As Dalai Lama Approaches 90, Tibetans Weigh Future

The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, in New Delhi in 1989. Tenzin Gyatso will turn 90 in July 2025 (Credit: AFP)

When the Dalai Lama turns 90 in July, the Buddhist monk, who for many exiled Tibetans personifies dreams of a free homeland, will ask if they want a successor.

For the charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader, his landmark birthday will be a time to encourage people to plan for an eventual future without him and address whether there will be another Dalai Lama.