-by Joshua Snider
SYNOPSIS
This article explores the complex process of selecting the next Dalai Lama, examining internal sectarian dynamics within Tibetan Buddhism and external geopolitical pressures, especially from China and India. It highlights the risks of politicising religious succession and the evolving role of Tibetan leadership in exile.
COMMENTARY
On July 2, the Dalai Lama, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, affirmed that the institution of the Dalai Lama will persist after his passing. He also reiterated his 2011 declaration, which details the process for identifying his successor, with the Gaden Phodrang Trust holding exclusive authority over the succession. The approach taken by the Dalai Lama and his office in managing this transition is significant. It will be crucial in deciding whether this historic lineage maintains its spiritual legitimacy in the face of increasing political interference or faces potential fragmentation due to external pressures. This statement was followed by a missive from the Chinese government, affirming Beijing’s role in managing sectarian dynamics within the Tibetan Buddhist Sangha.
This short piece examines two distinct but related issues: the internal issues within the Tibetan Buddhist Sangha and the geopolitical context in which these issues unfold, with a particular focus on the roles of external actors, notably the governments of the People’s Republic of China and India.
Background: The Tibetan Buddhist Sangha and “Political Buddhism”
To understand succession dynamics within Tibetan political leadership, we need to briefly examine two facets of Tibet’s version of “political Buddhism”: the intra-sectarian dimensions within the Tibetan Buddhist Sangha, which governs how the recognition of incarnate lamas functions – including the Dalai Lama – and the Dalai Lama’s role as a religio-political leader.
Tibetan Buddhism comprises four distinct, functionally autonomous schools or “lineages”: Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug. The Dalai Lama belongs to the Gelug lineage and is the titular head of State, and since 1959, the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Each lineage has its leadership structure.
Consequently, while the Dalai Lama is a powerful figure and serves as the political voice of the Tibetan people, he does not make decisions on behalf of other lineages. For example, the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages, along with their respective leaderships, are not directly answerable to the Dalai Lama.
Regarding roles, “Lamas” are senior lineage holders with ecclesiastical and administrative responsibilities within their communities. The succession of leadership within lineages is governed by an intricate incarnate system (across all lineages). When a Lama passes away, their reincarnation is recognised, and after appropriate training, that individual assumes the duties of the predecessor. Incarnate Lamas exists across all lineages, and when these individuals pass away, a search is conducted to identify their next incarnation.
The salient point is that the legitimacy of this system relies on mutual recognition, in which senior Lamas from different lineages participate in the recognition process.
Therefore, the search and recognition of the next Dalai Lama, according to tradition, involve other important lineage holders across different sects. Conversely, the recognition of significant lineage holders in other sectors involves acknowledgement from the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama thus plays a consequential role, and considerable attention has been devoted to how future successions may unfold, particularly given that this is the first such process since the Tibetan government escaped to India. In this sense, there are geopolitical dynamics at stake in the system of selecting incarnate Lamas. Click here to read more.
The post Choosing the Next Dalai Lama: Sectarian and Geopolitical Dimensions of Incarnate Successionism in Tibetan Buddhism first appeared on Central Tibetan Administration.
The post Choosing the Next Dalai Lama: Sectarian and Geopolitical Dimensions of Incarnate Successionism in Tibetan Buddhism appeared first on Central Tibetan Administration.
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