Dalai Lama Successor

[The Intransigent Faction]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/southasia/2014/09/dalai-lama-says-successor-not-required-20149861149282451.html


The Dalai Lama has told a German newspaper from his Himalayan homeland that he should be the last Tibetan spiritual leader, ending a centuries-old religious tradition. His comments to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper echoed his previous statement that "the institution of the Dalai Lama has served its purpose", but were even more explicit.
"We had a Dalai Lama for almost five centuries. The 14th Dalai Lama now is very popular. Let us then finish with a popular Dalai Lama," he said in an interview published on Sunday.


He also said: "Tibetan Buddhism is not dependent on one individual. We have a very good organisational structure with highly trained monks and scholars."
China has governed Tibet since 1951, a year after invading, and the Dalai Lama fled across the Himalayas to India after a failed 1959 uprising against the Chinese rule.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2011 retired from political duties and has upgraded the role of prime minister of the Tibetan exile community.
But he is still the most powerful rallying point for Tibetans, both in exile and in their homeland, and remains the universally recognised face of the movement.
Asked by Welt am Sonntag how much longer he may carry on his advocacy duties, the 79-year-old said: "The doctors say I could become 100 years old.
"But in my dreams I will die at the age of 113 years.
"I hope and pray that I may return to this world as long as sentient beings' suffering remains. I mean not in the same body, but with the same spirit and the same soul."
On the question of whether he may ever be able to return to Tibet, he said: "Yes, I am sure of that. China can no longer isolate itself, it must follow the global trend towards a democratic society."


So, apparently the Dalai Lama is saying his position "served its purpose".

Thoughts? Aside from how the article seems pretty slanted in his favour. I suppose it could be a reaction to China wanting to choose his successor, which would mean he'd have no influence.

[JahLemon]

I'm not too surprised actually. IIRC he has been talking about him being the last Dalai Lama for some time now.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

(1) the position of Dalai Lama is not politically necessary because religious rule is never returning to Tibet, and its doubtful the Dalai Lama wants to be a reigning theocrat any more (he seems to do quite well for himself doing other things)

(2) the spiritual authority of the Dalai Lama will be limited if he is nothing more than a bureaucratic appointee designed to appeal to tourists and placate elements of Tibetan society.

In other words, it appears that the Dalai Lama can no longer perform any functions he traditionally did, so the DL probably sees no reason to keep the role.

I imagine he also hopes it forces the PRC to the negotiating table by making himself the last figure who has the authority to give up the dream of independence still held amongst many in Tibet in exchange for tangible political, social and economic benefits to the underprivileged and colonized Tibetan population. It is often easier for large states to deal with communities that have an obvious leader figure, since that leader has the authority to calm down rebellious tendencies within the population. Hence Uighur unrest in China tends to be far more violent than Tibetan unrest, since there any violent insurgent group can claim to speak for the community.

Anyways, since the position no longer has significant utility for anyone who isn't in the tourism trade in India or China, I don't think it will make a huge difference. Tibet's independence is highly unlikely and even greater autonomy is questionable.

[Martin Luther]

Good. Tibetan independence is not going to happen, nor should it. The Free Tibet crap is not only mind-numbingly ignorant, it's over 50 years too late. Unless there is some charismatic new Dalai Lama, the current one's death will be the death knell of Tibetan nationalism.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Good. Tibetan independence is not going to happen, nor should it. The Free Tibet crap is not only mind-numbingly ignorant, it's over 50 years too late. Unless there is some charismatic new Dalai Lama, the current one's death will be the death knell of Tibetan nationalism.

All forms of nationalism are counterproductive - both Tibetan nationalism and the Chinese nationalists who dispossess Tibetans while proclaiming a kind of color-blind, "patriotic" free market society (where have I heard that before?). Even the current Dalai Lama says he does not call for secession, though the Chinese government says that this is his true agenda.

I find two things bothersome on this issue - one is the idolization of Tibetan theocracy, and the other is apologism for the current Chinese regime and ruling class.

[Hagalaz]

Good. Tibetan independence is not going to happen, nor should it. The Free Tibet crap is not only mind-numbingly ignorant, it's over 50 years too late. Unless there is some charismatic new Dalai Lama, the current one's death will be the death knell of Tibetan nationalism.

So what is it that you foresee for Tibet?

[Martin Luther]

I find two things bothersome on this issue - one is the idolization of Tibetan theocracy, and the other is apologism for the current Chinese regime and ruling class.

This is true. What is going on in Tibet (and the rest of China, though Tibet is more backwards) is a classic process of capitalist development. Han chauvinism is a creature of that.

[Martin Luther]

So what is it that you foresee for Tibet?

It will probably stay a part of China for good.