Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : The future of one of the world's most prominent spiritual leaderships hangs in the balance as the 88-year-old Dalai Lama is preparing to reveal his formal succession plan. This highly anticipated announcement sets up a direct confrontation with the Chinese government, which insists it has the sole authority to choose his successor.
For decades, the question of who will follow the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been a point of intense geopolitical and religious tension. Now, the leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, has confirmed that the Dalai Lama has a "clear plan" ready and will share it "at the right time." The instructions will be documented and entrusted to key officials to ensure his wishes are followed.
The Dalai Lama has maintained that the decision is a purely religious matter, to be determined by him and the Tibetan Buddhist community. Over the years, he has suggested several possibilities: a traditional reincarnation found in a child, the appointment of an adult successor (an "emanation") before his death, or even ending the centuries-old institution altogether if it is no longer relevant.
This position is in direct defiance of Beijing. The Chinese Communist Party views the Dalai Lama as a separatist and has long sought to control the succession process as a means to solidify its authority over Tibet. Beijing passed laws claiming that all reincarnations of Buddhist figures must be approved by the state.
China has already demonstrated its intent to interfere. In 1995, after the Dalai Lama identified a young boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama—the second-most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism—the boy and his family disappeared. China then installed its own state-approved Panchen Lama.
The international community, particularly the United States, is watching closely. The U.S. has passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act, which states that any attempt by China to interfere in the selection process will be met with sanctions.
As the Dalai Lama's advanced age makes the issue more urgent, his forthcoming announcement is poised to be a pivotal moment, determining not only the future of Tibetan Buddhism but also the direction of Tibet's struggle for cultural and religious autonomy.
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