In the history of Dalai Lamas, not all of them have been as open, gentle, compassionate, or understanding as the current one. Some have been quite materialistic.

We have been quite fortunate with the one we have now.

What do you think could happen when this one passes on? Do you think we will have a single, new one that everyone agrees on? Or do you think China and other nations will each promote their own version and we'll have a warring-rulers situation like many other religions have faced?

Could we be in a golden age right now with our Dalai Lama - one which will fade away when this one passes?

It makes me very sad to think what might happen when the current Dalai Lama leaves us. I believe the old ways will eventually fade away. With the disappearance of the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, there seems to be no hope of the old ways remaining.

With our current Dalai Lama it is very encouraging and inspiring just to see him. Being in the same room with him (as I have been told by one who has been there) is like being filled with radiant light and peace.

I do remember the Dalai Lama retired, yet his influence will forever remain with those who have been touched by his persona. My son is Buddhist and a teacher of Buddhism. It has greatly changed his life for the better. At my Mother's viewing the night before her funeral services, my son stood by her with his prayer beads and we all felt a wave of peaceful light and calmness as he prayed for his Grandmother. It was just beautiful.

Lisa, Unfortunately, I do think it is unlikely that a future Dalai Lama will have quite the influence this one does, as a spiritual leader. Phyllis mentioned he retired - he retired from his political position as leader of the Tibetan-government in exile, so that the Tibetans could elect someone that is recognized by foreign nations. He deliberately wanted to separate the governmental position from the religious position, but even that is complicated - he is from one of the four main branches of Buddhism, and they all recognize him, but each branch really runs its spiritual affairs separately - it isn't like the Pope, in terms of how he is the 'final say' in Catholic matters.

He has become popular because of his own personal spiritual realization and charisma, and his ability to speak and transmit this openly. When he passes, the Chinese will most definitely claim they have found his successor, and that will make it complicated for foreign nations to recognize any other successor. The Dalai Lama forsaw this, and this is why he separated himself from the governmental position, so that foreign leaders could recognize the elected leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile separately from the Dalai Lama position. Meanwhile, the search for the reincarnate Dalai Lama will take time.

So yes, this has been a unique period in history I think. This current Dalai Lama has done so much to bring Tibetan Buddhism to the world and to forge relationships between all the different branches of Buddhism, and other religions too (and science.) I am sure all of that will continue though, but it's unlikely it will have such a wonderful public face to it again.

To Lisa Low Carb,

It is my beleif ,that the death of the Dalai-Lama ,will bring
forth the total annihilation of the Tibetans.The Dalai-lama has
no spiritual successor named,which I beleive he should do.
The only reason the remaining Tibetans are still alive.is money!
At one point they had destroyed 3500 temples(chinese).They rebuilt a fiew for tourism only.In 1972 a British survey was done and already 1,500,000 tibetans had been killed or disappeared.I am a member of FREE TIBET,even if this is not my lineage.Presently,someone caught with a picture of the Dalai-Lama ,will disappear, shot or in prison for life.

The young Tibetans that were born out of Tibet ,do not have the same strength of beleifs that the living people in Tibet have. This will not help either.

A simple buddhist named
loong

Dear Francine -

I do think he was very wise to split apart the political Tibet issue from his religious issue, and we've talked about that in many different forum areas. That was wonderful! I feel strongly that each country's religious directions should be separate from the government directions.

So I feel he gets great praise for taking that step. I think every country should have a political area, open to all, and then a variety of religious areas, open to whoever chooses to explore them.

Dear Phyllis -

I do agree that the current Dalai Lama is a very special person.

It is wonderful that your son has been able to reach such a calm and centered stage of life, and to share it with others. That must have been a stunning evening.

Dear Lisa -

You bring up many great points.

One is that the search will take time - and even when they find someone he (or she!) will be a young child. It will be many years one assumes before the child has the vocabulary and self-determination to reach the state the current man is in. So we adults who appreciate the current stream of support could have to wait 20 or more years before we have that again.

Also, it is fairly unusual for a person in one religion to be so embracing of all other religions. So there is no guarantee that whoever is chosen for the next version will have that same inclusive attitude.

Dear Loong -

I am slightly more optimistic than expecting total destruction, but it is fairly upsetting that in our modern day and age that any sort of destruction at all could be taking place - and clearly it has been. We think the horrors of the Jewish annihilation of World War II is long in our past - and yet we turn a fairly blind eye to some fairly horrific destruction in our current days.

Why do we do it as a culture? We would be horrified if 1,000 people were slaughtered in Chicago. And yet we are fairly placid when it happens in central Africa or in Tibet. Do we think of those places as "strange exotic locations" where normal rules of concern do not apply?