The Dalai Lama has declared that his successor will be born in the free world, firmly stating that the reincarnation will take place outside China. This announcement directly challenges Beijing’s claim over the selection process and intensifies the long-standing dispute between Tibetans and the Chinese government over religious authority.
In his new book, Voice for the Voiceless, the 89-year-old Dalai Lama writes that Tibetans across the world have urged him for more than a decade to ensure the continuation of the Dalai Lama lineage. He emphasizes that his successor must be born in the free world, beyond China’s influence, to safeguard Tibetan Buddhist traditions and uphold the spiritual identity of his people.
This is the first time the exiled leader has explicitly confirmed that his successor will not be born in Chinese-controlled Tibet. Previously, he had suggested that the lineage might end with him or that he could reincarnate outside China, possibly in India, where he has lived in exile since 1959.
China has rejected the Dalai Lama’s statements, reaffirming its position that only Beijing has the authority to determine his successor. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry called the Dalai Lama “a political exile who is engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion.
“On the Tibet issue, China’s position is consistent and clear. What the Dalai Lama says and does cannot change the objective fact of Tibet’s prosperity and development,” the spokesperson said at a press briefing Monday.
Dalai Lama in his new book: Since the purpose of reincarnation is to carry on work of predecessor, new Dalai Lama will be born in free world outside #Tibet, so that voice for universal compassion & symbol of Tibet embodying aspirations of Tibetan people – will continue pic.twitter.com/i4hNJTSfl1
— Insightful Geopolitics (@InsightGL) March 12, 2025
China considers Tibet an inseparable part of its territory and insists that it will oversee the process of selecting the next Dalai Lama. Beijing has previously stated that the Dalai Lama must recognize China’s sovereignty over Tibet and Taiwan in order for discussions about his future to take place. The Tibetan parliament-in-exile, based in India, has firmly rejected such conditions.
Tibetan Buddhist tradition holds that the soul of a senior monk is reborn in a child after his death. The current Dalai Lama was identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor when he was two years old.
China’s plan to appoint its own Dalai Lama has sparked concerns that it will use the process to exert greater control over Tibet. Tibetan exiles and religious leaders argue that any successor named by the Chinese government will lack legitimacy and will not be accepted by Tibetans.
The Dalai Lama has previously stated that if China appoints a successor, he should not be recognized. He has also suggested that the practice of reincarnation itself could end if it no longer serves its purpose.
The Dalai Lama’s book, which details his interactions with Chinese leaders over the past 70 years, is being published on Tuesday, in the United States by William Morrow, and in Britain by HarperNonFiction. HarperCollins will release it in India and other countries.
As he nears his 90th birthday in July, the Dalai Lama has promised to share further details about his succession.
In the book, he describes Tibet as still being “in the grip of repressive Communist Chinese rule” and asserts that the Tibetan struggle for freedom will continue “no matter what,” even after his passing.
