Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has declared in his newly released book Voice for the Voiceless that his reincarnation will be born outside of China.
This is the first time that Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has stated that his successor would be born in the “free world,” meaning outside of China. Previously, he had only suggested that his reincarnation could occur outside Tibet, potentially in India, where he lives in exile.
“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 89-year-old Dalai Lama wrote in his book published on Tuesday.
The Dalai Lama’s recent declaration marks a significant shift from his previous stance, where he had suggested that he might be the last in the line of spiritual leaders.
The statement has drawn immediate criticism from Beijing, which maintains that it alone holds the authority to recognize Tibetan Buddhist reincarnations.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed Dalai Lama as a “separatist” and claimed he has “no right to represent the Tibetan people at all.”
“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. “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.”
The Chinese government’s claimed right to decide the Dalai Lama’s successor follows a precedent set in 1995, when Beijing controversially appointed its own Panchen Lama, the second most senior figure in Tibetan Buddhism, after detaining a child whom the Dalai Lama had recognized as the legitimate reincarnation.
China considers Tibet an integral part of its territory and has long viewed any calls for greater autonomy or independence as a direct challenge to its sovereignty. The Dalai Lama, while denying that he seeks independence for Tibet, has advocated a “Middle Way” approach that calls for genuine autonomy within China.
In Voice for the Voiceless, the Dalai Lama underscores the ongoing struggle of Tibetans, writing:
“The right of the Tibetan people to be the custodians of their own homeland cannot be indefinitely denied, nor can their aspiration for freedom be crushed forever through oppression.”
He warns that history has shown that “if you keep people permanently unhappy, you cannot have a stable society.”
The Dalai Lama has announced that he will reveal details about his succession around his 90th birthday in July.
