The Dalai Lama’s Reincarnation: Historical, Religious, and Geopolitical Implications

Content

The question of the Dalai Lama’s succession has implications that extend well beyond Tibetan Buddhism. Following his 90th birthday, the 14th Dalai Lama reaffirmed that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and that there will be a 15th Dalai Lama. The Chinese government, meanwhile, has asserted its authority over the recognition of Tibetan Buddhist reincarnations, including the future Dalai Lama.

This raises important questions about religious authority, political legitimacy, sovereignty, and the future of Tibet. Who has the authority to recognize the next Dalai Lama? How has this process worked historically? What happens if Tibetan religious authorities and the Chinese government recognize different successors? And what would such an outcome mean for Tibetans, China, India, U.S.–China relations, and the wider region?

The visit of His Eminence the 13th Kundeling Tatsak Rinpoche to the Amherst area provides an opportunity to bring these questions into an academic setting. The discussion will be moderated by Steven Platt, professor of Chinese history. 

About the Speaker

His Eminence the 13th Kundeling Tatsak Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and teacher whose lineage has particular historical relevance to this discussion. Previous incarnations of the Kundeling lineage held significant religious and temporal responsibilities in Tibet, including serving as Regents of Tibet and Senior Tutors to the Dalai Lamas.

Born in Lhasa, Tibet, in 1983, His Eminence was recognized as the reincarnation of the 12th Kundeling Tatsak Rinpoche by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. He completed his monastic studies at Drepung Monastery, receiving the Geshe degree in 2013, and later pursued advanced tantric studies at Gyudmed Monastery.

Rinpoche has spoken at Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Asia Center, and the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island, among other institutions. His participation brings to the dialogue both Buddhist scholarship and the perspective of someone who belongs to Tibet’s centuries-old reincarnation tradition.