# Dalai Lama says the institution will continue after his death

Event date: July 2, 2025 - The Dalai Lama confirmed that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and said his successor will be chosen through the traditional Tibetan process, not by Beijing.

Succession fight with China moves into the open

The 14th Dalai Lama has confirmed that there will be a reincarnated successor after his death, ending years of uncertainty over whether the 600-year-old institution would continue. In a video message delivered in Dharamshala, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said only the trust he founded would have the authority to recognize the next Dalai Lama.

The BBC report supplied in the evidence shows why the announcement mattered. For Tibetans in exile and inside Tibet, succession is not just a religious question but a geopolitical one. China annexed Tibet in 1950, and Beijing has long insisted that the next Dalai Lama must be born in China and approved by the state. The Dalai Lama rejected that position directly by saying no one else has authority to interfere in the process.

The timing gave the statement added force. The announcement came as Dharamshala marked the leader's 90th birthday celebrations, with thousands of followers gathered to hear the message. That setting turned the succession question into a public affirmation of continuity, not a private doctrinal note.

China quickly rejected the Dalai Lama's position. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the reincarnation must comply with Chinese laws and historical conventions and receive Beijing's approval. That response shows the long-running dispute is likely to continue after the current Dalai Lama's death, with each side claiming legitimacy over the future of Tibetan Buddhism.

The BBC report says the Dalai Lama had previously left open the possibility of no successor or even a female successor. By restating that the institution will continue and that the Gaden Phodrang Trust should oversee the search and recognition process, he narrowed that uncertainty and signaled that the traditional system remains intact.

The issue is also political because Beijing regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist even though he has long advocated genuine self-rule within China. The succession dispute therefore becomes part of a larger argument over Tibet's future, Chinese state authority and the loyalties of Tibetan communities worldwide.

Followers in Dharamshala described the announcement as a relief. The BBC quoted Tibetans saying they believed the reincarnation would come and that hearing confirmation from the Dalai Lama himself was deeply reassuring. That reaction suggests the message was meant not only for governments but also for a global Tibetan audience worried about a contested future.

The likely result is a prolonged dual-claim scenario. The Dalai Lama has now defined the succession on his side, while China is expected to put forward its own candidate. The BBC report says experts believe Beijing may try to install a rival figure after a period of months or years. If that happens, the battle over legitimacy will continue well beyond the present leader's lifetime.