Context

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, turns 90 on 6 July 2025. This birthday is not only an occasion of personal but also historic importance for the Tibetan people and the followers of Tibetan Buddhism. On this occasion he expressed his desire to live more than 130 years and to be reborn after death.

About Dalai Lama:

The Dalai Lama, revered as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, has lived in exile in India since 1959, after the Chinese military crushed a Tibetan uprising. He escaped Tibet and eventually settled in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, where the Tibetan government-in-exile was formed. In 2011, he voluntarily gave up his political authority, ending a tradition of combining spiritual and temporal leadership that lasted 368 years.

The Tradition of Reincarnation:

The Dalai Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. The concept of tulku in Tibetan Buddhism guides this process: when a Dalai Lama dies, he is reincarnated to carry on his spiritual mission.

·        The first Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa, was born in 1391. By the time of the fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, in the 17th century, the position also took on political authority.

·        The current Dalai Lama was discovered in 1939 as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama through a traditional search involving visions and spiritual signs.

·        Since 1969, the Dalai Lama has publicly said that whether or not his reincarnation should continue is a decision for Tibetans, Mongolians, and Himalayan Buddhists.

·        In a statement in 2011, he declared that at age 90 he would consult senior lamas, the Tibetan public, and other stakeholders to decide if the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue.

The China Factor:

China views the Dalai Lama as a separatist and does not accept his authority. Beijing has repeatedly said that the reincarnation process must be conducted under Chinese law.

·        In 2007, China decreed that no individual or group can search for or identify a reincarnated lama without state approval, institutionalising the Golden Urn method to control the selection.

·        The Dalai Lama has firmly opposed this interference. In 2011, he said his reincarnation must be found in a “free country, not under Chinese control,” and warned that any candidate chosen by China would not be legitimate.

·        He repeated this view in his 2025 book, Voice for the Voiceless, stating his successor would be born outside China.

·        Many Tibetans fear that after the Dalai Lama’s passing, China will appoint its own successor to strengthen its hold over Tibet and its religious institutions.

Conclusion:

The Dalai Lama’s upcoming statement is likely to define the future of Tibetan Buddhism and its leadership. It will also have geopolitical implications, as China and the Tibetan diaspora continue to dispute who has the right to choose the next spiritual leader.

This moment will be watched closely worldwide because it not only concerns the preservation of Tibetan culture and religion but also touches upon broader themes of self-determination, religious freedom, and China’s policies towards minorities. The coming decision will shape the identity and unity of Tibetan people for generations to come.