Dalai Lama Declares His Successor Will Be Born Outside China

The Dalai Lama has announced that his successor will be born outside China, intensifying a long-standing dispute between Tibetan Buddhists and Beijing over the spiritual leader’s reincarnation. This revelation appears in his new book, Voice for the Voiceless, set for release on Tuesday.

A Break from Tradition

Tibetans across the world have expressed their desire for the institution of the Dalai Lama to continue beyond his passing, the 89-year-old writes in his book. While he previously suggested that the Dalai Lama lineage might end with him, this marks the first time he has explicitly stated that his reincarnation will take place in the “free world,” beyond China’s control.

“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,” he writes, emphasizing the role of the Dalai Lama as a symbol of Tibetan aspirations and a leader of universal compassion.

China vs. the Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled Tibet in 1959 at the age of 23 following a failed uprising against Chinese Communist rule. Since then, he has lived in exile in India, advocating for Tibetan rights.

Beijing, however, insists that it alone has the authority to select the Dalai Lama’s successor. The Chinese government has repeatedly dismissed his statements, branding him a “separatist” and vowing to control the reincarnation process.

When asked about the book at a press briefing on Monday, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry stated:

“The Dalai Lama is a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion. What he says and does cannot change the objective fact of Tibet’s prosperity and development.”

Uncertain Return to Tibet

In recent statements, Beijing has suggested that it is open to discussions about the Dalai Lama’s return—under conditions that he recognizes Tibet and Taiwan as inalienable parts of China. However, this proposal has been firmly rejected by the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, based in Dharamshala, India.

With his advancing age, the Dalai Lama himself acknowledges in his book that returning to Tibet appears “increasingly unlikely.” However, he remains firm that the Tibetan struggle will persist even after his passing:

“The right of the Tibetan people to be the custodians of their own homeland cannot be indefinitely denied, nor can their aspiration for freedom be crushed forever through oppression.”

Concerns Over Health and Legacy

At 89, concerns over the Dalai Lama’s health have been growing, especially after his knee surgery last year. Despite this, he remains optimistic, previously telling Reuters that he may live to be 110.

For over a decade, he has received appeals from senior monks and Tibetans worldwide urging him to ensure the continuation of the Dalai Lama lineage. Tibetan tradition holds that senior Buddhist monks reincarnate in the body of a child after death, and the current Dalai Lama was identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor at just two years old.

The Dalai Lama has promised to provide further details about his succession around his 90th birthday in July.

A Legacy That Lives On

The book, described as an account of his seven-decade-long dealings with Chinese leaders, will be published in the U.S. by William Morrow, in the UK by HarperNonFiction, and in India and other countries under HarperCollins.

Regardless of his future, the Dalai Lama reassures his followers that the Tibetan cause will endure: