Dalai Lama says he'll have a successor, after all — meaning he'd be reincarnated

Dharamshala, India — The Dalai Lama said Wednesday that the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue after his death, ending years of speculation that started when he indicated he might be the last person to hold the role. His having a successor would mean he would be reincarnated.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism said at prayer celebrations ahead of his upcoming 90th birthday that the next Dalai Lama should be found and recognized as per past Buddhist traditions, while signaling that China should stay away from the process of identifying his successor.

The Dalai Lama's succession plan is politically consequential for most Tibetans who oppose China's tight control of Tibet and have struggled to keep their identity alive, in their homeland or in exile. It is also profound for Tibetan Buddhists who worship him as a living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion.