Dalai Lama urges followers to reject any successor chosen by China
In new book, Voice for the Voiceless, released in the UK and the US on March 11, Tibetan spiritual leader has said that his successor will be born in the ‘free world’, not China.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is set to turn 90 on July 6, has urged his followers to reject any successor chosen by China, saying he would be reincarnated in the “free world”.
In his new book, Voice for the Voiceless, that was released in the US and the UK on Tuesday, the Dalai Lama has said: “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 (outside China) so that the traditional mission 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.”
Tibetan tradition believes that when a senior Buddhist monk passes away, his soul is reincarnated in the body of a child. The 14th Dalai Lama, who was recognised as the reincarnation of his predecessor at the age of two and has been living in exile in Dharamshala in India for 66 years, says for more than a decade, he has been receiving petitions from a broad range of Tibetan people, urging him to ensure the continuation of the lineage. In contrast, Beijing maintains that the process of selecting his successor must adhere to Chinese law, asserting its control over Tibetan Buddhism and rejecting any succession beyond its authority.
Spokesperson of Tibetan government-in-exile, Tenzin Lekshay, said, “The China Communist regime has no legitimate authority over the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Since it is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the sole authority over his reincarnation. No matter how much China seeks, it will doom to fail. Moreover, we are very hopeful that he (Dalai Lama) is going to be with us for two more decades.”
In a recent statement, the Tibetan parliament-in-exile has also rejected the interference from China saying that the process of recognising the reincarnations of lamas in Tibetan Buddhism is solely and uniquely a Tibetan religious tradition.
The book, published by William Morrow in the US and Harper Non-Fiction in the UK, consists of personal, spiritual and historical reflections of the spiritual leader. He highlights the ongoing existential threat to Tibetan culture, language, and religion under Chinese rule, calling for global solidarity and a resolution that respects Tibet’s distinct identity while fostering coexistence.
Though the Dalai Lama has dozens of books, including autobiographies while in exile, to his credit, the new book recounts the more than seven-decade-long struggle with China, including negotiations, cultural preservation, and advocating for Tibetans under Chinese rule. China gained control of Tibet in 1950, resulting in tensions and resistance. In 1959, at 23 years old, the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fled to Dharamshala with thousands of Tibetans following a failed uprising against Mao Zedong’s Communist rule.
He has asserted that the fight for Tibetan freedom would persist “no matter what”, even after his passing.
With ANI inputs
