China on Wednesday said the Dalai Lama 's successor must be "approved by the Chinese government," hours after the Tibetan spiritual leader ruled out Beijing 's authority in picking the 15th Dalai Lama .
"The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and other great Buddhist figures must be chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn , and approved by the central government," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told news agency AFP.
Ahead of his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama reiterated that the process to find his successor must follow traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices, not political imposition.
Speaking at prayer celebrations on Sunday, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism said that the search for the 15th Dalai Lama should be guided by time-honoured customs.
"They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition," the Dalai Lama said in a recorded message posted on social media platform X.
The statement outlines the role of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which the Dalai Lama has entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the search for his reincarnation. Officials from the Trust have also clarified that the next Dalai Lama “can be of any gender.”
Established by the 14th Dalai Lama, the Gaden Phodrang Trust is a non-profit organisation tasked with promoting Tibetan Buddhism, preserving Tibetan culture, and supporting the welfare of exiled Tibetan communities. Based in Dharamshala, the Trust manages the Dalai Lama’s personal affairs, including teachings, travel, archives, and philanthropic work across the world — all rooted in his values of peace, compassion, and interfaith harmony.
Tibetan Buddhists hold that the Dalai Lama has the power to choose the body into which he is reincarnated, a process that has taken place 14 times since the institution began in 1587. The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was recognised as the 14th in 1940.
Following China’s military suppression of a Tibetan uprising in 1959, he fled to India and has since lived in exile in Dharamshala. While Beijing insists that it holds authority over the succession of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader has repeatedly asserted that his reincarnation will be born outside China. Many Tibetan Buddhists, both in exile and inside Tibet, reject China's claims and interference in their religious traditions.
"The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and other great Buddhist figures must be chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn , and approved by the central government," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told news agency AFP.
Ahead of his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama reiterated that the process to find his successor must follow traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices, not political imposition.
Speaking at prayer celebrations on Sunday, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism said that the search for the 15th Dalai Lama should be guided by time-honoured customs.
"They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition," the Dalai Lama said in a recorded message posted on social media platform X.
The statement outlines the role of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which the Dalai Lama has entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the search for his reincarnation. Officials from the Trust have also clarified that the next Dalai Lama “can be of any gender.”
Established by the 14th Dalai Lama, the Gaden Phodrang Trust is a non-profit organisation tasked with promoting Tibetan Buddhism, preserving Tibetan culture, and supporting the welfare of exiled Tibetan communities. Based in Dharamshala, the Trust manages the Dalai Lama’s personal affairs, including teachings, travel, archives, and philanthropic work across the world — all rooted in his values of peace, compassion, and interfaith harmony.
Tibetan Buddhists hold that the Dalai Lama has the power to choose the body into which he is reincarnated, a process that has taken place 14 times since the institution began in 1587. The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was recognised as the 14th in 1940.
Following China’s military suppression of a Tibetan uprising in 1959, he fled to India and has since lived in exile in Dharamshala. While Beijing insists that it holds authority over the succession of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader has repeatedly asserted that his reincarnation will be born outside China. Many Tibetan Buddhists, both in exile and inside Tibet, reject China's claims and interference in their religious traditions.
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