Overview
- The Dalai Lama’s July 2 framework vests sole authority for recognizing his successor in the Gaden Phodrang Trust and explicitly excludes China.
- The search for the 15th Dalai Lama will not start until after the 14th Dalai Lama passes away, following centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist rites.
- Under the trust-based plan, the next Dalai Lama must be born in a free democratic country to safeguard the reincarnation from political influence.
- Pema Khandu reaffirmed that China has no recognized role in the Dalai Lama institution, which is rooted in the Himalayan Buddhist tradition.
- Senior Buddhist leaders have confirmed the uninterrupted 600-year lineage will continue under the Gaden Phodrang Trust with support from Indian and Western backers.