Latest news with #GadenPhodrangFoundation
Qatar Tribune
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
On eve of 90th birthday, spiritual leader Dalai Lama says he hopes to live another 40 years
The Dalai Lama has said that he hopes to live for another 40 years until he is 130 years old, on the eve of his 90th birthday, days after he sought to assuage rife speculation over his succession by saying he would reincarnate upon his death. The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader was speaking on Saturday during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday. Leading thousands in the prayers as the sound of chanting, drums and horns rang out, he said: 'So far, I have done my best and with the continued blessings of Avalokiteshvara [a Buddhist spiritual protector], I hope to live another 30 or 40 years, continuing to serve sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma', he said, referring to the teachings of the Buddha. The Dalai Lama previously told the Reuters news agency in December that he might live to 110. The Dalai Lama has confirmed that he will have a successor chosen in accordance with 'past tradition', ending years of speculation about the centuries-old office. In a video message on Wednesday, he said the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which he established to preserve the institution, will have the power to recognise his future reincarnation. Tibetan Buddhist leaders will search for his successor, he added, stressing that 'no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter'. The 14th Dalai Lama said he had received many messages in recent years from Buddhists calling for the office's continuation. (Agencies)
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dalai Lama says he hopes to live another 40 years on eve of 90th birthday
The Dalai Lama has said that he hopes to live for another 40 years until he is 130 years old, on the eve of his 90th birthday, days after he sought to assuage rife speculation over his succession by saying he would reincarnate upon his death. The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader was speaking on Saturday during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday. Leading thousands in the prayers as the sound of chanting, drums and horns rang out, he said: 'So far, I have done my best and with the continued blessings of Avalokiteshvara [a Buddhist spiritual protector], I hope to live another 30 or 40 years, continuing to serve sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma', he said, referring to the teachings of the Buddha. The Dalai Lama previously told the Reuters news agency in December that he might live to 110. The Dalai Lama has confirmed that he will have a successor chosen in accordance with 'past tradition', ending years of speculation about the centuries-old office. In a video message on Wednesday, he said the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which he established to preserve the institution, will have the power to recognise his future reincarnation. Tibetan Buddhist leaders will search for his successor, he added, stressing that 'no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter'. The 14th Dalai Lama said he had received many messages in recent years from Buddhists calling for the office's continuation. 'In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,' he added. He made the comments on Wednesday during a three-day religious conference in Dharamshala, the northern Indian town where he has been based since 1959, when he fled Tibet for India after a failed uprising against China. Speaking to Al Jazeera, the Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue described the Dalai Lama's announcement on Wednesday as a 'punch in the face' for China, which governs the Tibet Autonomous Region and which has claimed that it has the power to appoint his successor. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama, whom China brands a 'separatist', has previously warned Beijing not 'to meddle in the system of reincarnation of lamas, let alone that of the Dalai Lama'. In response to his comments on Wednesday, China said the Dalai Lama's succession must be approved by the central government in Beijing and that it would be carried out 'by drawing lots from a golden urn', Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters. That urn is held by China, and the Dalai Lama has already warned that, when used dishonestly, it lacks 'any spiritual quality'.
