The Dalai Lama and the Gaden Phodrang Trust are announcing the succession plan for the 15th Dalai Lama. To ensure Tibetan Buddhist traditions prevail over Chinese interference, he declared on July 2, 2025, ahead of his 90th birthday at Dharamshala, India, the Dalai Lama’s exile home.
In This Article:
A Historic Announcement
On July 2, 2025, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, announced that his successor will be chosen by the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit he founded in 2015, ending years of speculation about the future of the 600-year-old institution. Speaking at the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference in Dharamshala, the Nobel Peace Prize winner affirmed that only his office holds the authority to identify the 15th Dalai Lama, explicitly rejecting China’s claim to control the process.
China’s Controversial Stance
China, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, insists that the successor must be approved by Beijing, using a “golden urn” lot-drawing system rooted in Qing dynasty traditions. This stance stems from China’s 1950 control of Tibet and its abduction of the Panchen Lama in 1995, replacing him with a Beijing-backed figure. The Dalai Lama, exiled in India since 1959, stated in his 2025 book Voice for the Voiceless that his successor will be born in the “free world” outside China to prevent Beijing’s manipulation.
India’s Firm Support
India, hosting the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, rebuked China’s claims. On July 3, 2025, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, a practicing Buddhist, declared that only the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhist conventions can decide the successor, emphasizing that “this is not about politics.” India’s support, backed by 46 MPs in March 2025, underscores its commitment to Tibetan autonomy and cultural preservation.
Future Implications
The Dalai Lama’s plan ensures the reincarnation tradition continues, with the Trust open to a successor of any gender or nationality. As he approaches his 90th birthday on July 6, 2025, fears persist among Tibetans about China’s potential to impose a rival Dalai Lama, threatening their spiritual identity.
-By Manoj H
