Dalai Lama to name his successor soon - Announcement expected in early July
The 14th Dalai Lama (photo: facebook.com/DalaiLama)
In July, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the 14th Dalai Lama, will turn 90. He has promised to announce details regarding his successor by this date, according to Reuters.
Succession has great significance not only for Buddhists but also for China, India, and the United States, due to strategic, political, and religious factors.
This week, a large religious conference will be held in Dharamshala, India, dedicated to the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. Over 100 Buddhist leaders will participate, including a longtime friend of the Tibetans, actor Richard Gere. On July 5, the Dalai Lama will participate in prayers, and on July 6, he will speak at the celebrations. He is expected to provide the first clues about his successor then.
How the Dalai Lama is chosen
According to Tibetan tradition, the Dalai Lama's soul is reincarnated in a new body after death. The current Dalai Lama, Lhamo Thondup, was recognized as a reincarnation at 2. His enthronement took place in 1940 at the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Since then, he has served not only as a spiritual but also as a symbolic leader of Tibet.
Where the next successor will be born
In his book "Voice for the Voiceless," published in March 2025, the Dalai Lama wrote that his successor will be born outside China. During a recent speech in Dharamshala, he said a "framework" outlining the process of transferring the title would soon be proposed. No further details have been disclosed.
The Dalai Lama also established the Gaden Phodrang Foundation in 2015, which must search for and recognize the next Dalai Lama. This is the work for his closest aides and the Tibetan clergy in exile.
What China says
Beijing claims the right to approve the next Dalai Lama, citing an imperial tradition from the Qing dynasty (1793), when the names of reincarnations were drawn from a "golden urn." China believes the successor must be born on its territory and undergo a state-controlled ritual.
However, the Dalai Lama urges Tibetans not to recognize any candidates appointed by the Chinese Communist Party, which denies religion altogether.
India and US response
The US and India openly support the Tibetan people's right to choose their spiritual leader independently. In 2024, Joe Biden signed a law requiring China to stop pressuring the Tibetan community on the succession issue.
India, home to over 100,000 Tibetans, has been a refuge for the Dalai Lama since 1959. His presence there remains a key geopolitical factor in India's standoff with China.
What's next
The Dalai Lama has stated that he may reincarnate in India, and that his successor could be either a boy or a girl. Preparations for the transfer of the title are already underway, even though this matter is traditionally not discussed until the death of the current spiritual leader. However, due to China's interference, the Tibetan community sees the need to act differently.
The spiritual leader is preparing his community for life without him. As early as 2011, he transferred political authority to an elected government in exile, thus ending a 368-year tradition of spiritual-political rule.
"We have to agree that there will be a moment when he is not with us. His Holiness has really prepared us for that day," said Dolma Tsering Teykhang, the deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile.
Earlier, we explained why planes avoid flying over Tibet. This is due to a combination of factors: strong turbulence in mountainous terrain, a high risk of collision with mountains in the event of cabin pressure loss, and a lack of emergency landing sites. Although flights over Tibet are not banned, these risks make the route unsafe for civil aviation.
