<h5>Who is the Dalai Lama?</h5><p>The Dalai Lama is the leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is a branch of Buddhism that originated in Tibet around 1,400 years ago. Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama is the god of compassion who comes to Earth to help humanity.</p><p>Tibetan Buddhists believe in reincarnation. It is the idea that a person's soul is reborn in a new body after death. So, they believe that each Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of the first Dalai Lama, who died in 1475. Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama, is the 14th Dalai Lama (yep! - Dalai Lama is the title given to a person).</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/dalai-lama-names-new-buddhist-spiritual-leader%2Fdalai-lama-giving-buddha-statue-to-new-monks.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=eec47f95-abf1-43af-875e-26ba49502928"><figcaption><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The current Dalai Lama giving a statue of the Buddha to a monk. Photo by Office of Dalai Lama.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>He was given this title before his fifth birthday. After growing up, he took control of Tibet's government in 1950. Until 1959, the Dalai Lama was also regarded as Tibet's ruler. Later, when China invaded Tibet, he and some of his supporters escaped to India. Here they started living in the mountains.</p><p>Today, the Dalai Lama travels across the world to promote peace. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent efforts to end Chinese control of Tibet. Recently, the Dalai Lama declared a Mongolian child born in the United States to be the reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhism's third most important spiritual leader.</p><h5>Who is this child?</h5><p>The eight-year-old child was photographed with the Dalai Lama during a ceremony in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. Dharamshala is also the current residence of the Dalai Lama. Dalai Lama declared the boy was the reincarnation of Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoché.</p><p>Rinpoché is this community's third most important spiritual leader. The boy is said to be the 10th reincarnation of this spiritual leader. The previous Rinpoché had died in 2012. On a visit to Mongolia in 2016, the Dalai Lama said that the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoché had been reincarnated in Mongolia.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/dalai-lama-names-new-buddhist-spiritual-leader%2Freincarnation-of-khalkha-jetsun-dhampa-rinpoche%CC%81-of-mongolia-doing-a-ceremony-with-dalai-lama.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=e594718c-e12f-4b32-86d2-641029ecee81"><figcaption><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The boy who was declared as the reincarnation of Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoché with the Dalai Lama. Photo by Office of Dalai Lama.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>According to the media, the child is one of the twin boys named Aguidai and Achiltai Altannar. They are the sons of a maths professor and an executive. The child’s grandmother is a former Mongolian Parliament member. When word came that the child had been named the reincarnation, celebrations started in Mongolia. This news is likely to make China uncomfortable. &nbsp;</p><h5>Why will China be uncomfortable with this news?</h5><p>China has a long-standing hostility against the Dalai Lama because he opposes Chinese control of Tibet. In the past, the Chinese government has said that it will only recognise Buddhist leaders appointed by it. So, Dalai Lama’s declaration will not be accepted by China. One such incident happened years ago.</p><p>In 1995, the Dalai Lama appointed a new Panchen Lama. He is the second most important Buddhist leader. But, Chinese authorities arrested him and replaced him with their own candidate.</p><p>So, all we can do now is to wait and watch how China reacts to the recent news.</p>

Tibetan Buddhists believe their spiritual leaders reincarnate after death.

Dalai Lama Names New Buddhist Spiritual Leader

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