The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader has said he realises that like all man-made institutions, the Dalai Lama institution will also cease to exist and that he may very well be the last one to hold the title.
In an interview with the BBC, the Dalai Lama revealed that he would rather see his spiritual line end after his death rather than a "stupid" successor replace him and disgrace the tradition.
"There is no guarantee that some stupid Dalai Lama won't come next, who will disgrace himself or herself. That would be very sad. So, much better that a centuries-old tradition should cease at the time of a quite popular Dalai Lama."
According to Buddhism, the next Dalai Lama is born when the current one dies. However, whether another Dalai Lama came after him would solely depend on the circumstances after his death and the mindset of the Tibetan people, said the 79-year-old spiritual leader.
The Dalai Lama, who is viewed as a "splittist" by Beijing, had fled to India in 1959 soon after an attempted uprising in Tibet was crushed by Chinese troops. He currently, seeks autonomy for Tibet and not complete independence ― a "middle way" agreement with the Chinese government.
By handing over all political responsibilities in 2011 to Lobsang Sangay, the elected leader of the Tibetan government in exile, the Dalai Lama excused anyone holding the title in the future, from having to dabble in the matters of the state.
Many speculated that the move was the spiritual leader's way of ensuring that the Tibetan community would always have an elected leader in place outside the control of China.
Tibetan Buddhism's most important figure after the Dalai Lama is the Panchen Lama, whose choice will determine the next Dalai Lama.
