Gaden Phodrang Trust

On 2nd July, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, announced that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue, and that the Gaden Phodrang Trust will be the sole authority to recognize the reincarnation of the future Dalai Lama. 

About Gaden Phodrang Trust

• Established: In 2011. 
• Location: Based in Dharamshala (at the Dalai Lama’s official office). 
• Leadership: The trust is headed by the Dalai Lama himself, along with a few close spiritual associates. 
• Managed by: Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, a senior monk and trusted confidant of the Dalai Lama. 

Meaning of Gaden Phodrang:

The term refers to the residential quarters of the Dalai Lama lineage, starting from the second Dalai Lama at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa.

• After the Potala Palace was built under the order of the 5th Dalai Lama, the seat of residence shifted there during winters, and to Norbulingka (built by the 7th Dalai Lama) during summers.
• This tradition continued until March 1959, when the 14th Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to India.

Three Registered Institutions Associated with the Dalai Lama:

1. Gaden Phodrang Trust – Registered in India
2. The Dalai Lama Trust – A non-profit organization
3. Gaden Phodrang Foundation – Registered in Zurich, Switzerland. 

Gaden Phodrang Foundation

• A tax-exempt Swiss non-profit organization registered in Zurich and regulated by the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs. 
• Funded through charitable contributions from the founder and the public. 
• The Dalai Lama is the founder and president, while Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa (India), Kelsang Gyaltsen (Switzerland), and Jamphel Lhundup (India) serve as vice presidents

Objectives:

• To preserve and support the Dalai Lama’s tradition and institution
• Promote core human values, interfaith understanding, peace and non-violence, and environmental protection
• Preserve Tibetan culture and support Tibetan people
• Provide assistance to the needy, regardless of nationality or religion
• Promote understanding between science and religion
• Support access to Buddhist philosophy and science, and fund translations and publications

The Dalai Lama Trust

• A non-profit charitable organization founded by the 14th Dalai Lama in 2009
• Headquartered in New Delhi, but operates internationally through partnerships

Aims of the Trust:

• Support the welfare of Tibetan people
• Promote human values, inter-religious harmony, and world peace – core missions of the Dalai Lama
• Provide support to Tibetan students and scholars
• Fund schools and academic institutions, especially those preserving Tibetan language and culture
• Promote secular ethics and compassion through global programs and initiatives