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Dalai Lama in finding successor dilemma

People's Daily Online

According to an interview with People’s Daily Online, professor Shen Weirong, director of the Research Centre on Han-Tibetan Buddhism at Renmin University of China, and expert on Tibet, said that the Dalai Lama’s wishes to select his successor through “democratic election,” but this procedure neither accords with religious regulations nor historical traditions.

“The Dalai Lama changed his mind many times while selecting a successor. At first, he said he would choose a reincarnated soul overseas. Then, perhaps thinking it would take too long to foster the child, he wanted the 17th Karmapa to act as regent. However, the Karmapa and the Dalai Lama belong to two different branches of Tibetan Buddhism, so this method doesn’t agree with historical conventions. Now, he has declared a new method of “democratic election,” indicating that he’s having big trouble in selecting his successor and finding a solution.” Shen said.

Living Buddha Shingtsa Tenzinchodrak, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and the vice director of the Standing Committee of the Tibetan People’s Congress, recently said that the Dalai Lama’s wish to decide a “successor” through “democratic election,” not only ignored Tibetan Buddhism’s religious customs and historical conventions, but was also ridiculous.

On 1 September 2007, China issued the “Administrative Measures for the Reincarnation of a living Buddha for Tibetan Buddhism,” which clearly states that the “reincarnation of a living Buddha should not be interfered with, or dominated by, any overseas organisations or individuals.” The measures also clearly stipulate the procedure for reincarnation: “Reincarnation of a living Buddha must pass through application and approval.”

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Published in People's Daily Online