He just said they might stop the tradition of the Dalai Lama.
According to the ideas of reincarnation we are all rebirths of beings from past lives. So - this is nothing special that they are reincarnations. For Tibetans and other Buddhists who think this way, all of us are reincarnations. The difference is that some Tibetans teachers are identified as in some way a continuation of a particular previous incarnation in a previous life.
This is quite common, not just for the Dalai Lama. Many present day Tibetan teachers were recognized as children, as reincarnations of teachers in a previous life, usually teachers regarded as having remarkable understanding and insight. And the practice continues to this day, many notable Tibetan teachers that were alive a few decades ago have now died. And for quite a few of them, they have identified new reincarnations, as young children.
For instance this very famous Lama, the main teacher of the Dalai Lama in the Nyingmapa tradition,
died in 1991 Dilgo Khyentse
and his reincarnation, this lama
was identified in 1995, and studied in Bhutan. And now has a facebook page Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche
Similarly,
Chogyam Trungpa
was reborn as
Biography of Chokyi Sengay, Trungpa Rinpoche XII
To Westerners this seems quite exotic and strange perhaps, but to Tibetan Buddhists, it is just part of their world and how they see things. To them it is all quite ordinary.
In the past the Dalai Lamas and the Panchen Lamas worked together for several centuries to help find each other's rebirths when they died. But the Panchen Lama recognized by the present Dalai Lama was take away as a child by the Chinese (they say for his own safety), who then put up a replacement child in his place as their version of the Panchen Lama.
Nobody knows what happened to the original as selected by the Dalai Lama - the Chinese say he is happy and healthy and well - but nobody in the West has been permitted any communication with him to check, though he would by now be in his mid twenties if he is indeed still alive and happy and healthy as the Chinese claim.
So, it's not too surprising that the Dalai Lama might decide not to continue this tradition when he dies. He hasn't made a final decision, it is just a possibility. He has also said that he won't take rebirth in China which I think is understandable after what happened to the Panchen Lama.
And if this decision is made, it just means that they won't search for his next rebirth. But he would still take rebirth, just not be identified as the Dalai Lama any more, nobody would know who he was in his previous life.
Which is also the situation for almost all of us including most Buddhists. The Buddha actually warned us against trying to work out who or what we were in previous lives, as that can lead you to focus even more on the illusory idea that we have a fixed permanent soul or self or atman that continues through all our lifetimes. Buddhists don't think of rebirth that way. Even in Tibetan Buddhism the idea of rebirth is far more fluid than you might think - yes is a stream of awareness continues from one life to another - but for instance, in the Tibetan traditions, one person can take rebirth as, say, three people in their next lives - is rare but happens sometimes.
Also sometimes Lamas can be reincarnated before they died, so that the next and previous incarnations are alive simultaneously. In this case it's either because the previous teacher has the ability to appear as multiple emanations at once (they say that some teachers can take rebirth even as a thousand different people living simultaneously) - or it is because it is another mind stream who is continuing the work of the previous incarnation, and so is recognized as the reincarnation for this reason.
Also - it doesn't mean that you are at all the "same person" as in, someone with the same interests. Our present Dalai Lama is - a popular Dalai Lama as he says - also - he is someone who is of a scholarly bent, widely recognized amongst Tibetans for his deep understanding of the teachings of all four of the Tibetan schools, which he also continues as a living tradition. Previous Dalai Lamas had different interests, for instance the sixth Dalai Lama was noted as a poet and showed no great interest in the scholarly studies.
So - when the Dalai Lama talks about ending the tradition on a high note, as a reasonably popular Dalai Lama, rather than a possible successor who might be foolish and disgrace himself, perhaps he is joking a little, but it is a real possibility also. There is no reason why his reincarnation would be similar in personality or interests to himself.
Generally - the idea of rebirth in Buddhism is much more fluid than most think. The main thing you need, as a Buddhist, is to have an open mind, that it is possible that this present life and our actions and stream of awareness may continue after we die in some form and that our actions in this life may have consequences that continue into the future beyond this life.
