NEW DELHI: During his recent visit to Ladakh, the Dalai Lama said that India provides a “free and flourishing environment” for the study of Buddhism’s most profound philosophical teachings, while also highlighting the lack of religious freedom in China, ANI reported, quoting a statement from the Dalai Lama Office.“The precious traditions that we can learn and implement in daily life have declined in Tibet. Those who fled to India have had the responsibility of preserving these traditions,” he said, as cited by ANI.Reflecting on his exile from Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama expressed deep gratitude to the Indian government for its “immense support” and “tremendous assistance” to Tibetan refugees. He noted that this support made it possible to revive monastic universities and continue the practice of rigorous scholarly debate central to Buddhist philosophy.Drawing a clear contrast between India and China, the Dalai Lama criticised China’s political control over religion, stating that such an environment hinders genuine spiritual growth.“Unlike China, where religious freedom is severely restricted and political control undermines genuine spiritual teaching, India offers a free and flourishing environment for the study of Buddhism’s deepest philosophical texts, including the Middle Way (Madhyamaka) and logic (Pramana) from the ancient Nalanda tradition. In China, the political situation is not stable, I feel it would be difficult to teach about Buddhism in a country where there is no freedom,” he said as cited by ANI.He further praised India’s vibrant monastic institutions, where Tibetan Buddhism’s rich tradition of dialectical debate and academic rigor continues to thrive. Students, he said, actively engage in philosophical discussions that foster both insight and compassion.The Dalai Lama also pointed to the shared language, culture, and Buddhist heritage of the Himalayan region and Tibet, noting that Indian institutions play a key role in preserving and spreading the authentic Dharma.This statement comes amid ongoing discussions between India and China regarding the Dalai Lama’s successor.The Dalai Lama recently outlined his succession plan, declaring that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit institution he established, holds the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation.China, however, rejected the Tibetan spiritual leader’s proposal. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that the selection must go through a process approved by Beijing.In response to China’s position, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, a practising Buddhist, emphasised that the decision lies solely with the Dalai Lama and traditional Buddhist customs.Speaking at birthday eve celebrations for the Tibetan spiritual leader in Dharamshala on July 5, Rijiju said, “Dalai Lama institution is purely religious and government of India believes there should be no interference in religious matters… I would like to wish His Holiness a long life… All his devotees desire to see him healthy so that the global community can benefit from his wisdom… I don’t want to react on the Chinese statement, but we leave everything to His Holiness.”