Dalai Lama’s 90th Birthday: Tibetans Weigh Future Succession
As the Dalai Lama approaches his 90th birthday in July, Tibetans are contemplating the future of their spiritual leader. For many exiled Tibetans, the Dalai Lama represents dreams of a free homeland. His landmark birthday will be a time to address whether there will be another Dalai Lama.
According to his translator, Thupten Jinpa, who has been with the Dalai Lama for nearly four decades, the answer is clear: yes. Jinpa believes the post, which he likens to a Buddhist "papal institution," will continue. He hopes the Dalai Lama will issue a final statement before his birthday, July 6, indicating the continuity of the institution.
Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name a successor to bolster control over Tibet, which China claims is an integral part of its territory. However, Jinpa argues that the Dalai Lama is advocating for greater Tibetan autonomy, not independence.
The Dalai Lama has already prepared the formal political structure for carrying on the struggles of the Tibetan cause beyond his lifetime. He has made it clear that any successor would be "born in the free world."
China, which insists the Dalai Lama "has no right to represent the Tibetan people," has selected its own child as the Panchen Lama, a move that rights groups describe as the world’s youngest political prisoner. Jinpa is confident that Tibetans will not acknowledge whoever Beijing selects.
Despite China’s efforts to suppress the Dalai Lama’s influence, Jinpa believes that loyalty will always be to the Dalai Lama and the traditional system.
Reference : https://www.spacewar.com/reports/As_Dalai_Lama_approaches_90_Tibetans_weigh_future_999.html
