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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
What is the Gaden Phodrang Trust that will find Dalai Lama's successor?
The Dalai Lama has declared that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to identify his next reincarnation. With this, he made it clear that China would have no role in choosing his successor as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists. The Gaden Phodrang Trust is one of three bodies associated with the Dalai Lama and is specifically tasked with identifying his next reincarnation read more Putting an end to years of uncertainty, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has confirmed that the long-standing Tibetan Buddhist tradition will carry on even after his death. On Wednesday, he declared that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust would have the authority to identify his next reincarnation. By saying this, he made it clear that China would have no part in selecting his successor as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists. ALSO READ | How is the Dalai Lama chosen? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who turns 90 this Sunday, is seen as one of the most respected global figures, with followers that go far beyond the Buddhist community. So, what exactly is the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which the Dalai Lama has said will be responsible for finding his reincarnation? Let's take a look: What is the Gaden Phodrang Trust? The name Gaden Phodrang originally referred to the official residence of the Dalai Lamas, starting from the second Dalai Lama, at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa. In 2011, a non-profit by the same name was registered in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama now lives. Its members include the Dalai Lama himself, senior monk Samdhong Rinpoche, and a few of the Dalai Lama's close aides from his Dharamshala office. The Dalai Lama leads the trust, with Rinpoche acting as the 'alternate chairperson', the second most senior member. Rinpoche is believed by Tibetans to be the reincarnation of a respected monk. All members of the trust must live in India. The Dalai Lama is seen as one of the most respected global figures. Reuters/File Photo The Dalai Lama, along with many other Tibetans, left Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Since then, he has pushed for what he calls a 'middle-way approach' that does not demand full independence from China, but instead asks for Tibetan autonomy to safeguard its culture, religion and identity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Gaden Phodrang Trust is one of three organisations linked to the Dalai Lama. Notably, its aim includes identifying the Dalai Lama's next reincarnation. It operates out of the Dalai Lama's office and is managed by Samdhong Rinpoche. ALSO READ | Who will be the next Dalai Lama? What is the trust responsible for? Right now, its main focus is to support the Dalai Lama's spiritual and humanitarian work. On Wednesday, during a religious conference, the Dalai Lama said that members of the trust should work with the heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions and other senior figures to 'carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition'. Back in 2011, the Dalai Lama had said he would leave 'clear written instructions' about this process. However, Rinpoche said on Wednesday that the Dalai Lama had not done so yet, as he is in good health and has expressed his intention to live for many more years. What did China say? China has long claimed it has the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor. It says that the selection process, where names of possible reincarnations are drawn from a golden urn, dates back to 1793, during the Qing dynasty. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Just hours after the Dalai Lama's announcement on Wednesday, China reiterated its stance. At a press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the Dalai Lama's succession must follow Chinese laws, religious rituals, and historical customs. According to Beijing, national law requires that the reincarnation be chosen using the golden urn and that the new Dalai Lama be born within China's borders. However, many Tibetans question any Chinese involvement in this process. China considers the Dalai Lama a 'separatist' and bans public displays of his image or open admiration for him. Though he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his efforts to keep the Tibetan cause alive, Beijing rejects his views. China insists it has not curtailed Tibetan rights and says its governance helped end serfdom in the region and brought development. What did India say? India is home to the Dalai Lama and over 100,000 Tibetan Buddhists who live, work and study freely in the country. He is deeply respected by many Indians, and experts believe his presence in India gives the country some influence in its relations with China. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On Thursday, India firmly pushed back against China's claim. It said only the Dalai Lama has the authority to choose his successor. Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said, 'The position of the Dalai Lama is of utmost importance, not just for Tibetans but for all his followers across the world. The right to decide on his successor rests solely with the Dalai Lama himself'. Back in 2011, the Dalai Lama had said he would leave 'clear written instructions' about this process. AP Are there other Dalai Lama non-profits? Yes, there is another Gaden Phodrang organisation based in Zurich, Switzerland. Like its counterpart in India, it carries out different activities on behalf of the Dalai Lama. It is also led by him and includes his aides. According to its website, its main role is to 'maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama with regard to the religious and spiritual duties of the Dalai Lama'. Notably, the Dalai Lama Trust is a charitable arm of his office in Dharamshala. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trust will pick successor, says Dalai Lama; China says its approval must
