raditionally, The Dalai Lamas of Tibet have been men, but when the current Dalai Lama was asked if he would be pleased if his successor was a woman, he responded "Yes" without hesitation. The successor is chosen when a child, born at approximately the time of the current Dalai Lama's death, is "recognized" as the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama -- theoretically this child could indeed be male or female.
When asked the same question in 2008, he had replied enthusiastically: “It’s possible! . . . Logically, the very purpose of reincarnation is service to the Buddha Dharma, and in terms of the people, if circumstances are such that [a] female body would be more useful in that field, then why not?"
In a more recent interview The Dalai Lama stated "...now we are [in the] 21st century…female[s] have more potential so should take [a] more active role regarding [the] promotion of human compassion."
Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, senior lecturer and director of the Emory-Tibet Partnership has gone on the record as saying: “From the philosophical perspective, Buddhism acknowledges the equality of men and women, and therefore there is no reason a highly evolved being like the Dalai Lama could not be born as female.” He also explained that in previous centuries, greater importance was placed on “rationality and physical force.” But now in this new era, “greater importance is being placed on love and compassion as the means for humanity to survive,” and consequently, women are assuming greater prominence.
Since the current Dalai Lama has been known to say that he will live a very long life, and we wish him a long and healthy one, then a female Dalai Lama may not be in the very near future for Tibet and for the world. But maybe the children of today will be able to listen to words of wisdom from a "Her Holiness The Dalai Lama" in their lifetime.
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