The Dalai Lama, a significant figure in Tibetan Buddhism, symbolises compassion and wisdom. Living in exile since 1959, his role has shifted from political power to spiritual leadership within the Gelug school of Buddhism.

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 Dalai Lama has announced that he will have a successor after his death, continuing a centuries-old tradition that has become a flashpoint in the struggle with China’s Communist Party over Tibet’s future.