Dalai Lama (File photo) KULLU: Ahead of his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama on Wednesday said the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue, and that Gaden Phodrang Trust, founded by him, has the sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation. In a message to China, which has been insisting that it would choose the successor, the 14th Dalai Lama said "no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter". "When the time comes, His Holiness will reincarnate, and any adult or a person from any gender can be recognised as his reincarnation," said Samdhong Rinpoche, a member of the Trust, at a press conference in McLeodganj. "It's not necessary that the next Dalai Lama will be from Tibet," Rinpoche said. A PTI report from Beijing quoted the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman rejecting this succession plan. At a media briefing, Mao Ning insisted any future heir to the Dalai Lama "must follow the principles of domestic (Chinese) recognition - the 'Golden Urn' process - and approval by the central govt (Beijing) in line with Chinese religious traditions and laws". Buddhists from across world wrote to Dalai over continuation of institution In a recorded video statement shown on Wednesday, the first day of the three-day 15th Tibetan Religious Conference that started in McLeodganj, the 14th Dalai Lama said responsibility for choosing his successor rests exclusively with the members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit foundation established by him in 2015. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bitcoin vs Gold: Which Is the Better Investment for the Next 1–3 Years? Liseer Undo Gaden Phodrang members should carry out the search for his successor in accordance with tradition, he said. "They (the members) should consult the various heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. The members should carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition," said the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama recalled that he had asked, during a meeting with the heads of Tibetan spiritual traditions on Sept 24, 2011, whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue, and mentioned then that as far back as 1969 he had made it clear that the "people concerned should decide whether the Dalai Lama's reincarnations should continue in the future". "I also said during the meeting in 2011 that when I am about 90, I will consult the high lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, to re-evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue," he said. The Dalai Lama also said that he has had no public discussions on this issue in the last 14 years. However, members of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, members of the Central Tibetan Administration, NGOs, Buddhists from the Himalayan region, Mongolia, Buddhist republics of the Russian Federation, and Buddhists in Asia, including from mainland China, have written to him with reasons, earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue. "In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue," said the Dalai Lama. Trust member Rinpoche said there wouldn't be any other message from the Dalai Lama regarding his successor in the coming days. "Whatever instructions he will give now will be meant for the Gaden Phodrang Trust only." It's not necessary that the Dalai Lama's reincarnation would be from Tibet only, he remarked. "There are no restrictions or limitations of geographical boundaries when it comes to the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. In the past, the Dalai Lamas have taken birth in different countries," he said. In response to a question on the future of the Tibetan freedom movement, Penpa Tsering, head of the Tibetan govt-in-exile, said Tibetans would continue to follow the "middle way policy". "It was proposed by the Dalai Lama and approved by a majority of Tibetans in 1996, and unanimously adopted by the Tibetan govt-in-exile. This policy cannot be changed by one person and will continue in future as well. There will have to be a referendum to change our policy," said Tsering.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
What is the trust that will identify the Dalai Lama's successor?
The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday his Gaden Phodrang Trust would have the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation, rejecting any role for China in choosing who succeeds him as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists. The non-profit was registered in 2011 in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama is based. Its members include the Dalai Lama, senior monk Samdhong Rinpoche and close aides who work in the Dalai Lama's office in Dharamshala. The Dalai Lama heads the trust and its "alternate chairperson", or second highest official, is Rinpoche, who Tibetans believe to be the reincarnation of a previous high monk. All members must be based in India. The Dalai Lama and many other Tibetans fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He has since called for a "middle-way approach" that does not seek Tibet's independence from China but demands autonomy for Tibetans to protect and preserve their culture, religion and national identity. The trust's main job is to support the Dalai Lama's spiritual and humanitarian work.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
What is the trust that will identify the Dalai Lama's successor?
