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What does the future hold for Tibetan Buddhism?
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AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File
Although hundreds of adoring fans cheered the Dalai Lama as he left Denmark Sunday, the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan Buddhist followers have been dealt a painful blow by the young man who has been revered for over two decades as the reincarnation of Lama Yeshe. The 24-year-old Osel Hita Torres, known as Lama Tenzin Osel Rinpoche, has rejected the Tibetan Buddhist order that elevated him to godlike status when he was a toddler. He said, “They took me away from my family and stuck me in a medieval situation in which I suffered a great deal. It was like living a lie."
This is one of several serious challenges that the 73-year-old Dalai Lama has recently faced. In March, he was denied a visa to attend a peace conference in South Africa. About seven months ago, following gall bladder surgery, he described himself as “almost completely retired” and said that he had “given up” on China ever giving greater autonomy to Tibet. Last March, he struggled to stop the violence and rioting that broke out in Tibet, threatening to resign if the violence continued, and he continues to actively work to prevent violence from erupting again in the region.
What does the future hold for Tibetan Buddhism? One key question being asked is who the Dalai Lama’s successor might be. In November, the Dalai Lama hinted that he might choose a young girl as his successor, or he might ask Tibetans if they would like to abolish the role of a Dalai Lama altogether. Others speculate that he will choose the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, head of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, as his successor.
Whoever is chosen will have an intensely challenging role and a very tough act to follow.
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