Smash hit

They have tried to cultivate friendly lamas, but the 10th Panchen Lama — the second-most-senior Tibetan Buddhist figure — famously turned on them in a speech in 1989, soon after which he died. The young Karmapa Lama, the third-highest ranking, escaped to India in 1999.

In August China’s Government claimed exclusive rights to approve all Tibetan lamas’ reincarnations in one of its strongest moves yet to establish control over the region’s clergy.

Yesterday it condemned the Dalai Lama’s proposals. “The reincarnation of the living Buddha is a unique way of succession of Tibetan Buddhism and follows relatively complete religious rituals and historical conventions,” the Foreign Ministry statement said. “The Dalai Lama’s statement is in blatant violation of religious practice and historical procedure.”

The Dalai Lama said there was a historical precedent for a lama being reincarnated while still alive, giving the example of one of his teachers who died last year. He did not say how the referendum would be conducted, but said that it should include all those in the Himalayan region, Mongolia and elsewhere who have traditionally followed Tibetan Buddhism.

The six million Tibetans inside China would almost certainly be unable to participate, but another seven to eight million follow Tibetan Buddhism in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Mongolia, Russia and the West.

“If the Tibetan people, the majority of Tibetan people and concerned people feel OK, then the Dalai Lama institution will cease,” he said. If a majority voted to continue the tradition, he said that he would choose one of several succession options to try to protect his lineage from Chinese interference.

One is to handpick a successor outside Tibet — perhaps an adult, more qualified to represent Tibet on the world stage than a small boy. Another is to hold an election with a group of senior lamas along the lines of the “college of cardinals” that selects the Pope. A third option is to allow power to pass to the next most-senior lama in the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy outside Tibet, who is the Sakya Lama, based in India. A fourth option is to follow the traditional method.

“If my death comes while we are still as refugees then my reincarnation logically will come outside Tibet,” he said. “But the Chinese Government may appoint another Dalai Lama. So like the present Panchen Lama’s case . . . in fact it creates more confusion.”

What the Dalai Lama said

On succession plans

As early as 1969 I made it clear that [whether] the very institution of the Dalai Lama continue or not, is up to the Tibetan people. So [if] the majority of the Tibetan people should feel the centuries old institution of the Dalai Lama [is] no longer much relevant then the Dalai Lama institution automatically will cease.

Then there’s no question of succession of Dalai Lama. On the other hand, should the Tibetan people and also some concerned people like the hundreds and thousands of people in the Himalayan range traditionally sharing same Tibetan Buddhism... want to keep this institution, then the question is, if you want to keep this institution, then the succession could be different methods or ways like the Pope’s election among his elder, experienced and respected senior leaders.