DHARAMSHALA, India, July 2 (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday his Gaden Phodrang Trust would have the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation, rejecting any role for China in choosing who succeeds him as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists. The non-profit was registered in 2011 in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama is based. Its members include the Dalai Lama, senior monk Samdhong Rinpoche and close aides who work in the Dalai Lama's office in Dharamshala. The Dalai Lama heads the trust and its "alternate chairperson", or the second highest official, is Rinpoche, who Tibetans believe to be the reincarnation of a previous high monk. All its members must be based in India. The Dalai Lama and many other Tibetans fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He has since called for a "middle-way approach" that does not seek Tibet's independence from China but demands autonomy for Tibetans to protect and preserve their culture, religion and national identity. At the moment, the organisation's main job is to support the Dalai Lama's spiritual and humanitarian work. The Dalai Lama said in an address to a religious conference on Wednesday that members of the trust should consult the various heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions and other senior religious figures to "carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition". In 2011, he said that he would leave "clear written instructions about this", but Rinpoche said on Wednesday that the Dalai Lama had not yet done so because he was in good health and had promised to live for many more years. The Dalai Lama will celebrate his 90th birthday on July 6. He told Reuters in December he could live until he is 110. There is another Gaden Phodrang non-profit in the Swiss city of Zurich. It also carries out various projects on behalf of the Dalai Lama, is headed by the Dalai Lama and has his aides as its members. Its job is to "maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama with regard to the religious and spiritual duties of the Dalai Lama", it says on its website. The Dalai Lama Trust is a charitable wing of the Dalai Lama's office in Dharamshala.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
The Dalai Lama, his successor, and China
A statement by the Dalai Lama on his reincarnation is expected on Tuesday when Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, a former chairman of the cabinet of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), and Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong or political leader of the CTA, read out a message from him. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, will turn 90 on July 6. Why is this birthday of the spiritual leader and the head of Tibetan Buddhism particularly significant? The Dalai Lama was born in the hamlet of Taktser in north-eastern Tibet — now Qinghai province of China — on July 6, 1935, and was identified at age 2 as the reincarnation of Thubten Gyatso, the 13th Dalai Lama. A year after the communists took power in China, the People's Liberation Army invaded Tibet. In 1951, Tibet was annexed by China, and in March 1959, a Tibetan national uprising was crushed by Chinese troops. That month, the Dalai Lama escaped from Lhasa along with a group of his followers, and crossed into India at Khenzimane in Arunachal Pradesh. In 1960, Jawaharlal Nehru's government settled him in McLeodganj, Dharamshala, where the Tibetan government-in-exile was established. On March 14, 2011, the Dalai Lama wrote to the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies, known as the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, asking to be relieved of his temporal authority. The formal transfer of political power to the democratically elected leader of Tibetans living in exile took place on May 29 that year, ending a 368-year-old tradition in which the Dalai Lama was both the spiritual and political head of Tibetans. The Dalai Lama, literally 'Ocean of Wisdom, is believed to be the manifestation of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of compassion, and the patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are persons who are on the path to becoming a Buddha, but who put the liberation of other sentient beings ahead of entering nirvana themselves. The institution of the Dalai Lama is part of the tulku concept in Tibetan Buddhism, in which spiritual masters are reincarnated upon their death, so that their teachings can be preserved and carried forward. The first Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa, was born in 1391. Beginning with Lobsang Gyatso (1617-82), the fifth of the line, the Dalai Lama became both the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhists. The present Dalai Lama was found by a search party in 1939, six years after the 13th Dalai Lama Thupten Gyatso passed away in 1933. The reincarnation was recognised by several signs, including a vision revealed to a senior monk. In 1940, the little boy was taken to Potala Palace in Lhasa and officially enthroned. Since 1969, the Dalai Lama has said that whether or not his reincarnation should be recognised was 'a decision for the Tibetan people, the Mongolians, and people of the Himalayan region to make'. In a statement released on September 24, 2011, he said: 'When I am about ninety I will consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, and re-evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not. On that basis we will take a decision.' It is because of this statement that the Dalai Lama's coming birthday on July 6, when he turns 90, has assumed significance. The statement said that if it was decided 'that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should continue and there is a need for the Fifteenth Dalai Lama to be recognized, responsibility for doing so will primarily rest on the concerned officers of the Dalai Lama's Gaden Phodrang Trust. 'They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should seek advice and direction from these concerned beings and carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition. I shall leave clear written instructions about this.' On Monday, the Dalai Lama said: 'There will be some kind of framework within which we can talk about the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lamas.' China denounces the 14th Dalai Lama as a 'splittist', 'traitor', and an exile with 'no right to represent the Tibetan people', and prohibits any public show of devotion towards him. In his 2011 statement, the Dalai Lama had said that his reincarnation should be found in a 'free country, not under Chinese control'. He also said that 'no recognition should be given to a reincarnation selected for political purposes by the Chinese government'. In his book, Voice for the Voiceless, published this March, the Dalai Lama said that his successor would be 'born outside China'. There is fear among Tibetans that as the Dalai Lama grows older, Beijing could announce a successor of its choice, and use it to tighten its control over the Tibetan Buddhist religion and culture. In 2004, the Chinese government abolished the Religious Affairs Regulations that lay down the process for selecting the Dalai Lama, and in 2007 decreed that 'No group or individual may carry out activities related to searching for and identifying the soul boy for the living Buddha without authorization.' A draw of lots, called the 'Golden Urn method', was institutionalised to select the Dalai Lama. In 2015, Padma Choling, a retired Chinese politician of Tibetan ethnicity and chairperson of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Tibet, objected to the Dalai Lama's insistence that no government had the right to choose the next Dalai Lama for political purposes.
