Dalai Lama undergoes check-up at Delhi hospital, no confirmation on hospitalisation

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Tuesday underwent a check-up at a hospital in Delhi after some health complications, hospital sources said. The 83-year-old leader came down from Dharamshala for the check-up at the Max hospital in Delhi’s Saket, they said. "Yes, he underwent a check-up at the hospital. He generally visits Max facility for his check-ups," a source said. However, it could not be immediately confirmed if he was admitted to the hospital.

The Dalai Lama was in the national Capital for the past few days for attending a global learning conference that ended on April 6. He returned to Dharamshala from New Delhi Monday.

The 14th Dalai Lama had fled to India in early 1959 to escape from the Chinese occupation and lives in exile in the hill town of Dharamshala.

At the event, he had also spoken about his ageing body and reincarnation.

To a question on China's stand on the next Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader had said, "If I live for another 10-15 years, political situation in China will change. But if I die in the next few years, the Chinese government will show the reincarnation must happen in China."

Earlier, Beijing had rejected the Dalai Lama's assertions that his successor could be from India and a nominee by China would not be respected, saying the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has to be approved by the Communist government. China's response came after the 83-year-old Nobel peace laureate told a news agency that it was possible that once he dies his incarnation could be found in India and warned that any other successor named by China would not be respected.

"Reincarnation is the unique way of Tibetan Buddhism. It has fixed rituals and systems," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters when asked about remarks by the Dalai Lama, who fled to India from Tibet in 1959.

"The Chinese government has policy of freedom of religious belief. We have regulation on religious affairs and regulation on the reincarnation system in Tibetan Buddhism. We respect and protect such ways of Tibetan Buddhism," Geng said.

Dalai Lama is a title given to spiritual leaders of Tibetan people. This title is given to those who are considered among the most important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism. Born in 1935, the current Dalai Lama was identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor when he was just two years old.

"The reincarnation system has been there for hundreds of years. The 14th Dalai has also been recognised in the religious rituals and was approved by the central government. So the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should follow the national rules and regulations and the religious rituals," Geng said.