Dharamshala: In a landmark announcement that ends years of uncertainty, the 14th Dalai Lama has officially affirmed that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue after his death. The declaration was made in a formal statement released on Wednesday, just days before the Tibetan spiritual leader turns 90 on July 6.
“In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said in a statement dated May 21, shared publicly via his official X account.
This confirmation marks a significant reversal from his earlier positions, including his 1969 statement in which he had left the future of the Dalai Lama lineage to the will of the people and Tibetan Buddhist leaders.
Despite no formal public consultations in recent years, the Dalai Lama revealed that he had received consistent appeals urging the continuation of the role — from Tibetan religious leaders, members of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Buddhist communities across India, Mongolia, Russia, China, and crucially, from Tibetans inside Tibet.
“In particular, I have received messages through various channels from Tibetans in Tibet making the same appeal,” he noted, underlining the importance of support from those living under Chinese rule, where religious freedoms are tightly controlled.
Succession to Be Outside Chinese Authority
In his statement, the Dalai Lama also made it clear that China will have no role in the reincarnation process. He reaffirmed that the Gaden Phodrang Trust—the official office of His Holiness—will have exclusive authority over the recognition of his successor.
“The process… has been clearly established in the 24 September 2011 statement, which states that responsibility will rest exclusively with the Gaden Phodrang Trust,” he said, reiterating that “no one else has any such authority to interfere.”
China has previously claimed it holds the power to name the next Dalai Lama, a position rejected by the Tibetan leadership and global Buddhist communities. The 14th Dalai Lama has also emphasized that his successor will be born outside China, a direct challenge to Beijing’s narrative.
The announcement comes as the Dalai Lama continues to lead a life in exile in Dharamshala, India, after fleeing Tibet in 1959 during a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Lhasa. His spiritual leadership remains central to the Tibetan identity and global Buddhist movement.
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