The President of Central Tibetan Administration, Dr. Lobsang Sangay said that the Dalai lama successor is likely to be picked sooner at the Indo-Tibet Summit 2017 held in New Delhi recently. The statement strongly asserts to prove that the Chinese government has no say in the recognition of the successor for the Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
“As far as the next Dalai Lama is concerned it’s already on the table and he can come through reincarnation, selection or emanation. These options are on the table but not yet executed,” he said, while speaking at the ‘Indo-Tibet Summit’ organised by the South and East Asia Foundation in New Delhi on 20th May.
“He (the Dalai Lama) says that he will decide at the age of 90, but I think it should happen sooner and I think it is likely to happen,” said the President.
The reincarnation is the process of searching for the new born who exhibits all the signs of being the new born incarnated individual as per the instructions of the predecessor. This form of recognition of a reincarnate lama takes place the passing away of the present lama. This also resembles the process of selection where the high lamas meet and select the successor.
However, the emanation is the process where the present lama designates his own successor before he passes away.
“The communist party says religion is poison. They don’t believe in religion. They destroy monasteries, disrobe monks and nuns. What is the basis of legitimacy they will have to select the next Dalai Lama? Not at all,” he said explaining that the Chinese effort of recognizing the next Dalai Lama illegitimate.
China is keen to pick up the Dalai Lama successor to firm up its hold over Tibet, which it has kept under tight political, military and administrative control after it took over the area in 1951.