Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will be celebrating his 90th birthday on Sunday. Ahead of his big day, he stated in a video message that the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue, and that the Gaden Phodrang Trust holds the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation. He also rejected any Chinese interference in the selection process. In a statement posted on social media, the 14th Dalai Lama said, “No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.”
Dalai Lama’s Statement
”The process by which a future Dalai Lama is to be recognised has been clearly established in the 24 September 2011 statement, which states that responsibility for doing so will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition.” For Tibetans, Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. In 2011, he had already stated that the 15th Dalai Lama would be chosen when he turns 90 years old.
On Choosing The 15th Dalai Lama..
Statement Reads- “Although I have had no public discussions on this issue, over the last 14 years leaders of Tibet’s spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, participants in a Special General Body Meeting, members of the Central Tibetan Administration, NGOs, Buddhists from the Himalayan region, Mongolia, Buddhist republics of the Russian Federation and Buddhists in Asia including mainland China, have written to me with reasons, earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue. In particular, I have received messages through various channels from Tibetans in Tibet making the same appeal. In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue.
The Dalai Lama has said in his statement that he had asked during a meeting with the heads of Tibetan spiritual traditions on 24 September 2011, whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue. “As far back as 1969, I made clear that concerned people should decide whether the Dalai Lama’s reincarnations should continue in the future.”- The statement read..“When I am about ninety I will consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, to re-evaluate whether or not the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue.”
On China’s Interference In Selecting The Reincarnation
“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.”
What Next?
The Dalai Lama has given clear instructions to the Gaden Phodrang Foundation regarding the process of selecting the next spiritual leader. As a result, the foundation will take the lead in the succession. Established in 2015, the foundation is dedicated to preserving the Dalai Lama’s spiritual legacy. It will consult senior Tibetan Buddhist leaders and rely on traditional oracles to help identify the next Dalai Lama.
The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile has also confirmed that institutional mechanisms are already in place to manage the selection, even in the absence of direct guidance from the Dalai Lama. This ensures that the tradition continues in line with centuries-old customs and religious practices.
China Keeps A Close Watch!
China has already stated and insisted that the next successor must be approved by the Chinese government. This move is seen as an attempt to assert religious control over Tibet. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), which has ruled Tibet since 1950, have said that there will be a successor to the 14th Dalai Lama and that the next incarnation will be born within China after approval by its authorities. China says its leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama’s successor, as a legacy from imperial times. However, Tibetans, including those in exile, have clearly said they will not accept this and that the next spiritual leader will come from outside China. Additionally, in the Dalai lama’s book “Voice for the Voiceless”, released in March 2025, the Dalai Lama said his successor would be born outside China
