In the lead-up to his 90th birthday in July 2025, the Dalai Lama announced that his reincarnation would be solely managed by the Gaden Phodrang, his legal office, not the Chinese government. Beijing objected and even warned India against supporting him. For its part, the Indian government has maintained a position of non-interference on the reincarnation issue, though some Union ministers have expressed support for the Dalai Lama. This was the latest episode in the ongoing contestation between India and China for influence among global Buddhists and their respective countries. With China asserting control over Tibetan Buddhism and expanding its influence in Buddhist diplomacy, India faces a challenge it can counter by effectively linking its two great assets: the Dalai Lama and the Mahabodhi Temple.
The contest over Tibetan Buddhism
In 1956, the Dalai Lama celebrated the 2500th Buddha Jayanti in India amidst worsening India-China relations. Three years later, he fled to India, bringing with him one of the last surviving lineages of Nalanda Buddhism, 800 years after the legendary university’s destruction. Tibetan Buddhism, a Vajrayana tradition originating in the Tibetan plateau, is practised mainly in Northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, and China. It comprises four main schools—Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug—which have historically competed for influence, sometimes violently.