Speaking ahead of his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama has indicated that the Tibetan Buddhist institution could continue after his death after all.
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet’s Buddhists, on Monday gave his strongest indication yet that the centuries-old institution could continue after his death.
Speaking at prayer celebrations ahead of his 90th birthday on July 6, Tenzin Gyatso told followers that “there will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about its continuation.”
Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama can choose the body into which he is reincarnated, as has happened on 14 occasions since the creation of the institution in 1587. But the current Dalai Lama has suggested in the past that he could potentially be the last.
So between 500 CE when Buddhism came to Tibet, and 1584 CE, it was someone else. This Dalai Lama has only been in charge for basically 1/3 of the time.
So yeah, no kidding Tibetan Buddhism will survive after this Dalai Lama kicks this incarnation. Did you know that the Vatican has survived its most recent change in leadership as well? Shocking!
following up this thread with a sadly laughable comment from Beijing as this story progresses.
China had responded to the Dalai Lama’s succession plans by asserting that any reincarnation must receive approval from Beijing.
source