Dalai Lama may pick his successor soon, says CTA’s President Dr Lobsang Sangay

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, May 22: The President of the Central Tibetan Administration(CTA) has hinted that the Dalai Lama may pick his successor soon.

CTA’s President Dr Lobsang Sangay said the Tibetan spiritual leader will himself pick his successor, which may happen ‘soon’, asserting that China doesn’t have a say in the Tibetan spiritual leader’s reincarnation, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

18622946_1531717980205940_1012198184_n“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, His Holiness 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,” the report cited Dr Sangay as saying at the ‘Indo-Tibet Summit’ organised by the South and East Asia Foundation in New Delhi.

The CTA’s President made the remark as China weighs in to stamp its authority over the reincarnation of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama.

President Sangay further remarked that the selection of the next Dalai Lama by China would be illegimate.

“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,” the report quoted President Sangay as saying.

The Dalai Lama has long maintained that the Tibetan people will decide if the institution of Dalai Lama should continue or not. In the past, the Tibetan spiritual leader has said that Chinese government should first find the reincarnation of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

The Chinese Communist Party has set up systems where reincarnations of Tibetan spiritual lama’s have to be recognised and approved by the Party in an attempt to take control over all aspects of Tibetan culture and tradition.

The Chinese government has abducted Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama recognized by the Dalai Lama along with his family and in his place, appointed their own Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu.

Even after 22 years, the 11th Panchen Lama Gendun Choekyi Nyima and his family’s whereabouts and condition still remain unknown.