As the Dalai Lama turns 90, the Tibetan spiritual leader finds himself in a tussle with China over who will succeed him.
The clash is a long time in the making with the Dalai Lama insisting the Chinese government will have absolutely no say in the selection.
China wants to hold its own selection process because it has a vested interest in legitimizing its control over Tibet, where the Dalai Lama fled from in 1959 and which is now controlled by the Chinese Communist Party as part of China.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, which is estimated to have millions of followers across the world. The role of the Dalai Lama, with all his influence in Tibet, is still key for stability in the region.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama presides over an event celebrating his 90th birthday according to a Tibetan calendar in Dharamshala, India, June 30, 2025, ahead of his birthday according to the Gregorian calendar on July 6.
Ashwini Bhatia/AP
Choosing the next Dalai Lama is a specific process depending on many things and rooted in ancient spiritual rituals, including which way the smoke blows when he’s cremated and which way he was looking when he died.
Each potential Dalai Lama is also shown objects belonging to the previous Dalai Lama to see who can identify the belongings, something which, according to belief, would indicate that they are indeed a reincarnation of the spiritual leader.
The Dalai Lama made it clear on Wednesday that only his office could appoint his successor and “no one else has any authority to interfere in this matter.”
But with the Chinese so determined to select their own, there could be a potential scenario where there are two Dalai Lama’s.
Portraits featuring Tibetan spiritual leaders the Dalai Lama (L) and Gyalwang Karmapa are displayed at a Buddhist souvenir shop in Delhi on July 2, 2025.
Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images
Celebrations are being held for the current Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, an Indian town on the edge of the Himalayas. The spiritual leader has lived there since fleeing from his palace in Lhasa amid the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule and China’s subsequent brutal suppression of the protests.
More than 7,000 guests were expected to attend the celebration, including American actor Richard Gere, who has been a long-time follower.
And though the Dalai Lama turns 90, if his own prediction is anything to go by, observers will be waiting for the changes a little longer — as he says he’ll make it to 110.
