On 2 July, days before his birthday celebrations, the Dalai Lama released a statement to affirm “that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue.” The 14th Dalai Lama also stated that “the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else [read: Beijing] has any such authority to interfere in this matter.” With the statement, he settled a 14-year-old ambiguity over whether there will be a 15th Dalai Lama, and decisively pushed back against China’s intentions to interfere in his succession.
Expectedly, China reacted merely hours later with its Foreign Ministry spokesperson stating that, “the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and other great Buddhist figures must be chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn, and approved by the central government.”
In stark contrast, the Tibetan community in exile across India rejoiced at the Dalai Lama’s statement and celebrated the day as an auspicious occasion. At the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference in Dharamsala, prominent religious leaders immediately backed the Dalai Lama’s statement and slammed China for ‘political interference in a religious matter’. Meanwhile, Tibetan leaders made appearances for a range of Indian and international news channels to explain the significance of the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation question and push back against Chinese propaganda. In an interview for The Week, SikyongPenpa Tsering, the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) head, cautiously replied, “I am confident India will stand on the right side of history,” and left it at that.
The origins of the reincarnation system
The tradition of reincarnation is deeply and uniquely tied to Tibetan Buddhism, with roots in ancient Indian spiritual traditions. It is rooted in the belief that a Tibetan Buddhist who is sufficiently advanced spiritually can direct their reincarnation and guide their followers to find their next physical embodiment in order to continue their service towards all sentient beings.
The formal tradition of recognising reincarnations, which eventually became known as the Tulku system (meaning Living Buddha or the emanation body of a Buddha), can be traced back to the 13th century. The first Karmapa—the head of the Karma Kagyu sect within Tibetan Buddhism—predicted he would be reborn, and his successor was recognised by his disciples. Over centuries, the Tulku system spread all over Tibet and was embraced by other sects/schools of thought in Tibetan Buddhism—Sakya, Gelug, Nyingma, Jonang, and so on.
In the Gelug tradition, Gendun Drupa—a direct disciple of Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of what became the largest sect within Tibetan Buddhism—was sought after by his close followers after his death in 1474. A boy named Gendun Gyatso, born in 1475, was recognised as his reincarnation. His lineage of reincarnated Buddhist masters would eventually come to be known as the Dalai Lamas—a title conferred upon the 3rd incarnate, Sonam Gyatso, by the Mongolian King, Altan Khan. Over time, the Dalai Lamas have been searched for and recognised by the Gaden Phodrang (A unique, monastic system of government in Tibet, established by the 5th Dalai Lama).
How are the Dalai Lamas recognised?
The Dalai Lamas are believed to be embodiments of Avalokiteshvara—the revered patron saint of Tibet and the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Traditionally, it has been the responsibility of the High Lamas of the Gelug tradition (also known as the Yellow Hat Sect) and the Tibetan government to identify the reincarnation in a young child.
By its very nature, the recognition of reincarnations is a mystical process. Traditionally, the Dalai Lama writes and leaves behind a predictive letter to help guide his principal disciples and high lamas, mainly from the Gelug Sect, in their search. They also conduct a series of esoteric rituals—scrutinise various omens, infer from rituals, interpret dreams, and embark on pilgrimages to sacred sites, such as the ‘oracle lake’ of Lhamo Lhatso in Tibet—in search of a reincarnated child. To confirm the identity of a prospective child, a series of tests are given to him, such as whether he can recognise particular objects owned by his predecessor. Oracles and other Lamas, deemed to have powers of divination or prophecy, are consulted in the process.
The 14th Dalai Lama has stated he would be reborn in the “free world”, and thus, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, registered in Dharamshala, will likely conduct a version of the aforementioned processes to find him or her.
What is China’s stance on the reincarnation issue?
The Dalai Lama’s legitimacy over his reincarnation is contested by China, which has consistently labelled him a ‘splittist.’ The PRC has put in place elaborate policy measures to seek control over the reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders. In 2007, Beijing decreed ‘Order No. 5’, or “Management Measures for the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism,” a framework to provide legal cover for the CCP’s control over the reincarnations. Notably, it asserts that all reincarnations must be born within PRC territory to be lawfully recognised and rejects the involvement of any ‘unauthorised’ individual or groups, an indirect but clear reference to the Dalai Lama and his followers.
The same order also decrees that high lamas must be chosen through the ‘Golden Urn’ method—a lottery system introduced by the Qing Empire in 1793. This is evidently meant to bolster China’s claim that the Dalai Lama’s succession has historically been subject to Chinese approval, even as its veracity is contested, if not outrightly rejected, by independent experts and historians, as well as Tibetan Buddhist scholars. The 13th or the 14th Dalai Lama’s selection, for instance, did not involve this method.
In subsequent years, China has undertaken other efforts to control the reincarnation system and the practice of Tibetan Buddhism more generally under a broad framework known as ‘Sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism.’ It has sought to control monasteries and leaders through “temple management” rules and “re-education” campaigns for resident monks and lamas. In 2016, Beijing finalised an online database of over 1300 ‘Living Buddhas,’ and also reportedly took over the management of all higher-level Tibetan Buddhist institutes.
These draconian measures that inhibit the right of Tibetan Buddhists to freely practice religion have brought the PRC under fire from human rights organisations across the world, as well as Buddhist organisations and world leaders. Experts believe that much of this is done because China’s control over Tibetan people remains incomplete, and that is why it seeks to appoint its own 15th Dalai Lama, one who would be compliant with the CCP’s demands.
What is the position of the U.S. and India on the reincarnation dispute?
Given that the Dalai Lama remains an internationally revered leader and of unique spiritual and political importance to Tibetan Buddhists, his reincarnation is of great consequence to Tibetans as well as to millions of his supporters worldwide, especially in Buddhist countries in South Asia and beyond.
Importantly, the U.S. has extended support to the 14th Dalai Lama. In 2020, the US passed the ‘Tibet Policy and Support Act,’ signed into law by President Trump, which frames the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation as the sole prerogative of the Tibetan Buddhist community. It further authorises the U.S. government to sanction Chinese officials who try to interfere in the reincarnation process.
While India has not adopted an official policy on the reincarnation question, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju recently stated: “No one has the right to interfere or decide who the successor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be. Only he or his institution has the authority to make that decision. His followers believe that deeply.” However, the Ministry of External Affairs distanced itself from Mr Rijiju’s position and stated that the Indian Government “doesn’t take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion…”, but also added, “The government has always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so.”
