Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has officially confirmed that he will be reincarnated after his death, putting an end to years of uncertainty about the future of the institution. In a recorded message delivered ahead of his 90th birthday celebrations on July 6, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate declared that the Gaden Phodrang Trust – the organization he founded – will hold the exclusive authority to recognize his future reincarnation.
“I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” he said, reinforcing that the tradition of the Dalai Lama will continue in accordance with long-standing Tibetan Buddhist practices.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama can consciously choose the body into which he reincarnates, a belief upheld through 14 successive Dalai Lamas since the institution was founded in 1587.
In a clear message to Beijing, the Dalai Lama reiterated that his next incarnation will not be born in China. The Chinese government, which considers him a separatist, has claimed it has the sole authority to appoint his successor – an assertion widely rejected by Tibetan Buddhists both inside Tibet and in exile, who oppose China’s control over religious affairs in the region.
“I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said, reassuring followers around the world that the lineage will carry on as per sacred tradition.
The Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese control in Lhasa. Since then, he has continued to lead the Tibetan community from exile.