News18
05-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Dalai Lama Says He Hopes To Live 40 More Years, Days After Announcing Succession Plan
Last Updated: The Dalai Lama said that he hopes to live 40 more years after confirming that his reincarnation will follow Buddhist traditions. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said he hopes to live another 40 years- until the age of 130- just days after formally announcing that he intends to reincarnate after his death, laying to rest years of speculation about his succession. Speaking at a long-life prayer ceremony in Dharamshala, where thousands of followers gathered, the Dalai Lama said, 'So far, I have done my best and with the continued blessings of Avalokiteshvara, I hope to live another 30 or 40 years, continuing to serve sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma." The Dalai Lama previously told Reuters in December that he might live to 110. Dalai Lama's Succession Plan Just days earlier, in a video message delivered during a three-day religious conference, the Dalai Lama confirmed that his successor will be chosen in accordance with centuries-old Buddhist traditions- a move aimed at quelling speculation and countering China's interference in the process. He said the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, established to preserve the institution of the Dalai Lama, will lead the recognition of his reincarnation. 'Tibetan Buddhist leaders will search for the successor," he added, making it clear that 'no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter." 'In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue," he said, referencing appeals from Buddhists worldwide calling for the continuation of the spiritual office. The 14th Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since 1959, after fleeing Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing responded sharply to Dalia Lama's succession statement as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated that the central government in Beijing must approve any reincarnation and claimed it would be conducted 'by drawing lots from a golden urn"- a Qing dynasty ritual now controlled by the Chinese state. The Dalai Lama dismissed the legitimacy of this method, warning that when used politically, the golden urn holds 'no spiritual quality." Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue described the Dalai Lama's statement as a direct challenge to Chinese claims, saying, 'It's a punch in the face for China", emphasizing the significance of the spiritual leader reasserting full Tibetan control over the succession process.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Escape from Tibet: How Nehru, despite concerns, granted the Dalai Lama asylum
In the history of Tibet and Indo-China relationship, April 26, 1959, was a turning point. Having fled his homeland following China's invasion, the Dalai Lama met Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who declared that the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhists 'should be allowed to live in peace' in India. On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on July 6, reiterated that the institution would continue and only his Gaden Phodrang Foundation would have the authority to recognise the reincarnation, ending uncertainty on whether he will have a successor or not after his death. The Dalai Lama, who is the 14th to hold the title, made the announcement from Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, where all those decades ago he set up the Tibetan government-in-exile. At the time, following his arrival in the country, Nehru had told the public that the Tibetan spiritual leader 'had to undertake a very big and difficult journey' before meeting him. '… The circumstances of the journey were also painful to the Dalai Lama,' the PM said, adding it was 'only proper that the Dalai Lama should get an opportunity in a peaceful atmosphere to consult his colleagues on the ups and downs in Tibet and get over the mental strain'. The journey up to that point was long and arduous. Following China's occupation of Tibet and the violent repression that followed, the Dalai Lama and several other Tibetans left for India. The Dalai Lama, his family members, bodyguards, and fellow Tibetans were received by Indian border guards at the Khenzimane Pass in Arunachal Pradesh on March 31, 1959. On April 2, Indian government officials formally welcomed him at the Chutangmu outpost on April 2, 1959, and took him to the Tawang monastery. The following day, the Nehru government announced it had granted the Dalai Lama political asylum. Subsequently, P N Menon, the former Consul-General in Lhasa and PM Nehru's envoy, welcomed the Dalai Lama and carried messages from the government. The Dalai Lama eventually moved to Tezpur in Assam, where he released his first statement from Indian soil. On April 18, 1959, he criticised China for shelling the Norbulingka Palace, one of his residences in Lhasa, the month before. He expressed his deep gratitude to the Government of India and thanked the Indian public for their 'spontaneous and generous welcome'. In the same statement, the Dalai Lama mentioned he came to India 'of my own free will and not under duress'. For Nehru, too, it was not all smooth sailing when it came to granting the Dalai Lama asylum. The PM faced immense criticism, with many warning him of the consequences of 'antagonising China'. V K Krishna Menon, who was then India's Defence Minister, is said to have raised objections to the asylum at a crucial Cabinet meeting, Bharatiya Jan Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyay had said the move 