Panchen lama is the second most important tulku lineage in Tibetan Buddhism. Since then China has refused to give details of his whereabouts. In 1995 the Chinese government detained the Dalai Lama’s choice for the successor of the 10th Panchen Lama, named Gendun Choeki Nyima, when he was 6 years old. The Dalai Lama is revered by Tibetan people, who have maintained their devotion over the past 70 years of Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama fled in 1959 and set up a government in exile. In 1950 China’s communist government invaded Tibet, which it insists has always belonged to China. Today the selection process for the next dalai lama remains uncertain. He was able to correctly choose all items, including a drum used for rituals and a walking stick. After this meeting, the search party came back again to test the young boy with further objects of the previous Dalai Lama. These beads were previously owned by the 13th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama remembered as a little boy asking for the rosary beads that monk had worn around his neck. To prevent any manipulation of the process, members of the search party had not shown villagers who they were. The 14th Dalai Lama recounts in his memoirs about his early life that he remembered recognizing one of the monks in the search party, even though he was dressed as a servant. When the search party consisting of the 13th dalai lama’s closest monastic attendants arrived at his house, they believed they recognized signs that confirmed that they had reached the right place.
A 2-year-old boy named Lhamo Dhondup was just the right age for a reincarnation of the 13th dalai lama, based on the time of his death. The district of Dokham, which is in the northeast of Tibet, matched all of these signs. This was interpreted to mean that the next dalai lama could have been born somewhere in the northeastern part of Tibet.ĭisciples also checked Lhamoi Latso, a lake that is traditionally used to see visions of the location of the dalai lama’s rebirth.
However, after a few days his head had tilted to the east and a fungus, viewed as unusual, appeared on the northeastern side of the shrine, where his body was kept. In the case of the 13th Dalai Lama, after his death his body lay facing south. There are usually predictions about where and when a dalai lama will be reborn, but further tests and signs are required to ensure the proper child is found. Disciples closest to the Dalai Lama set about to identify signs indicating the location of his rebirth. The search for him began soon after the 13th Dalai Lama died. The current Dalai Lama was enthroned when he was about 4 years old and was renamed Tenzin Gyatso.Īn undated photo of the future Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism, born Lhamo Dhondrub on July 6, 1935, in the small village of Takster in northeastern Tibet. The 14 generations of dalai lamas, spanning six centuries, are linked through their acts of compassion and their wish to benefit all living beings. Tibetan Buddhism has hundreds if not thousands of such lineages, but the most respected and well-known is the dalai lama. Tibetan Buddhism has developed this idea of the bodhisattva further into identified lineages of rebirths called “tulkus.” Any person who is believed to be a reborn teacher, master or leader is considered a tulku. East Asian and Tibetan Buddhists, as part of the Mahayana sect, believe bodhisattvas have reached this highest realization.įurthermore, Mahayana Buddhists believe bodhisattvas choose to be reborn, to experience the pain and suffering of the world, to help other beings attain enlightenment. Bodhisattvas are beings who work solely for the benefit of others.įor Buddhists, the ultimate goal is enlightenment, or “nirvana” – a liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The dalai lamas in Tibetan BuddhismĪll dalai lamas are thought to be manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokitesvara. The dalai lama is a highly influential figure, and choosing a successor is not just a religious issue, but a political one as well. In 2011, however, the Chinese foreign ministry declared that only the government in Beijing can appoint the next dalai lama, and no recognition should be given to any other candidate.Īs a scholar of transnational Buddhism, I have studied Buddhism and its refashioning in the context of globalization. The successor to the dalai lama is traditionally identified by senior monastic disciples, based on spiritual signs and visions. One of the most recognizable faces of Buddhism, the dalai lama is an important figure bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community. With his advancing age, the question of who will succeed him has become more pressing. (The Conversation) - The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the spiritual leader of Tibet, is turning 86 on July 6, 2021.
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