Skip to contentSkip to site index new video loaded: Why the Dalai Lama’s Succession Is Complicated Why the Dalai Lama’s Succession Is Complicated By Mujib Mashal, Atul Loke, Christina Thornell, Nikolay Nikolov and James Surdam•July 6, 2025 Just before the Dalai Lama turned 90, he announced that his successor would be selected through the traditional process of reincarnation. Mujib Mashal, The New York Times’s South Asia bureau chief, explains why this process could increase tensions with China. Behind the Reporting Recent Episodes NOW PLAYING Why the Dalai Lama’s Succession Is Complicated U.S. Leaves Vietnam’s War Dead Unidentified Who Loses in the Republican Policy Bill? Sean Combs Acquitted of Sex Trafficking but Found Guilty on Lesser Charges What the Supreme Court’s Birthright Ruling Means for Trump’s Power Why Trump Had So Many Supreme Court Wins How Tariffs Are Affecting Wedding Dress Prices The Story Behind Brazil’s Viral Beatboxing Nuns L.A. Could Have Enough Water ... If It Has The Will Our Best Movies of the 21st Century List What’s the Future of This Car Feature That ‘Everyone Hates’? The Volunteer Groups Preparing for a Post-FEMA World How Zohran Mamdani Says He Did It How Iran Became Isolated The Challenge of Rebuilding Syria What We Learned About Trump’s Attack on Iran Were the U.S.A.I.D. Cuts ‘Efficient?’ Trump’s Risky Gamble on Attacking Iran The Next Generation of Weight Loss Drugs Is Coming The Efforts to Erase Black History Why ‘Jaws’ Would Never Be Made Today How the Supreme Court’s Transgender Ruling Reveals a Shift How the L.A. Port got hit by Trump’s Tariffs What Happens if Vaccines Aren’t Recommended? Recent episodes in Behind the Reporting NOW PLAYING Why the Dalai Lama’s Succession Is Complicated U.S. Leaves Vietnam’s War Dead Unidentified Who Loses in the Republican Policy Bill? Sean Combs Acquitted of Sex Trafficking but Found Guilty on Lesser Charges What the Supreme Court’s Birthright Ruling Means for Trump’s Power Why Trump Had So Many Supreme Court Wins How Tariffs Are Affecting Wedding Dress Prices The Story Behind Brazil’s Viral Beatboxing Nuns L.A. Could Have Enough Water ... If It Has The Will Our Best Movies of the 21st Century List What’s the Future of This Car Feature That ‘Everyone Hates’? The Volunteer Groups Preparing for a Post-FEMA World Show more videos from Behind the Reporting Latest Video Hong Kong Protests 2020 Elections Most-Viewed Visual Investigations The Dispatch Diary of a Song How We Got Here AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT Site Information Navigation © 2025 The New York Times Company Accessibility Work with us T Brand Studio Your Ad Choices Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Sale International Subscriptions Manage Privacy Preferences