In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the reincarnation of a living Buddha is, in essence, a religious practice rather than a political event. The Dalai Lama holds the same status as many other reincarnated lamas from other sects, that is, as an incarnation of a Bodhisattva. Contrary to the assertions promoted by some Western countries, he is not the "religious and secular leader with a unified political and religious role in Xizang Autonomous Region."

Should the Dalai Lama continue the tradition of reincarnation?

Up until now, the 14th Dalai Lama has expressed various views on his own reincarnation, presenting several different scenarios without forming a definitive stance. This indicates his personal ambivalence regarding the matter.

As early as 1979, in an interview with Der Spiegel, he mentioned that he might be the last Dalai Lama. He expressed his reluctance to be reincarnated as the Dalai Lama, preferring to be reborn as a flower or a plant. This statement reflected a sense of despair he had at that time.

During the first two decades of his life in exile, the Dalai Lama did not gain much attention in the international community. At that time, the outlook for his political and religious career seemed bleak, leading him to express his reluctance to accept his reincarnated role. However, due to changes in the political situation, he later altered his stance several times, emphasizing that he was indeed the reincarnation of his predecessors, the previous Dalai Lamas.

In fact, during the 1990s, several influential Tibetan Buddhist monks within the community of Tibetan exiles openly questioned the necessity of the reincarnation system. Samdhong Rinpoche, the former Parliamentary Speaker of the so-called Tibetan government in exile, publicly claimed that at least seventy-five percent of reincarnated lamas were impostors. He stated that he himself was not a genuine reincarnated lama, disbelieving in his own status and claiming no spiritual connection with his predecessors. Furthermore, Dagyab Kyabgön Rinpoche (Chakya Rinpoche), who worked in the Department of Central Asian Studies at the University of Bonn in Germany, delivered public lectures and published articles arguing that "it is time to place the reincarnation system in the museum of history, as it has fulfilled its historical mission."

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama himself, after declaring that he would be the last Dalai Lama, reasserted his status as a reincarnated lama. He has since consistently and repeatedly emphasized a spiritual connection with his predecessors and proposed various possible ways of reincarnation, displaying his internal conflicts regarding his own future. For instance, he mentioned the possibility of reincarnating as a foreigner, a woman, or multiple individuals simultaneously. He even suggested a democratic election to choose an adult as his reincarnation. This perhaps indicates his awareness that, regardless of the state or method of his reincarnation, it could potentially trigger religious or political controversies and crises.

For the so-called Tibetan government in exile, its very existence is intricately tied to the Dalai Lama; and the existence of the Dalai Lama is directly dependent on the survival of the government in exile. Even if they manage to identify a reincarnated lama (spirit child) according to their wishes, it would take at least two decades for the new Dalai Lama to mature. This will pose a formidable challenge to the ability of the Tibetan government in exile to survive.

According to the principles of Mahayana Buddhism, as long as samsara exists, and people continue to suffer, Bodhisattvas must return to this world of sentient beings to save them. Therefore, as an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, the Dalai Lama should naturally return to the world to alleviate suffering. If he were to relinquish reincarnation, and not return to the human realm, it would contradict fundamental Buddhist principles.

In the history of Xizang, perhaps only the 5th Dalai Lama can be considered a leader in both the political and religious realms. In general, most of the time, the Dalai Lama was just one among many religious leaders in the region. The current Dalai Lama has never been a de facto political and religious leader of Xizang. He has been in exile for over sixty years, and even if he were to be reincarnated, he would be just one among numerous religious leaders within Tibetan Buddhism, among countless incarnations of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva in the world. In religious terms, the Dalai Lama's status is on a par with other reincarnated lamas and does not hold greater privileges than those of other incarnate lamas.

Selecting a reincarnated spirit child is an essential process for the Dalai Lama's reincarnation

According to the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, selecting a reincarnated child is an indispensable part of the process for reincarnating a lama. Only by following this path can trust be gained, both from the broader religious community and international society. The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama cannot be determined through secular democratic elections, nor can it involve the election of an adult to assume the responsibilities of the Dalai Lama. Both methods would be influenced by secular powers and interests, contravening traditional religious systems, and would thus be impractical and unacceptable to the public.

The Dalai Lama is not the de facto "political and religious leader in Xizang Autonomous Region" as Western societies assume. He is just a religious figure, albeit a significant one within the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Therefore, the selection of his reincarnated child can only be regarded as a religious act.

