Dalai Lama affirms institution will continue after his death

The Dalai Lama has formally affirmed that the 600-year-old instauration of the Dalai Lama volition proceed aft his death, issuing a definitive connection connected Wednesday (July 2, 2025) that ends years of uncertainty astir the aboriginal of 1 of Tibet’s astir ineffable traditions. The announcement comes conscionable days earlier the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s 90th day connected July 6.

“In accordance with each these requests, I americium affirming that the instauration of the Dalai Lama volition continue,” the 14th Dalai Lama declared successful a broad connection dated May 21 that was released connected X.

The determination follows overwhelming appeals from Tibetan spiritual leaders, Buddhist communities worldwide, and crucially, Tibetans surviving wrong Tibet.

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The determination represents a important displacement from the Dalai Lama’s erstwhile position. “As acold backmost arsenic 1969, I made wide that acrophobic radical should determine whether the Dalai Lama’s reincarnations should proceed successful the future,” helium stated, referencing his long-standing uncertainty astir the institution’s future. He had besides antecedently said, “When I americium astir ninety, I volition consult the precocious Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and different acrophobic radical who travel Tibetan Buddhism, to re-evaluate whether oregon not the instauration of the Dalai Lama should continue.”

Despite having “no nationalist discussions connected this issue” implicit the past 14 years, the Dalai Lama revealed helium received accordant appeals from divers groups. “Leaders of Tibet’s spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan Parliament successful Exile, participants successful 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 successful Asia including mainland China, person written to maine with reasons, earnestly requesting that the instauration of the Dalai Lama continue,” helium stated.

Particularly important were appeals from wrong Tibet itself. “In particular, I person received messages done assorted channels from Tibetans successful Tibet making the aforesaid appeal,” the Dalai Lama noted. This enactment from Tibetans surviving nether Chinese regularisation carries peculiar weight, fixed Beijing’s attempts to power Tibetan spiritual practices and its claims of authorization implicit the reincarnation process.

Succession process

The connection besides definitively establishes the succession process. The Dalai Lama has insisted that his successor would beryllium calved extracurricular China. Beijing, which regards him arsenic a separatist, has said it unsocial has the authorization to find the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.

“The process by which a aboriginal Dalai Lama is to beryllium recognised has been intelligibly established successful the 24 September 2011 connection which states that work for doing truthful volition remainder exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” helium explained. The Dalai Lama emphasised that “the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authorization to recognise the aboriginal reincarnation; nary 1 other has immoderate specified authorization to interfere successful this matter.”

The announcement follows caller day celebrations wherever the Dalai Lama joined thousands of Buddhist followers successful supplication ceremonies successful the Himalayan municipality wherever helium has lived successful exile since 1959. He and thousands of different Tibetans fled to India aft Chinese troops crushed an uprising successful the Tibetan superior Lhasa, establishing a government-in-exile that continues to this day.