China Is Preparing For Dalai Lama Reincarnation

The Chinese party-state is many steps ahead in its preparation, measures to control, selection process of the next Dalai Lama and build a pro-Beijing international narrative around the issue of the 14th Dalai Lama's reincarnation

- APA LHAMO

In Buddhism, specifically, in the Tibetan Buddhist community, it is un-Buddhist or a negative conceptual thought (Namtok) to speak of the demise of a Lama even before his passing.

In this regard, to speak of the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama is an "unholy" deed for many Tibetans who believe the topic is uncalled for, and perceive others who speak of it as unnecessarily meandering on a sacred Buddhist practice that's personal and exclusive.

Yet the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama has become a geopolitical coil, waiting to be manipulated by nation-states.

The Chinese party-state, in particular, is many steps ahead in its preparation, measures to control, selection process of the next Dalai Lama and build a pro-Beijing international narrative around the issue of the 14th Dalai Lama's reincarnation.

In April, China invited more than 20 monks and religious affairs officials from Buddhist countries including Nepal, Mongolia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka to monasteries, research institutes, universities and exhibitions in Lhasa and Beijing.

The purpose of inviting this delegation was apparently to strengthen these Buddhist delegates' understanding of the concept of incarnation, a topic most potentially more familiar to these Buddhists than the self-proclaimed atheist Chinese-party state itself, who had on multiple occasions called the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso by various disparaging terms including "wolf in a sheep clothing", "separatist".

Since the 18th Party Congress, the China Buddhist Association, under the guidance of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), convened three World Buddhist Forums in October 2015, April 2018, and October 2024 respectively in Jiangsu, Fujian and Zhejiang province of China.

The sixth World Buddhist Forum held from October 15-17, 2024 claimed to have 800 participants from 72 countries.