Report: Dalai Lama May Appoint Successor Before He Dies Breaking With
Centuries of Tradition
Staff
Nov 20, 2007 10:10 EST
The Dalai Lama says he may appoint a successor or rely on an election before
his death in a break with tradition a Japanese newspaper reported Tuesday
following recent orders that China must approve Tibet's spiritual leaders.
According to centuries of Tibetan Buddhist tradition the search for the
reincarnation of spiritual leaders or lamas �?including the Dalai Lama �?has
been carried out by Tibetan monks following the leaders' deaths.
"The Tibetan people would not support a successor selected by China after my
death" the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying on a trip to Japan by the Sankei
Shimbuna national daily.
"If the Tibetan people wish to uphold the Dalai Lama system one possibility
would be to select the next Dalai Lama while I am still living" he was
quoted as saying in an interview.
"Among options being considered are a democratic selection by the high monks
of Tibetan Buddhism or the appointment of a successor by myself" he said.
The exiled leader also accused Chinese authorities of stepping up
persecution of Tibetan monks and civilians and called the region's relations
with the Chinese government "the most tense in recent years" according to
the newspaper.
China's new order which came into force in September states that all future
lama appointments related to Tibetan Buddhism "must get government approval"
according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
It also prevents any outside source from having "influence" in the selection
process the agency reported.
The order has led to concerns that the central government may forcibly
select a pro-Beijing leader once the current popular Dalai Lama is dead.
China has ruled Tibet with a heavy hand since its Communist-led forces
invaded in 1951and it has accused the Buddhist monk of defying its
sovereignty by pushing for Tibetan independence.
The Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharmsala India regards the Chinese
order as an attempt to further repress and undermine the religious culture
of the Himalayan region.
In 1995 the Dalai Lama chose 6-year-old Gendun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th
Panchen Lama the most exalted figure of Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai
Lama. The boy and his family disappeared soon after and have not been heard
from since.
China's communist-led government later named Gyaltsen Norbu as the 11th
Panchen Lama and said Nyima and his family were being kept in a secret
location for their protection.
The Dalai Lama says he wants "real autonomy" for Tibet not independence. He
has lived with followers in exile in India since fleeing Chinese soldiers in
1959.
He arrived in Japan last week for a nine-day visit. He has been snubbed by
Japanese officials who are working to improve relations with neighboring
China.
Source: AP News
com/news/mochila/Report_Dalai_Lama_may_appoint_succe_11202007.html
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