China has hardened its position on Tibetan Buddhist succession, with its envoy to India declaring that the 14th Dalai Lama does not possess the authority to alter or terminate the reincarnation system that governs the selection of spiritual leaders in Tibetan Buddhism.
Xu Feihong, China’s Ambassador to India, stated on Sunday that the process of succession through reincarnation is a centuries-old religious tradition which transcends the individual role of the current Dalai Lama.
“The 14th Dalai Lama is part of this long-standing historical tradition and religious succession, not otherwise. The reincarnation of Dalai Lamas neither began from him nor will end due to him. He has no authority to decide whether the reincarnation system shall continue or be abolished,” Xu wrote in a post on X.
He further noted, “Currently, there are over 1000 reincarnation systems of Living Buddhas in Xizang and Tibetan-inhabited prefectures/counties of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces.”
The ambassador’s remarks come shortly after New Delhi reaffirmed its backing for the Dalai Lama’s role in determining his own reincarnation.
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Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, a practising Buddhist from Arunachal Pradesh, had said on July 2, “All those who follow the Dalai Lama feel that the incarnation is to be decided by the established convention and as per the wish of the Dalai Lama himself. Nobody else has the right to decide it except him and the conventions in place.”
He called the Dalai Lama “the most important and defining institution for Buddhists”, asserting India’s respect for religious autonomy and spiritual tradition.
Xu, however, insisted that the reincarnation mechanism — referred to as the “Living Buddha” system — has operated for over 700 years and functions independently of any single individual.
“The practice has been a part of Tibetan Buddhism for over seven centuries and cannot be subordinated to any personal decision,” he said.
The friction over the issue is not new, but the diplomatic exchange this time comes at a sensitive moment, with the ageing spiritual leader turning 90 within the next half-decade and no clear successor identified. China has long maintained that it must approve the next Dalai Lama — a position rejected by Tibetan religious authorities and India alike.
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