Succession of the 14th Dalai Lama
Following the Tibetan Buddhism belief in the principle of rebirth,[1][2] the Dalai Lama is believed by adherents to be able to choose the body into which he is reincarnated.
The search is generally limited to Tibet, although the current Dalai Lama has said that there is a chance that he will not be reborn, and that if he is, it would not be in a country under Chinese rule.
[citation needed] When these signs have been interpreted and a successor found, there is a series of tests believed to ensure that they are the genuine reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama.
They assess the candidate against a set of criteria, and will present the child with various objects to see if they can identify those which belonged to the previous Dalai Lama.
Once identified, the successful candidate and his family are taken to Lhasa (or Dharamsala) where the child will study the Buddhist scriptures in order to prepare for spiritual leadership.
[11][12][13] Speaking on the sidelines of the annual meeting of parliament, Chinese politician Padma Choling accused the 14th Dalai Lama of flip-flopping with his various statements on the issue, and of hypocrisy as he himself was reincarnated.
[3] In response, Lobsang Sangay, Sikyong (prime minister) of the Tibetan government-in-exile, said, "It's like Fidel Castro saying, 'I will select the next Pope and all the Catholics should follow.
[16] In 2015, the Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Tibet Padma Choling (白玛赤林) said: Whether [the Dalai Lama] wants to cease reincarnation or not [...] this decision is not up to him.
[17]In October 2019, Chinese Foreign Ministry speaker Geng Shuang stated: The institution of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama has been in existence for several hundred years.
The 14th (present) Dalai Lama himself was found and recognised following rituals and conventions, and his succession was approved by the then central government.
The CCP is uncomfortable with forces beyond its control and has for years attempted to regulate the religious affairs of Tibetan Buddhists, including their reincarnations.
[22][23][24][25] The first article of 29-Article Ordinance for the More Effective Governing of Tibet states that the purpose of Golden Urn is to ensure prosperity of Gelug, and to eliminate cheating and corruption in the selection process.
[32] On 26 January 1940, the Reting Rinpoche requested the Central Government to exempt Lhamo Dhondup from the lot-drawing process using Golden Urn to become the 14th Dalai Lama.
Article 7 states that no group or individual may carry out activities related to searching for and identifying the reincarnated soul boy of the Living Buddha without authorization.
[41] The selection process for the next Dalai Lama has drawn interest and involvement from various nations, including Mongolia, which maintains strong ties to Tibetan Buddhism.
