CCP official asserts reincarnation will be approved by Beijing, not the Dalai Lama
In a significant statement on the succession of Tibetan Buddhism’s highest spiritual leader, a top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official has declared that the reincarnation of the current Dalai Lama will be decided solely by the Chinese government, not by the Dalai Lama or his followers.
Gama Cedain, deputy secretary of the CCP committee in Tibet, made the remarks during a press briefing on Tuesday regarding Tibet’s socioeconomic development. “The central government has the indisputable final say in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama,” he said, stressing that the process will involve a domestic search and formal approval by Beijing.
Conflict over spiritual authority
The Dalai Lama, currently the 14th in his spiritual lineage, turned 90 last month. At his birthday celebration, he reiterated that he would be reincarnated and that a non-profit institution established by him would hold exclusive authority to identify his successor. The Dalai Lama has also stated in previous interviews that his reincarnation would not take place in China, rejecting any involvement by the Chinese government.
China, however, maintains that it has the historical and political authority to control the selection of reincarnated Tibetan lamas. “The reincarnation has never been decided by the Dalai Lama himself,” Cedain asserted, adding that the government’s procedure respects traditional religious rituals and historical customs.
Background: China’s control over Tibetan Buddhism
China has long accused the Dalai Lama of being a separatist and has sought to exert control over Tibetan Buddhism as part of its broader strategy to tighten its grip over Tibet. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising in Lhasa against Chinese rule and has since lived in exile.
The spiritual dispute mirrors a historical precedent: in 1995, the Dalai Lama identified a six-year-old boy as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, the second-most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. That child vanished shortly afterward. China then appointed its own Panchen Lama, who is not recognized by the global Tibetan Buddhist community.
What’s at stake
The disagreement over who has the right to identify the next Dalai Lama is not merely symbolic. It has profound implications for the future of Tibetan identity, religious freedom, and China’s geopolitical stance on Tibet. With Beijing tightening control over religious institutions, the succession issue is likely to remain a major flashpoint in Sino-Tibetan relations.
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