Who will be the next Dalai Lama? Key questions answered as leader turns 90
Dalai Lama drops hints about successor
- The Dalai Lama, approaching his 90th birthday on Sunday, faces significant questions regarding his succession.
- Tibetan Buddhist tradition dictates that the soul of a senior monk is reincarnated, a process that led to the identification of the current Dalai Lama at just two years old.
- The Dalai Lama has stated his successor would be born outside China and plans to release further details around his 90th birthday, explicitly rejecting any candidate chosen for political ends by Beijing.
- China asserts its right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, citing historical precedent and national laws that mandate the use of a golden urn and birth within China's borders.
- The Tibetan parliament-in-exile has established a system for continuing its work and identifying the next Dalai Lama.