The New York Times

Wednesday, July 6, 1999

Dalai Lama Discusses His Rebirth

By The Associated Press

NEW DELHI, India (AP) -- The Dalai Lama used the occasion of his 64th birthday on Tuesday to anounce he will not be reincarnated in Tibet, but in a free country outside Chinese control, an Indian news agency reported.

``The purpose of a reincarnation is to carry (on) the work started by the previous life which remains unfulfilled,'' the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, was quoted as telling Press Trust of India.

Tibetan Buddhists believe people are reborn if they die leaving a task or dream unfulfilled.

The Dalai Lama, who won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, fled Tibet in 1959 with 100,000 followers during a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He lives in a Tibetan Buddhist community in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala and advocates autonomy for his homeland.

He also said that it was possible his successor would be chosen in a nontraditional manner, by voting among senior priests or by seniority. Traditionally, a committee of high-ranking monks search for a replacement.