The Dalai Lama has announced that he intends to reincarnate, paving the way for a successor to take on a mantle stretching back 500 years after his death

The statement puts to rest speculation that the Dalai Lama may be the last of Tibet's spiritual leaders, ending a line that stretches back centuries.

The Dalai Lama’s succession plan is politically consequential for most Tibetans who oppose China’s tight control of Tibet and have struggled to keep their identity alive, in their homeland or in exile. It is also profound for Tibetan Buddhists who worship him as a living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion.