Overview

• In a July 2 video, the 14th Dalai Lama officially affirmed that the centuries-old institution bearing his title will endure beyond his lifetime.
• He granted the Gaden Phodrang Trust—the office he established in 2015—exclusive authority to search for and recognize the 15th Dalai Lama.
• The Dalai Lama stipulated that his successor must be born in a free country outside Chinese territory to shield the process from state interference.
• He directed that the search follow Tibetan Buddhist rites, including interpretation of omens, candidate testing with belongings of the previous Lama, and a formal monastic declaration.
• Beijing immediately rejected his announcement, reiterating its claim to approve reincarnations through a Qing-era golden urn method within China.