CHINA-TIBET: DALAI LAMA
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The Dalai Lama told the German newspaper 'Welt am Sonntag' in Hamburg on September 8, 2014, that "the institution of the Dalai Lama has served its purpose". He said "We had a Dalai Lama for almost five centuries. The 14th Dalai Lama now is very popular. Let us then finish with a popular Dalai Lama. If a weak Dalai Lama comes along, then it will just disgrace the Dalai Lama." He added that "Tibetan Buddhism is not dependent on one individual. We have a very good organisational structure with highly trained monks and scholars." Asked how much longer he may carry on his duties, the 79-year-old Dalai Lama said: "The doctors say I could become 100 years old. But in my dreams I will die at the age of 113 years. I hope and pray that I may return to this world as long as sentient beings' suffering remains. I mean not in the same body, but with the same spirit and the same soul."
On the question of whether he may ever be able to return to Tibet, he said: "Yes, I am sure of that. China can no longer isolate itself, it must follow the global trend towards a democratic society."
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