Succeeding the Dalai Lama: A new front line

New Delhi–India’s explicit endorsement of the Dalai Lama’s announcement on the naming of his own successor marks a turning point—not just in the spiritual saga of Tibetan Buddhism, but in the geopolitics of Asia. For decades, New Delhi has walked a careful line on Tibet, offering asylum while avoiding overt political statements that might provoke Beijing.

That caution has now shifted. By publicly affirming that only the Dalai Lama and his institution—the Gaden Phodrang Trust—hold the legitimacy to recognize his reincarnation, India has contradicted China’s long-held stance. In doing so, it has not merely backed a religious process, but tacitly recognized Tibetan spiritual sovereignty—a concept Beijing has spent decades trying to erase.

The Chinese Communist Party has consistently claimed that it alone has the authority to name the next Dalai Lama, citing archaic imperial traditions. But those claims have always rung hollow, particularly to the Tibetan community and global Buddhists.

Reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism is not a bureaucratic appointment. It is a sacred process rooted in vision, virtue, and voluntary recognition—not state surveillance or political fiat. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s statement is all the more significant because it comes from a member of the central government, not a cleric or civil society actor. As a practicing Buddhist, Mr. Rijiju bridges political and spiritual domains—and his words carry weight in both.

India’s refusal to be silent now sends a strong signal: Tibet’s spiritual destiny cannot be dictated from Zhongnanhai. That India chose this moment—ahead of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday—reflects a calibrated shift, signaling both respect for tradition and quiet confidence in its regional stance.

Unsurprisingly, China’s response was swift and sharp. Its foreign ministry warned India not to “interfere” in its internal affairs, even as it doubled down on branding the Dalai Lama a separatist. Yet this reaction only underlines Beijing’s discomfort—and its inability to control the narrative outside its own borders. This moment is not just about India or China.

It is about the future of Tibetan identity and the growing recognition that spiritual agency can become a form of geopolitical leverage. For too long, Tibet’s struggle has been portrayed as frozen in time—an exiled leader, a vanishing culture.

But what we are witnessing is a subtle reassertion of that culture’s ability to shape its own future. India’s support offers new momentum. It transforms what could have been a lonely spiritual stand into a broader assertion of cultural rights—not just for Tibetans, but for all stateless or displaced traditions fighting to maintain their authenticity.

The coming succession battle will not just unfold in monasteries or press rooms, but in the quiet spaces where legitimacy is forged: hearts, minds, and unbroken beliefs. In choosing to speak now, India has shifted the terrain—and with it, perhaps, the future of the Tibetan cause. The Statesman/Asia News Network

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This originally appeared as an editorial on the July 6, 2025 issue of India’s The Statesman. The Philippine Daily Inquirer is a member of the Asia News Network (ANN), an alliance of 22 media titles in the region.