The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, has said he thinks his traditional religious role should cease with his death rather than a "stupid" successor replace him and disgrace himself.
He told the BBC in an interview on Wednesday that the Tibetan people should decide whether to continue the spiritual line, which dates back to the 15th century.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the soul of a senior lama is traditionally believed to be reincarnated in the body of a child on his death. China says the tradition must continue and it must approve the next Dalai Lama.