M.J. Rose

Here is a little peek into the mysterious spiritual process for choosing the reincarnated successor to the Dalai Lama.

Searching for a spiritual successor

When the time comes, finding a new Dalai Lama will be a lengthy process

by Geoff Nixon, The Ottawa Citizen

The Dalai Lama has served as spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists for seven decades, ever since he was recognized as the reincarnated Dalai Lama at age two. And the day he dies, the search for his successor will begin.

“In Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, a certain type of person who develops very highly in a previous life, can consciously choose the circumstances of their reincarnation,” says Robert Thurman, a professor in the Department of Religion at New York’s Columbia University and an expert in Tibetan Buddhism. “The Dalai Lama is believed to be one such person.”…

Read the complete article here.

Portrait of the 14th Dalai Lama at age five, at the enthronement ceremony at the Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet, February 1940.

Oil paint on canvas by Kanwal Krishna