The last couple of weeks has seen media coverage worldwide suggesting a possible visit by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to China, or his return to Tibet. However, these are merely reports with nothing on this issue having been officially declared by His Holiness himself.
Buddhist temples on Wutai Shan Mountain in Wutai county, northwest China’s Shanxi province
Photo: imaginechina
Several reports suggest that he is in informal talks with Beijing over his long-held wish to make a pilgrimage to Wutai Shan, a mountain in China’s Shanxi province that is considered sacred by both Tibetan and Chinese Buddhists.
“It’s not finalised, not yet, but the idea is there,” said His Holiness in an interview with the Agence France-Presse news agency, and added that talks were being held through contacts.
Announcing this, an anonymous blog posting on China’s Sina.com on September 17 discussed the Dalai Lama’s possible return to China: “According to informed sources familiar with the situation, the Dalai Lama’s recent communications with the central government in Beijing have gone very smoothly, with the Dalai Lama expressing a strong wish to return to the country. The Dalai Lama’s path to returning home doesn’t seem to be far off,” the post read. However, this was removed the following day after being viewed by thousands of people.
However, soon after this historic pilgrimage was brought up and talks reportedly resumed between His Holiness and the Chinese government, China dismissed the possibility of the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet, saying that their “position on the Dalai Lama is consistent and clear”.
“What he needs to do is not make a so-called return to Tibet but give up his position and conduct on splitting China. This will do good for him,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei.
In a recent statement which also created a media storm, His Holiness indicated that he might become the last of his line. While his decision not to return as a political leader has been final since 2011, the Dalai Lama publicly stated that he will not make the ultimate decision on whether he will return as a spiritual leader until he is 90 (in 2025).
“We had a Dalai Lama for almost five centuries. The 14th Dalai Lama now is very popular. Let us then finish with a popular Dalai Lama…If a weak Dalai Lama comes along, then it will just disgrace the Dalai Lama. Tibetan Buddhism is not dependent on one individual. We have a very good organisational structure with highly trained monks and scholars,” he stated in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
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