomy.
Beijing, however, continues to view him as a separatist and has repeatedly stated it holds the authority to appoint his successor.
“The lineage of the Dalai Lama living Buddha was formed and developed in China’s Tibet, and his religious status and name were also determined by (China’s) central government,” said Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry.
“The 14th Dalai Lama himself was identified in accordance with religious rituals and historical conventions, and this was submitted to the then central government to approve the succession,” she added.
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At a regular news briefing on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry reiterated its stance, with a spokesperson stating that the Dalai Lama is a political exile who has “no right to represent the Tibetan people at all.”
While Beijing maintains that it alone has the authority to name the next Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader has made clear that any successor chosen by China would lack legitimacy and acceptance among Tibetan Buddhists.
Last month, Beijing expressed hope that the Dalai Lama would “return to the right path” and said it was open to discussions about his future—on the condition that he recognise Tibet and Taiwan as inalienable parts of China. That proposal has already been rejected by the Tibetan parliament-in-exile based in India.
The Tibetan cause continues to draw international attention, with supporters including Hollywood actor and Buddhist follower Richard Gere, and Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
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