The Dalai Lama, winding up his three-day visit here by leading prayers at the newly-opened Tibetan cultural centre, did not rule out a female successor.
The purpose of the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation is to serve the Buddha, the 14th Dalai Lama told a weekend audience of over 15,000 at Rogers Centre here. “If a female reincarnation is more useful — why not?” he retorted when asked if the next Dalai Lama could be a woman.
In his typical jovial style, he explained two advantages of having a female Dalai Lama. The first, he said, is that women are “biologically more sensitive about others’ pain” than men.
The other advantage, he said amid peals of laughter, is that a woman Dalai Lama would be “a lot more attractive” than him.
The Tibetan spiritual head said he was now looking towards retirement after his long innings. —IANS