Concerns Mount Over Succession Of Dalai Lama In Tibet

In this photo shared by the Office of the Dalai Lama, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, left, is greeted by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, at the Tibetan leader's residence in Dharamshala, Ind

In a monastery nestled beneath the snow-capped mountains of northern India, the Nechung, the Medium of Tibet's Chief State Oracle, is pondering the future of the Dalai Lama and the implications of China's insistence on choosing his successor as Tibet's spiritual leader.

Tibetan Buddhists believe in the reincarnation of learned monastics, with the current Dalai Lama turning 89 and contemplating his succession plans. The Dalai Lama, known for his global influence and advocacy for Tibetan autonomy, is currently recovering from a medical procedure in the United States.