And the Buddha didn't encourage speculation about how it works in detail, indeed, he said this is one of the four imponderables - that to think about it overmuch could drive you mad.
Indeed, Tibetan Buddhism is quite unusual amongst the various branches of Buddhism in this tradition of searching for rebirths which are recognized as reincarnations from known teachers in previous lives.
So - it would have no consequences for Tibetan Buddhism at all. Even if this tradition of searching for rebirths stopped altogether world wide - it would have no consequences for the Buddhism, at all.
This is just a matter of a decision within the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. A decision the Dalai Lama would make himself in collaboration with his colleagues who would be the ones to search for his successor if he does continue the tradition of searching for his rebirth. And he says he would do that in consultation and based on the wishes of the Tibetan people as best he understands it.
This is what he says:
And also is the same for decisions made by other Lamas and their colleagues before they die, about whether to search for a rebirth. Just as the Dalai Lama may decide not to continue the tradition of searching for his successor - other Tibetan Lamas, even if thought able to do so, can also decide similarly. It is a matter for individual decision there, they don't have to leave instructions to help find their successors.
Incidentally according to the Buddhist sutras, the historical Buddha entered paranivarna and will never take rebirth again. So - again according to the sutras - nobody alive today is a reincarnation of Shakyamuni Buddha. Thought that might be worth saying as there is sometimes confusion on this point.
For more about this topic and the fluidity of ideas of rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism see The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama - Reincarnation (translated from Tibetan) by the Dalai Lama
Note that when the translation talks about "omniscient" there - it is not quite as Westerners understand it. It is more like "knowing everything that needs to be known in any situation you find yourself". Would be too much of a digression to go into that any more but it was one word on the page that stood out as one that Westerners are likely to misunderstand.
According to the ideas of reincarnation we are all rebirths of beings from past lives. So - this is nothing special that they are reincarnations. For Tibetans and other Buddhists who think this way, all of us are reincarnations. The difference is that some Tibetans teachers are identified as in some way a continuation of a particular previous incarnation in a previous life.
This is quite common, not just for the Dalai Lama. Many present day Tibetan teachers were recognized as children, as reincarnations of teachers in a previous life, usually teachers regarded as having remarkable understanding and insight. And the practice continues to this day, many notable Tibetan teachers that were alive a few decades ago have now died. And for quite a few of them, they have identified new reincarnations, as young children.
For instance this very famous Lama, the main teacher of the Dalai Lama in the Nyingmapa tradition,
and his reincarnation, this lama
Similarly,
was reborn as
To Westerners this seems quite exotic and strange perhaps, but to Tibetan Buddhists, it is just part of their world and how they see things. To them it is all quite ordinary.
In the past the Dalai Lamas and the Panchen Lamas worked together for several centuries to help find each other's rebirths when they died. But the Panchen Lama recognized by the present Dalai Lama was take away as a child by the Chinese (they say for his own safety), who then put up a replacement child in his place as their version of the Panchen Lama.
Nobody knows what happened to the original as selected by the Dalai Lama - the Chinese say he is happy and healthy and well - but nobody in the West has been permitted any communication with him to check, though he would by now be in his mid twenties if he is indeed still alive and happy and healthy as the Chinese claim.
So, it's not too surprising that the Dalai Lama might decide not to continue this tradition when he dies. He hasn't made a final decision, it is just a possibility. He has also said that he won't take rebirth in China which I think is understandable after what happened to the Panchen Lama.
And if this decision is made, it just means that they won't search for his next rebirth. But he would still take rebirth, just not be identified as the Dalai Lama any more, nobody would know who he was in his previous life.
