The tendency to complicate and mystify the issue of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, often through out-of-context comments, is not new. The recent addition to the list is an article by P Stobdan titled Tensions over Dalai Lama’s Reincarnation: Can China Determine Tibet’s Future? (IE, February 19). Given its misinterpretation and misunderstanding, I would like to set the record straight by addressing three fundamental questions that the Dalai Lama has consistently answered over the years.
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Will there be a next Dalai Lama?
The Dalai Lama has reiterated that only the Tibetan people have the right to decide whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue. Tibetans revere the Dalai Lama as the emanation of Avalokiteshvara (known as Chenrezig in Tibetan), the bodhisattva of compassion and the patron saint of Tibet. He is the ultimate symbol of Tibet as a nation and its people. The general Tibetan populace, along with the heads of various Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the native Bon religion, have consistently expressed their strong desire for the continuation of this institution.
For instance, the third Special General Meeting in Dharamshala, India, held from October 3-9, 2019, was attended by around 340 Tibetan community leaders and representatives from 24 countries, including India, Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, Nepal, and Bhutan. During this meeting, it was emphasised: “The relationship between successive Dalai Lamas and the Tibetan people has been akin to that between head and neck, or, as it were, between the body and its shadow, and therefore never separable. Hence, it is only to be expected that the tradition of the continuance of the Dalai Lama lineage through successive reincarnations should remain for the sake of the people of the Snowland of Tibet.”
Similarly, the 14th Tibetan Religious Conference, held in Dharamshala in November 2019, brought together senior leaders and heads of all Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the Bon religion. The conference adopted a resolution urging the Dalai Lama to reincarnate according to Tibetan traditions and declaring that Tibetans will never accept a Dalai Lama appointed by China. They further stated that only the Dalai Lama has the authority to decide how his reincarnation will occur, and that no government has the right to interfere in this sacred process of recognising the reincarnation.
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As per the current dispensation, the aforementioned Special General Meeting and Tibetan Religious Conference represent the highest forum for both secular and religious deliberations.
Where will the next Dalai Lama be born?
The Dalai Lama has consistently reiterated that if the issue of Tibet is not resolved during his lifetime, his reincarnation will be born in a free country, as the primary purpose of reincarnation is to continue the work of his predecessors. “If the present situation regarding Tibet remains the same, I will be born outside Tibet away from the control of the Chinese authorities. This is logical. The very purpose of a reincarnation is to continue the unfinished work of the previous incarnation. Thus, if the Tibetan situation still remains unsolved, it is logical that I will be born in exile to continue my unfinished work. Of course, the Chinese will still choose their own Dalai Lama and we Tibetans will choose our own according to tradition. It will be similar to the present situation of the Panchen Lama. There is a Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama and there is the Panchen Lama chosen by me. One is paraded to serve its master’s purposes and the other is the Panchen Lama accepted in the hearts of all the Tibetans.”
Who will be responsible for searching and recognising the next Dalai Lama?
In a public statement issued in September 2011, specifically addressing the issue of his reincarnation, the Dalai Lama made it categorically clear that the primary responsibility for recognising the 15th Dalai Lama will rest with the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which is essentially the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, headquartered in Dharamshala. “If it is decided that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should continue and there is a need for the Fifteenth Dalai Lama to be recognised, responsibility for doing so will primarily rest on the concerned officers of the Dalai Lama’s Gaden Phodrang Trust. They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should seek advice and direction from these concerned beings and carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition. I shall leave clear written instructions about this. Bear in mind that, apart from the reincarnation recognised through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People’s Republic of China.”
I would respectfully like to bring to Stobdan’s attention that the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, legally registered as the Gaden Phodrang Trust, is based in India, not Zurich — a crucial detail that, under ordinary circumstances, a defense and security specialist should not have confused.
Furthermore, many so-called political pundits mistakenly interpret exiled Tibetan electoral hustings — an essential feature of any truly democratic society — as a sign of disunity. They overlook the fact that when it comes to any national cause, all Tibetans stand united. In fact, we Tibetans may be the only ones presenting a “united front” against China’s United Front.
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Lastly, the issue of reincarnation is not open for negotiation or political bargaining, particularly not with an atheist regime bent on harmonising Buddhism with China’s socialist characteristics. If history has taught us anything, it is that no power in this world can dilute the innate religious faith of the Tibetan people. The system of reincarnation is unique to Tibetan Buddhism, and the 383-year-old institution of the Dalai Lama is more than capable of handling it independently, without any external interference.
All doubts, confusion, and conspiracy theories about the issue of reincarnation are matters best left to scholars. For instance, Stobdan’s claim that the shutdown of USAID is going to impact the reincarnation issue is simply beyond comprehension. As far as the Tibetan people and the broader Himalayan Buddhist community are concerned, the “clear written instructions” of the Dalai Lama will be the final word.
The writer is the secretary of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.
