Dalai Lama Declares Next Spiritual Leader Will Be Born Outside China

The 89-year-old Dalai Lama announced his successor will be born in the “free world” outside China’s borders. His new book “Voice for the Voiceless,” released Tuesday, makes this declaration for the first time.

The announcement reverses his previous position that he might become the last in the lineage of Tibetan spiritual leaders. Tibet’s exiled leader writes that Tibetans worldwide want the Dalai Lama institution to continue after his death.

He specifies his successor must be born outside China to carry on the traditional mission. The next Dalai Lama will serve as “the voice for universal compassion” and represent Tibetan aspirations.

The declaration intensifies the decades-long power struggle with Beijing over Tibet’s future leadership. China insists only its government possesses the authority to identify and approve the next Dalai Lama.

Chinese officials label the current Dalai Lama as a “separatist” engaged in anti-China activities under religious pretenses. Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama, fled Tibet in 1959 at age 23 following a failed uprising against Communist rule.

He established a government-in-exile in India, where he continues to live. He relinquished political leadership in 2011 to focus on spiritual duties. Tibetan tradition holds that senior monks reincarnate in children after death.

Dalai Lama Reaffirms Tibetan Freedom Struggle

The current Dalai Lama himself received recognition as his predecessor’s reincarnation at age two. Beijing fears losing control over this important selection process. The Dalai Lama describes his homeland as remaining “in the grip of repressive Communist Chinese rule.”

He promises the campaign for Tibetan freedom will continue “no matter what” after his death. His book provides a historical account of his interactions with Chinese leaders from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping.

Last month, Beijing offered to discuss the Dalai Lama‘s future under certain conditions. China demanded he acknowledge Tibet and Taiwan as inseparable parts of China. The Tibetan parliament-in-exile promptly rejected these terms.

The spiritual leader plans to share more succession details around his 90th birthday in July. Despite health concerns following knee surgery last year, he told reporters he expects to live until 110.