India, July 3 -- Choosing the next Dalai Lama

Fourteen years after the Dalai Lama said he would decide on the issue of his succession by the time of his 90th birthday in 2025, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists has made it clear that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue after his death and that a trust founded by him will be the only authority to recognise his reincarnation. The announcement drew a predictable response from China, which sees the lama revered by millions around the world as a "separatist", with Beijing claiming that the Dalai Lama's successor will be selected by choosing a name from a "golden urn" and that the chosen person will have to be endorsed by the Chinese government. The problem here is that lead...