Tibetan spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama has firmly declared that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, an organisation established by him, holds the exclusive authority to recognise his future reincarnation—effectively ruling out any involvement by China in the selection process.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama reiterated that the succession process has already been outlined in his September 24, 2011 declaration.
“The process by which a future Dalai Lama is to be recognized has been clearly established… Responsibility for doing so will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust,” he stated.
The Tibetan leader emphasized that this process includes consultation with the heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions and oath-bound Dharma Protectors associated with the Dalai Lama lineage.
“I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” he added.
Recalling his earlier public remarks from 1969 and 2011, the Dalai Lama noted that he had left it to the Tibetan people to decide whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue. He observed that in recent years, spiritual leaders, exile parliamentarians, Tibetan communities inside and outside Tibet, and Buddhists across Asia—including from mainland China—had strongly urged the continuation of the institution.
“Although I have had no public discussions on this issue over the past 14 years, I have received numerous requests to continue the institution of the Dalai Lama. In accordance with these appeals, I am affirming that it will continue,” the Dalai Lama said.
This assertion comes at a time of rising geopolitical tensions surrounding the succession issue. China has repeatedly claimed authority over naming the next Dalai Lama, a move widely rejected by the Tibetan exile leadership and global Buddhist communities.
With this renewed declaration, the Dalai Lama has placed the responsibility of identifying his successor squarely in the hands of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, setting the stage for a continuation of Tibetan spiritual tradition under his guidance and legacy.
