Beijing has spoken loud and clear: the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama will be in China, and approved by the Chinese Communist Party. Tibet, however, has been silent. "That's just the way it is," the monk told us. "That's the reality."

The Dalai Lama has become one of the world’s most recognizable figures while leading a Tibetan diaspora through their struggle for autonomy and opposition of China’s control of Tibet. He has not named a successor, but he says they will be born in the “free world” — outside China.

Hollywood star Richard Gere threw his weight behind the Dalai Lama’s bold succession plan on Thursday, urging China to take heed as he declared the Tibetan struggle a cause for all humanity. “This extraordinary culture of Tibet doesn’t just belong to Tibet anymore.