(TibetanReview.net, Nov28’19) – Not that it will sway the Chinese leadership’s resolved to appoint its own figurehead for the position when the time comes, but the heads of the different religious branches of Tibet, who all live in exile, have made it clear Nov 27 that there will be a 15th Dalai Lama and he will be one recognized and enthroned in strict compliance with the over 800-year-old Tibetan tradition with the primacy of the Dalai Lama’s own wishes. The religious leaders made clear their resolve at the three-day, 14th Tibetan Religious Conference which began at Dharamsala, India, on Nov 27.
In particular, the top religious leaders of Tibet made it clear that Tibetans will not recognize and respect any other 15th Dalai Lama imposed by China.
The conference of 100 religious leaders, representatives, and delegates was organized by the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration, although the Karmapa missed it reportedly because he was denied visa for traveling to India.
The conference adopted the following resolution:
The Karmic bond between the Dalai Lamas and the Tibetan people have been inseparable and the present status of the Tibetan people being extremely critical, all Tibetans genuinely wish for the continuation of the Institution and Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in the future. We therefore strongly supplicate to His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama for the same.
The authority of decision concerning the way and the manner in which the next reincarnation of the XIV Dalai Lama should appear solely rests with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama himself. No government or otherwise will have such authority. If the Government of the People’s Republic of China for political ends chooses a candidate for the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan people will not recognize and respect that candidate.
Regarding the method of recognizing the future reincarnations of the Dalai Lama, the same unique Tibetan traditional method, which has been continuously used until now, will be followed. This method conforms to be basic philosophy and tents of the Buddhadharma and originated in Tibet over 800 years ago.
(Source: Tibet.net, Nov27, 2019)
Those who attended the conference were stated to include the Sakya Trizin, the Gaden Tri Rinpoche, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, the Kyabje Menri Trizin Rinpoche, the Kyabje Tsurphu Gorshe Gyaltsab Rinpoche (Representative of Gyalwang Karmapa), the Taklung Matrul Rinpoche (Representative of the Taklung Shabdrung Rinpoche), the Namdroling Tulku Choedhar Rinpoche, Khenpo Ngedhon Tenzin (Representative of the Gyalwang Drukchen), and the Jonang Gyaltsab Rinpoche.
Also attending the conference are stated to be other eminent Tibetan rinpoches and tulkus, representatives and lamas from the Himalayan regions, the Khen Rinpoches of major Tibetan Buddhist institutes in exile, heads and members of Tibetan monastic institutes and representatives of Tibetan nunneries.
Top leaders of the Central Tibetan Administration also attended the conference’s inaugural meeting.
The conference’s broader agenda is stated to be to bring focus on enabling extensive participation of the religious heads and other important figures of Tibetan Buddhism in the discussion and decision making on the overarching significance of Tibetan tradition of recognising the reincarnation of scholarships with a particular emphasis on the discovery and recognition of the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
