NEW DELHI: The Dalai Lama on Wednesday declared that the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue even after his death and that the "authority to recognise the future reincarnation" of the Dalai Lama rests solely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust in India.
Speaking at prayer celebrations ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism in a recorded statement said that the next Dalai Lama should be found and recognised as per past Buddhist traditions.
Also read: China can't choose: Dalai Lama plans to reincarnate - will be reborn abroad
"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," a statement from the Dalai Lama on X read.
Trust officials have also said that the next Dalai Lama "can be of any gender".
The Gaden Phodrang Trust of the Dalai Lama is a non-profit charitable organisation established by the 14th Dalai Lama to support his various religious, cultural, and humanitarian initiatives. Named after the historical Gaden Phodrang , the traditional government of Tibet led by the Dalai Lamas until 1959, the Trust continues the legacy of promoting Tibetan Buddhism, preserving Tibetan culture, and supporting education and healthcare for Tibetan communities in exile .
Also read: All eyes, in India and China, on Dalai Lama's 90th
Headquartered in Dharamshala, the Trust also manages the Dalai Lama's personal affairs, oversees donations, and funds global projects aligned with his values of peace, non-violence, and interfaith harmony.
It plays a key role in administering his teachings, travels, and archives, and remains central to sustaining the spiritual and social mission of the Dalai Lama outside of political governance.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama has the ability to choose the body into which he is reincarnated, a process that has occurred 14 times since the establishment of the institution in 1587.
Tenzin Gyatso was recognised as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940. After Chinese forces crushed a Tibetan uprising in Lhasa in 1959, he fled into exile and has lived in the Indian town of Dharamshala ever since.
The Dalai Lama has repeatedly stated that his next reincarnation will be born outside China, challenging Beijing’s claim that it alone has the authority to select his successor. China, which views him as a separatist, maintains strict control over religious matters in Tibet.
Most Tibetan Buddhists, both within Tibet and in exile, reject China’s interference in their spiritual practices.
Speaking at prayer celebrations ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism in a recorded statement said that the next Dalai Lama should be found and recognised as per past Buddhist traditions.
Also read: China can't choose: Dalai Lama plans to reincarnate - will be reborn abroad
"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," a statement from the Dalai Lama on X read.
Trust officials have also said that the next Dalai Lama "can be of any gender".
The Gaden Phodrang Trust of the Dalai Lama is a non-profit charitable organisation established by the 14th Dalai Lama to support his various religious, cultural, and humanitarian initiatives. Named after the historical Gaden Phodrang , the traditional government of Tibet led by the Dalai Lamas until 1959, the Trust continues the legacy of promoting Tibetan Buddhism, preserving Tibetan culture, and supporting education and healthcare for Tibetan communities in exile .
Also read: All eyes, in India and China, on Dalai Lama's 90th
Headquartered in Dharamshala, the Trust also manages the Dalai Lama's personal affairs, oversees donations, and funds global projects aligned with his values of peace, non-violence, and interfaith harmony.
It plays a key role in administering his teachings, travels, and archives, and remains central to sustaining the spiritual and social mission of the Dalai Lama outside of political governance.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama has the ability to choose the body into which he is reincarnated, a process that has occurred 14 times since the establishment of the institution in 1587.
Tenzin Gyatso was recognised as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940. After Chinese forces crushed a Tibetan uprising in Lhasa in 1959, he fled into exile and has lived in the Indian town of Dharamshala ever since.
The Dalai Lama has repeatedly stated that his next reincarnation will be born outside China, challenging Beijing’s claim that it alone has the authority to select his successor. China, which views him as a separatist, maintains strict control over religious matters in Tibet.
Most Tibetan Buddhists, both within Tibet and in exile, reject China’s interference in their spiritual practices.
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