The Dalai Lama, who has been living in exile, has confirmed that the centuries-old institution will continue after his death and that Tibetans will appoint his successor. This has put to rest the speculations that he might be the last to hold the title.
Ahead of his 90th birthday, he, in a recorded message, said that the search for the next Dalai Lama should be carried out according to longstanding Buddhist traditions, AP reported.
“The institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said that the process of identifying his reincarnation must follow “past tradition”.
He added, “I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.
This comes after he said that he will provide clarity about succession around his 90th birthday.
Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama can choose the body into which he is reincarnated, a process that has occurred 14 times since the role was established in 1587.
Tenzin Gyatso became the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940. He fled Tibet in 1959 after Chinese forces suppressed an uprising in the capital, Lhasa, and has since been living in exile in Dharamshala, India.
He previously said that his successor will not be born in Chinese-controlled Tibet, asserting that the reincarnation process must remain free of political interference. Beijing, however, claims it has sole authority to select the next Dalai Lama—a position widely rejected by Tibetans both inside the region and in exile.