Which is also the situation for almost all of us including most Buddhists. The Buddha actually warned us against trying to work out who or what we were in previous lives, as that can lead you to focus even more on the illusory idea that we have a fixed permanent soul or self or atman that continues through all our lifetimes. Buddhists don't think of rebirth that way. Even in Tibetan Buddhism the idea of rebirth is far more fluid than you might think - yes is a stream of awareness continues from one life to another - but for instance, in the Tibetan traditions, one person can take rebirth as, say, three people in their next lives - is rare but happens sometimes.
Also sometimes Lamas can be reincarnated before they died, so that the next and previous incarnations are alive simultaneously. In this case it's either because the previous teacher has the ability to appear as multiple emanations at once (they say that some teachers can take rebirth even as a thousand different people living simultaneously) - or it is because it is another mind stream who is continuing the work of the previous incarnation, and so is recognized as the reincarnation for this reason.
Also - it doesn't mean that you are at all the "same person" as in, someone with the same interests. Our present Dalai Lama is - a popular Dalai Lama as he says - also - he is someone who is of a scholarly bent, widely recognized amongst Tibetans for his deep understanding of the teachings of all four of the Tibetan schools, which he also continues as a living tradition. Previous Dalai Lamas had different interests, for instance the sixth Dalai Lama was noted as a poet and showed no great interest in the scholarly studies.
So - when the Dalai Lama talks about ending the tradition on a high note, as a reasonably popular Dalai Lama, rather than a possible successor who might be foolish and disgrace himself, perhaps he is joking a little, but it is a real possibility also. There is no reason why his reincarnation would be similar in personality or interests to himself.
Generally - the idea of rebirth in Buddhism is much more fluid than most think. The main thing you need, as a Buddhist, is to have an open mind, that it is possible that this present life and our actions and stream of awareness may continue after we die in some form and that our actions in this life may have consequences that continue into the future beyond this life.
And the Buddha didn't encourage speculation about how it works in detail, indeed, he said this is one of the four imponderables - that to think about it overmuch could drive you mad.
Indeed, Tibetan Buddhism is quite unusual amongst the various branches of Buddhism in this tradition of searching for rebirths which are recognized as reincarnations from known teachers in previous lives.
So - it would have no consequences for Tibetan Buddhism at all. Even if this tradition of searching for rebirths stopped altogether world wide - it would have no consequences for the Buddhism, at all.
This is just a matter of a decision within the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. A decision the Dalai Lama would make himself in collaboration with his colleagues who would be the ones to search for his successor if he does continue the tradition of searching for his rebirth. And he says he would do that in consultation and based on the wishes of the Tibetan people as best he understands it.
This is what he says:
When I am about ninety I will consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, and re-evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not. On that basis we will take a decision. If it is decided that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should continue and there is a need for the Fifteenth Dalai Lama to be recognized, responsibility for doing so will primarily rest on the concerned officers of the Dalai Lama’s Gaden Phodrang Trust. They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should seek advice and direction from these concerned beings and carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition. I shall leave clear written instructions about this. Bear in mind that, apart from the reincarnation recognized through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People’s Republic of China.
And also is the same for decisions made by other Lamas and their colleagues before they die, about whether to search for a rebirth. Just as the Dalai Lama may decide not to continue the tradition of searching for his successor - other Tibetan Lamas, even if thought able to do so, can also decide similarly. It is a matter for individual decision there, they don't have to leave instructions to help find their successors.
Incidentally according to the Buddhist sutras, the historical Buddha entered paranivarna and will never take rebirth again. So - again according to the sutras - nobody alive today is a reincarnation of Shakyamuni Buddha. Thought that might be worth saying as there is sometimes confusion on this point.
For more about this topic and the fluidity of ideas of rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism see The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama - Reincarnation (translated from Tibetan) by the Dalai Lama
Note that when the translation talks about "omniscient" there - it is not quite as Westerners understand it. It is more like "knowing everything that needs to be known in any situation you find yourself". Would be too much of a digression to go into that any more but it was one word on the page that stood out as one that Westerners are likely to misunderstand.
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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