Citing Golden Urn rule, Beijing says its approval must; Tibetans call it lie-OxBig News Network

China on Wednesday rejected the Dalai Lama’s succession plan, insisting that any future heir must receive its approval, in what has added a new chapter to Tibetan Buddhism’s decades-long struggle with the China’s ruling Communist Party.

Beijing was responding to the Dalai Lama’s announcement that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise the future reincarnation.

At a media briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the traditional Golden Urn process must be followed for the reincarnation. Ning said the Golden Urn system was incorporated in 2007 into China’s official regulations, along with a clause explicitly banning interference by overseas individuals and parties.

In New Delhi, Dhundup Gyalpo, Secretary of the Bureau of the Dalai Lama, countered China in post on X, calling Ning’s statement as “lies and Chinese propaganda”. He said Golden Urn was a system of drawing lots and a distorted version of the traditional Tibetan dough-ball divination method, historically used when doubts arose or multiple candidates emerged. However, if there were clear written instructions, signs or visions pointing to a specific candidate, divination wasn’t necessary, Gyalpo said.

The Golden Urn process traces back to the Tibet-Gurkha conflict (1791–93) when Tibet sought Manchu military support. After expelling the Gurkhas, Manchu officials proposed several suggestions to enhance Tibetan governance, including the use of Golden Urn to select the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation.

Although drawing lots from the Golden Urn bore some resemblance to the traditional dough-ball divination method, it was never widely adopted. It was used only once as a symbolic gesture in the selection of the 11th Dalai Lama, said Gyalpo.