'obstructs, rather than helps, fulfillment of this objective [of actively supporting Tibet's struggle for independence'. The day the Dalai Lama released the statement from Tezpur, China officially lodged its protest, accusing India of meddling in its internal affairs. Beijing insisted that the Dalai Lama 'be returned'. That laid the foundation of a future deterioration of Indo-China relations and eventually led to the 1962 Sino-Indian war. Nehru, however, cited 'moral and humanitarian' grounds to allow the Dalai Lama entry into India and also the decision to grant him political asylum. In October 1959, the PM told Parliament, 'Very probably, the Tibetan developments have angered and soured the minds of the government in China, very likely… And perhaps they have reacted strongly to what we have done, I mean, to the asylum we have given to the Dalai Lama.' Before getting political asylum, the Dalai Lama had visited India in 1956. Along with the Panchen Lama — considered second only to the Dalai Lama in spiritual authority in Tibetan Buddhist culture — they were in India for the 2,500th anniversary of the Buddha's parinirvana. At the time, they had informed Nehru of the conditions in Tibet after China went back on its terms of the 1951 agreement on Tibet's autonomy. Then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai was also present in New Delhi and had detailed discussions with Nehru about Tibet and assured the PM that Beijing would honour Tibet's autonomy. It was upon these assurances and Nehru's advice that both the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama returned home. In The Dalai Lama: An Extraordinary Life, Alexander Norman writes that the Dalai Lama had made clear to Nehru his intention to seek asylum in India. But the PM did not seem to fully commit, reportedly saying that India could not support him at the time. According to another renowned Tibetologist and author Claude Arpi, the Dalai Lama sent a telegram to Nehru on March 26, 1959, in which he wrote: 'Ever since Tibet went under the control of Red China … We are entering India via Tsona. I hope that you will please make necessary arrangements for us in the Indian territory. Confident of your kindness…' According to Arpi, Nehru replied to the Dalai Lama's telegram on April 3. In it, the former PM provided details of the officers who would be meeting the Dalai Lama and facilitating his travel. (Check dates, not matching) In the same letter, Nehru told the Dalai Lama that the Indian government had not yet decided where he should stay. The PM wrote (separate letter, if so, to whom): 'We are instructing P N Menon (former Consul-General to Lhasa) to inform the Dalai Lama orally that it would be best for him not to issue any long statements to the press here at this stage. The Dalai Lama will undoubtedly appreciate the inadvisability of saying anything which would cause embarrassment to him and to us.' After Tezpur, the Dalai Lama lived in Mussoorie (now in Uttarakhand) for several months. In 1960, upon the invitation of the government, he moved to McLeodganj in Dharamshala and has been there since then, with the town becoming the centre for Tibetan cultural and political activities in exile.
Morocco World
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Dalai Lama Confirms Successor Will Be Chosen After His Death
Rabat – The Dalai Lama confirmed today that a successor will be chosen after his death in accordance with Buddhist traditions, ending decades of speculation about the future of his position. In a video message on Wednesday, just days before his 90 th birthday, the Tibetan spiritual leader said that the authority he established, the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, will find his successor. In Buddhist tradition, the Lama is considered the reincarnated version of the 'bodhisattva' – a figure who is considered to have attained enlightenment – able to select the body of their next reincarnation. The foundation, with the Dalai Lama's initial guidance, will identify the child who is believed to be the reincarnation of the figure. The Gaden Phodrang Trust has stated that the future Dalai Lama could be of any nationality or gender. The Dalai Lama made his speech in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh during a three-day religious conference. The town has been his safe haven since China invaded Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising. In his announcement, the Dalai Lama assured that the institution of this sacred position will continue, and that the search for his successor should be carried out in 'accordance with past tradition.' This will be the 15th time that the position has changed hands since it was founded in 1587. Tenzin Gyatso became the 14th Dalai Lama at just two years old in 1937 following a lengthy selection process . He was reportedly selected because he was able to recognize objects that belonged to his predecessor. This vital selection comes as fears have emerged about China selecting their own candidate in order to try to take stronger control over the Tibetan Autonomous Region, which it has ruled with an iron fist since 1959. The Dalai Lama has completely rejected Chinese involvement in the selection process. But Beijing, in response, said that China had to be involved , as the Buddhist figure is seen as a separatist and a rebel who poses a risk to Chinese national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. He has lived in India since his forced exile. This announcement ends decades-long speculation about the future of the role and sets up the institution to continue after the selection process. Tags: BuddhismBuddhistdalai lama
