January 25, 2026 11:55 AM

Dalai Lama extends wishes on 2nd Global Buddhist Summit 2026

The Dalai Lama extended warm greetings to all participants of the 2nd Global Buddhist Summit 2026, which saw the participation of delegates from across the world. On the occasion of the summit, the Dalai Lama said in a statement, “As you are aware, I have long been committed to fostering closer relationships with our Buddhist spiritual brothers and sisters, particularly in Asia, and I am grateful for the many opportunities I have had over the years to meet with them. Earlier this month, I was...

July 6, 2025 4:32 PM

Dalai Lama a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern world: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday attended the 90th birthday celebrations of the 14th Dalai Lama at Tsuglagkhang, the main Tibetan temple where the spiritual leader has been residing since 1960. Speaking at the celebrations amidst the presence of his Cabinet colleague Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Union Minister Rijiju said, “Your holiness, you are more than a spiritual leader. You are a living br...

July 6, 2025 9:19 AM

PM Modi extends greetings to Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended warm greetings to Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 90th birthday. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday. He has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline. His message has inspired respect and admiration across all faiths. We pray for his continued good health and long life. @DalaiLama" On Sunday morning, Tibeta...

July 3, 2025 4:25 PM

Nobody except Dalai Lama can decide his successor: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said that no one but the Dalai Lama himself has the authority to decide his successor. He emphasized that the selection of the next Dalai Lama will follow "established convention" and be guided by the spiritual leader's own wishes. The remarks come a day after the Dalai Lama said that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit organization he established to uphold the institution and tradition of the Dalai Lama, holds the authority to recognize his futu...

July 2, 2025 3:15 PM

What is the trust that will identify the Dalai Lama’s successor?

The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday his Gaden Phodrang Trust would have the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation, rejecting any role for China in choosing who succeeds him as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists. WHAT IS THE GADEN PHODRANG TRUST? The non-profit was registered in 2011 in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama is based. Its members include the Dalai Lama, senior monk Samdhong Rinpoche and close aides who work in the Dalai Lama's office in D...

July 2, 2025 12:42 PM

Dalai Lama says he will be reincarnated, his Trust will lead search for his successor

The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday that he will be reincarnated and that his non-profit institution will have the sole authority to identify his reincarnation, countering China's insistence that it will choose the successor of the Tibetan Buddhist leader. The remarks by the Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on Sunday, end speculation among millions of followers about whether there would be another Dalai Lama after his death. The Nobel peace laureate was speaking during a week of celebrations to mark his b...

July 1, 2025 1:58 PM

The Dalai Lama, a tireless advocate for Tibet and its people

The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, has often called himself a simple monk, but for more than 60 years armed with little more than charm and conviction, he has managed to keep the cause of his people in the international spotlight. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled into exile in India in 1959 with thousands of other Tibetans after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Since then, he has advocated for a non-violent "Middle Way" to seeking autonomy and religious freed...

June 30, 2025 10:42 AM

How will the Dalai Lama’s successor be chosen?

The choice of a successor to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, is a matter of riveting interest not only for followers of his religion, but also China, India, and the United States, for strategic reasons. The Nobel peace laureate, who turns 90 on Sunday, is regarded as one of the world's most influential figures, with a following extending well beyond Buddhism. HOW WAS HE CHOSEN? Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated after his d...

June 30, 2025 10:09 AM

Dalai Lama set to reveal succession plan as China watches

The Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering of Buddhist religious figures this week ahead of his 90th birthday, as his followers wait for the Tibetan spiritual leader to share details about his succession in a move that could irk China. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist and says it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reje...

March 11, 2025 11:37 AM

Dalai Lama says his successor to be born outside China

The Dalai Lama's successor will be born outside China, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism says in a new book, raising the stakes in a dispute with Beijing over control of the Himalayan region he fled more than six decades ago. Tibetans worldwide want the institution of the Dalai Lama to continue after the 89-year-old's death, he writes in "Voice for the Voiceless", which was reviewed by Reuters and is being released on Tuesday. He had previously said the line of spiritual leaders might e...