The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the 14th Dalai Lama, addressed questions on selecting the next Dalai Lama in an interaction with journalists in Dharamsala recently. When asked about maintaining sanctity in the centuries-old tradition of recognizing reincarnations, the Dalai Lama clarified that he was focused on utilizing his time and energy to benefit others as long as he was alive.
The Buddhist tradition of recognizing reincarnations, or Tulkus, has guided the selection of successive Dalai Lamas for centuries. However, China's involvement in the process has cast a cloud of uncertainty. While the present Dalai Lama was identified through signs left by his predecessor when he passed, China now claims the right to approve the next incarnation. This is a non-starter for Tibetans who want to uphold their religious customs free of foreign interference.
A senior Tibetan official pointed out that the Dalai Lama had purposefully avoided committing to concrete plans. Given China's unpredictable posturing, this strategic vagueness has strategic merit. The US and India also back the Tibetan Buddhist community's autonomous authority over designating spiritual leaders, as codified in recent policy reforms. For now, the 87-year old Dalai Lama maintains that his focus remains on serving others to the best of his abilities while in office. Though questioned on visiting his native Amdo region, he did not express a desire to do so either. As the issue of high stewardship continues to engage observers,answers on the future remain obscured.
