Dalai Lama reincarnation to unite Tibetan sects amid Chinese push

New Delhi: The current Dalai Lama's (14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso) formal announcement that the 600-year-old institution will continue after his demise has ended years of speculation about the future of one of Tibet's most sacred traditions. It will also unite various sects of the Tibetan community and ensure the continuation of Tibetan customs amid efforts by China to create its "own Dalai Lama".

The announcement comes just days before the spiritual leader's 90th birthday on July 6. "As far back as 1969, I made clear that concerned people should decide whether the Dalai Lama's reincarnations should continue in future," he stated, referencing his long-standing uncertainty about the institution's future. He had also previously said, "When I am about ninety, I will consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, to re-evaluate whether or not the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue."

The statement ends the speculation that the institution itself could be disbanded after the death of the current Dalai Lama. There was also speculation in the past that the new Dalai Lama could be democratically elected.


The Dalai Lama has insisted that his successor would be born outside China. In 1999, the 14th Dalai Lama, anticipating Chinese intervention, stated, "If my reincarnation is to be selected through traditional methods, there will be no reincarnation of mine in Tibet or areas under Chinese rule", thereby checking China. Traditionally, a child believed to be the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is identified and educated to prepare him for the role.

Beijing, which regards him as a separatist, has said it alone has the authority to find the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. However, the announcement will provide limited opportunities for China to exploit differences among the various sects of Tibet after the demise of the current Dalai Lama, according to Tibetan watchers.

If the old tradition did not continue it could have led to a division within the Tibetan Buddhist community and further complicate the already fraught political situation.