In reality, although the status of a reincarnated lama remains highly revered among many Tibetan Buddhist followers, it doesn't necessarily inspire faith among non-religious populations in China. If their selection is conducted entirely outside traditional religious procedures, their religious legitimacy becomes even more diluted, and their status as religious leaders is likely to be weakened. Even among Tibetan Buddhist followers, their legitimacy would face serious questions if the religious procedures were to be disregarded.

Therefore, in selecting the future reincarnated spirit child of the Dalai Lama, it is crucial to leverage the influence of Panchen Lama, the other leader of the Gelug Sect, or Yellow Hat Sect. They should be responsible for handling the Dalai Lama's reincarnation, aiming to gain recognition and trust from both the monastic and lay spheres for the chosen reincarnated spirit child.

The underlying reasons for Western interest in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama

So, why does the Western world, with its relatively small proportion of Tibetan Buddhist followers, display such strong interest and give such sustained attention to a reincarnated lama within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition?

Firstly, this attention derives from the long-term influence of post-colonialism and orientalism in the Western world. It consistently equates Tibetan Buddhism with Xizang or the Tibetan ethnic group. It imagines Xizang to be a mysterious "Shangri-La" and casts the Dalai Lama as the spiritual leader within this imagined realm.

To the Western mind, Xizang is not regarded as a tangible entity but rather as a world associated with Western political correctness or pure spirituality, related to human rights, freedom, and autonomy. Therefore, in the imagination of Western societies, the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is bound to impact the spirituality of the people living there, potentially triggering a series of political or religious problems.

Secondly, the issue of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama has become a focus of Western misunderstanding of questions related to Xizang.

The Dalai Lama, who has been in exile abroad for many years, is enthusiastic about engaging in dialogue and interactions with Western societies. He eagerly assumes the role of being the sole representative of both the religious and secular aspects of Xizang. Today, "the Xizang image," "Lamaism," and the Dalai Lama as symbols of equality, compassion, and non-violence in the minds of Westerners are meticulously curated by himself and his Western supporters.

This distorted international image regarding Xizang, Tibetan Buddhism, and the Tibetans in exile leads the Western world to believe that leveraging the impending reincarnation of the Dalai Lama can offer a strategic advantage within the entire "Xizang Discourse" framework.

Thirdly, the collaboration between the Tibetan exile community led by the Dalai Lama and the Western world is another link in the chain of confrontation between the West and a rising China with their differing political systems. The issue of his reincarnation is bound to attract attention in Western political circles.

The rhetoric employed by the Dalai Lama and his Western supporters repeatedly claims that the Chinese government handles religious issues by using oppressive, infiltrative, and assimilative methods. This is to utterly disregard the facts. More importantly, they overlook the fact that Xizang is dynamically developing like any other region, that its people are equal members of the Chinese nation, and that Tibetan Buddhism transcends ethnic boundaries just like any other religion. They fail to acknowledge that Tibetan Buddhism also needs to survive and develop under the impact of globalization.

Although the Dalai Lama officially retired from secular responsibilities in 2011, he continues to leverage his influence within the Tibetan exile community to cater to Western interests in opposing China.

In fact, the Chinese government has made many positive efforts, explorations, and adjustments in handling ethnic and religious issues. The government has actively listened to and respected the opinions of all ethnic groups and religious communities. Successive legal measures, such as the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy and the Regulations on Religious Affairs, have been promulgated, regulating and adjusting the relationships between different ethnic groups and religions. However, these efforts have, to some extent, been ignored by Western societies.

The attention being paid to the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in the Western world, where the proportion of Tibetan Buddhist followers is not high, is not aimed at promoting autonomy and peaceful development in Xizang. Instead, the focus is on creating debate around human rights and religion. By doing so, the Western world is trying to undermine the legitimate oversight of the Chinese government over its own ethnic and religious affairs in Xizang. The Western world wants to maintain its imagination of an idealized Xizang, a peaceful and non-violent utopia, despite the significant disparities between this imagined image and a modern Xizang, characterized by population mobility, dynamic development, ethnic harmony, and religious concord.

Throughout history, the reincarnation system for sprul sku lamas in Tibetan Buddhism has been closely related to China's central political authority. The selection of influential living Buddhas through religious rituals and their subsequent approval for succession by the Chinese government is an established historical tradition. Today, we continue to adhere respectfully to this historical tradition.

The authors are Shen Weirong, professor at the School of Humanities, Tsinghua University, and Shen Li, postdoctoral fellow at Department of Chinese History and Culture, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Liu Xian /Editor    Yan Yixun /Translator

Yang Xinhua /Chief Editor    Ren Qiang /Coordinator

Liu Li /Reviewer

Zhang Weiwei /Copyeditor    Tan Yujie /Image Editor

The views don't necessarily reflect those of DeepChina.