Global (Commonwealth Union) _ As Tibetans prepare to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday on July 6, the spiritual leader who is living in exile has confirmed that the centuries-old institution of the Dalai Lama will be continued even after his passing. In a video message posted on social media, he declared that the organisation he founded, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, will oversee the selection of his successor, adhering to traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices. He also addressed the ongoing tension with Beijing in relation to the future of the Tibetan spiritual leadership.
The announcement accompanies the ongoing celebrations in Dharamshala, India, where the Dalai Lama has been living in exile since 1959. With the festivities having begun on July 1, crowds of followers, monks, and dignitaries have gathered at the Dalai Lama Library and Archive Centre for the occasion, including long-time devotee Richard Gere and several Indian ministers. The celebrations have been decided to end on the date of his birthday, July 6.
The Dalai Lama was born in 1935 in Taktser as Lhamo Thondup, and he was identified as the 14th reincarnation of his predecessor at the age of two. Inaugurated as Tenzin Gyatso in 1940, he had to push through sweeping political upheavals. With the Chinese army entering Tibet in 1950, the ensuing years of escalating conflicts resulted in the Dalai Lama’s fleeing to India in the midst of a failed uprising in 1959.
The spiritual leader has since resided in exile, becoming a symbol of global peace and nonviolence. In the late 1960s, he launched a global campaign for Tibetan independence and received a Nobel Peace Prize in honour of his approach to dealing with conflict.
He stepped away from his political role to focus on his monastic duties, stating on his official website that he always considered himself to be a simple Buddhist monk.
Beijing has rejected the succession plan, saying the next Dalai Lama must be born in China and approved by the government. Preparations for the leader’s birthday celebration continue to raise questions about the next Dalai Lama.
