Dalai Lama confirms continuation of his succession in his latest book
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA 11, March: The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet has confirmed the continuation of the Dalai Lama Lineage after his passing declaring “the new Dalai Lama will be born in a free world,” indicating the reincarnation will take place out of authoritarian regimes like China in his latest book titled ‘Voice for the Voiceless’ which is set to be published on 11th March, Reuters reported.
According to the report, the Dalai Lama says in the book, “Since the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry on the work of the predecessor, the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world so that the traditional mission of the Dalai Lama – that is, to be the voice for universal compassion, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the symbol of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan people – will continue.”
The book comes at a critical moment as the decision about the next reincarnation of the Dalai lama will begin amidst China’s ongoing insistence on selecting his successor to further its colonial rule over occupied Tibet.
In 2011, the Dalai Lama stated that when he turns 90, he would consult with Tibetan Buddhist high lamas and the Tibetan public about whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue after his death, while he has also sometimes suggested that he might not reincarnate at all, or that the next Dalai Lama could be female. The Tibetan spiritual leader turns 90 this July.
The Dalai Lama’s latest book documents the 7 decades of the Dalai Lama’s struggle with China for his land and his people, inadvertently addresses the geopolitical tension on the issue of reincarnation vis-à-vis the status of Tibet, China and the larger global politics.
According to the New York Times, the book, unlike the dozens of other books published by the Tibetan spiritual leader, is stated to have “delved extensively into raw politics”.
The report further stated “the book offers his first detailed account of his fraught negotiations with a succession of China’s leaders, from meeting with Mao Zedong when he was just 19, to his more recent attempts to communicate with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese officials”.
Geshe Thupten Jinpa, the key English Translator of the Dalai Lama, in an interview with VOA Tibetan stated that personally he doesn’t view the book as inherently political, stating “politics can mean different things”.
He says the book does not contain the everyday workings and politics of the Central Tibetan Administration(CTA), also known as the Tibetan government in exile, as his holiness devolved from political power in 2011.
However, he hinted that the book will capture both the political and spiritual journey of the Dalai Lama since his accession to political power in 1950 to 2011.
He further said that “it is more important for the Tibetan people to see the book in the light of preserving and knowing one’s culture, history, nation and the Tibetan people than just politics”.
“The Tibetan struggle must continue and it is not just a simple matter of the Chinese occupation of Tibet but rather an issue of two long-standing histories of two nations and its people. And it is imperative for the modern/literate Tibetans, unlike in the old Tibetan society, to realize the background details of their social evolution to keep the Tibetan struggle alive. In this light, the book from the true leader himself becomes very important”, added Jinpa in his interview.
Notwithstanding the Political significance of the book, the confirmation on the continuation of the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation has meant a great point of rejoicing for Tibetans both in occupied Tibet and in exile across the globe.
Reuters said that the soon-to-be nonagenarian Tibetan spiritual leader writes in his book that he has received numerous petitions for more than a decade from a wide spectrum of Tibetan people, including senior monks and Tibetans living in Tibet and outside, “uniformly asking me to ensure that the Dalai Lama lineage be continued”.
