Tibetan Buddhists around the world have urged China to not to get itself involved in the reincarnation process of the Dalai Lama, because the Beijing’s choice will be considered “fake”, said Lobsang Sangay, former President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in India, also known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
Speaking exclusively to StratNewsGlobal during his recent visit to India, Sangay said, as New Delhi has resumed dialogue with China, it should tell Beijing “don’t interfere in the reincarnation process. It is for the Dalai Lama to decide and that he has decided that he will not be born inside China. He will be born in free world…
“They (China) don’t believe in religion. The Communist Party says religion is poison and they have vilified and criticized His Holiness throughout his life. It’s none of their business,” said Sangay, now Senior Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School.
Post the 2020 border standoff in eastern Ladakh between India and China, which also saw the deadly Galwan clash, both countries are once again taking steps to normalize stressed ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have held two bilateral meetings in less than a year even as the two countries are seeking to work out an “early harvest” on the boundary delimitation.
“China has no right, no legitimacy in interfering in the process of reincarnation. It is for Tibetans to decide, and we will decide, we will choose the next Dalai Lama,” he added.
Being considered a Living Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is chosen by the process of reincarnation.
China, which calls the Dalai Lama a “separatist”, has said it has the sole authority to select the 14th Dalai Lama’s successor. China has said it will follow the ancient Qing Dynasty tradition of selecting the Dalai Lama through the golden urn system of drawing lots, which will then be approved by the government in Beijing.
Next Dalai Lama In India?
Marking his 90th birthday this July in Dharamshala, the Dalai Lama said the institution will continue after him, recognition of his reincarnation will be decided by the Gaden Phodrang Foundation only. He has also said that his successor will be born in the “free world”.
“China is not part of the free world. North Korea is not part of the free world. So that has made it very clear. And then, yes, it (the next Dalai Lama) could be in India as well,” Sangay said.
He also said if such a scenario arises where there will be two Dalai Lamas, one elected by China and the other outside of that country, then the one Beijing selects will be considered “fake” by Tibetan Buddhists around the world.
On the issue of India-China rapprochement, the Tibetan politician said Beijing will not stop needling New Delhi with repeated border incursions.
“China’s strategy has always been two steps forward, one step backwards. So the border incursion is very real. Chinese troops are moving into the border areas of India for 60 plus years and they will continue to do so,” he warned.
“I’ve always said this that Tibet is a palm. They will come up for the five fingers – Ladakh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh. They will keep coming after five fingers because anyone who controls the Himalaya, China says, will dominate South Asia or India. So that’s their plan. They will keep coming after you and then they will say we must have mutual respect and we must build our relationship.”
