'If China chooses next Dalai Lama, we will...': Indian Buddhist Org passes a new resolution

New Delhi: In a first, an Indian Buddhist organisation on Tuesday (December 20, 2022) passed a resolution calling for no interference when it comes to the succession of the 14th Dalai Lama and appointment of the next (15th) Dalai Lama.

The Indian Himalayan council of the Nalanda Buddhist Tradition (IHCNBT) in a resolution said, "If the government of the People's Republic of China, for political ends, chooses a candidate for the Dalai Lama, the people of the Himalayas will never accept it, never pay devotional obeisance to such a political appointee and publicly denounce such move by anyone".

The one-page resolution said, "System of recognizing reincarnated spiritual beings is a religious practice unique to Nalanda Buddhism and the philosophy of the principle of life after death."

"No government or any individual has the right to interfere in this matter," it added.

The resolution pointed out that the sole authority on the reincarnation of his holiness the Dalai Lama is Gaden Phodang's institution.

No one, including China, should interfere with such a holy and devotional process, it read.

Indian Himalayan council of the Nalanda Buddhist Tradition (IHCNBT), a body of top Buddhist leaders meet in Delhi to pass a resolution on the succession of the Dalai Lama. Says won't accept China appointed Dalai Lama. https://t.co/YkYT6pT4Us pic.twitter.com/k0g9fbip8z — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) December 20, 2022

It is notable that China's communist government could interfere in the tradition and might appoint its own Dalai Lama which makes the resolution passed on Tuesday at the 2nd governing council meeting of the organisation even more important.

Asked about Beijing's keenness to appoint the next Dalai Lama, President of the organisation Lochen Rimpoche told Zee News, "Don't worry about the Chinese government, His Holiness Dalai Lama is the supreme spiritual leader of all the Buddhists, not only the Himalayan region but other countries".

The Vice President of the organisation, Venerable Chuchep Choedan highlighted that "China is preparing a lot of things to take over the agenda".

"For us, Himalayan Buddhists, His Holiness, his institution, and continuing of this institution is a very important point. His Holiness is very strongly connected to the Himalayan region," he said.

The General Secretary of the council, Maling Gombo, said, "The issue of reincarnation of Dalai Lama is a purely religious and cultural issue, no other authority has any role to interfere in the process".

Unlike China, the Indian government so far has never made a comment on the appointment of the next Dalai Lama.

IHCNBT was formed in 2018 and has the top Buddhist leadership of the Indian union territory of Ladakh and states like Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. These states and union territories border China-administered Tibet.

The name of the organisation was given by Dalai Lama.

Tibetan Buddhism is seen as the heir to India's Nalanda tradition of Buddhism.

IHCNBT was first conceived by The Tawang Foundation, a strategic Think Tank body during a National Conference held in June 2018 at Haryana's Gurugram.

The organisation works for the Preservation of Indian Himalayan Nalanda Buddhist tradition and develops Institutions of learning amongst all the traditions of Nalanda Buddhism in the Indian Himalayan region.

It has been organising a number of Buddhist conclaves as well in Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.