The Dalai Lama must address this week to a large assembly of Buddhist religious figures during a three -day rally, as it approaches 90e birthday. His followers are waiting for him to share details on his succession, an approach that could irritate Beijing.
China considers the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a missed uprising against Chinese domination, like a separatist and affirms that she will choose her successor. The Dalai Lama for his part declared that his successor would be born outside of China and urged his faithful to reject any person designated by Beijing.
According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the enlightened monks reincarnate to perpetuate their spiritual heritage. The 14the Dalai Lama, who will celebrate his 90th birthday on Sunday, said he would consult high monks and other people on this occasion, in order to give indications on the place where his successor could be found, whether it is a boy or a girl after his death.
“The rest of my life, I will devote it to the good of others, as much as possible, as widely as possible,” said Dalai Lama on Monday before his faithful, while they prayed for his long life.
“There will be a kind of framework in which we can discuss the continuity of the Dalai Lamas institution,” he added, without giving more details on this framework.
He has already mentioned the possibility of reincarnating in India, where he lives in exile near the Himalayan city of Dharamsala. He was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor when he was only two years old.
Dolma Tsering Teykhang, vice-president of the Tibetan parliament in exile in Dharamsala, believes that it is essential that the world directly hears the Dalai Lama on this question, because, according to her, China “tries to discredit it at each occasion … while seeking to establish rules and regulations to control the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama”.
“China is trying to appropriate this institution … for political ends,” she said.
“We want the incarnation of Dalai Lama to be born not only for the survival of Tibet as a distinct culture, religion and nation, but also for the well-being of all humanity. »»
Thupten NGODUP, the chief state oracle of Tibet, stressed that such discussions on reincarnation generally do not take place during the lifetime of the monk, but that the situation is different today, mainly because of “the interference of the Chinese government”.
Beijing said in March that Dalai Lama was a political exile which “has no right to represent the Tibetan people”. China said it was open to discuss its future if it recognized that Tibet and Taiwan are inalienable parties of China, a proposal that the Tibetan government in exile has rejected.
“As if he was no longer there”
This week’s religious conference, organized for the first time since 2019, will bring together more than 100 Tibetan Buddhist leaders and will include a video declaration by Dalai Lama.
The Hollywood star Richard Gere, a long -standing loyal to Tibetan Buddhism, will be among the participants, according to the organizers.
The Dalai Lama will participate in prayers organized by the Tibetan government in exile on July 5, then will take part in the celebration of its birthday the next day, according to the program communicated by the organizers.
He will give a speech of about half an hour during the festivities. The Indian Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, as well as other Indian officials, are also expected.
The Tibetans pray for his health, especially since a knee operation in the United States last year, even if the Dalai Lama told Reuters in December that he could live up to 110 years. The previous Dalai Lama died earlier than expected, at 58 years old.
The Dalai Lama and Tibetan officials assure that a system is in place to allow the government in exile to continue its political action, while the members of the Gaden Phodrang Foundation of the Dalai Lama will seek and recognize the next Dalai Lama.
The current Dalai Lama created this foundation in 2015, and several of his close collaborators are leaders.
Teykhang and other Tibetan officials explain that the Dalai Lama is preparing its people for the possibility of its absence, in particular since its decision in 2011 to transmit its political role to a democratically elected government, ending 368 years of tradition where it was both spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetans.
“Since he came in human form, we must accept that there will be a time when he will no longer be with us,” said Teykhang. “His holiness has really prepared us to date, he has taught us to act as if he was already there. »»
