Exclusive interview/ Shartse Khensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden, secretary general, International Buddhist Confederation
Born in Himachal Pradesh in 1966, Shartse Khensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden is a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and current secretary general of the International Buddhist Confederation. A top graduate of Gaden Shartse Norling Monastery and Gyuto Tantric University, he has taught across the world and has played a crucial role in promoting Buddhist diplomacy. Excerpts from an interview:
Q. The Dalai Lama has lived in India for decades now. What does his presence mean for India’s legacy?
A. His Holiness often says, “I am a son of India; as far as my body is concerned, it has survived on Indian dal and roti for more than 60 years, and as for my mind, it is fully and deeply influenced by the thoughts of famous Indian thinkers such as Nagarjuna and other Nalanda masters. Indians are our gurus and we Tibetans are their chelas (disciples). I think we can claim to be deeply loyal disciples.”
His four commitments include the promotion of Buddhism and ancient Indian wisdom that strengthens India’s legacy as vishwaguru (teacher of the world).
Q. There is a lot of global interest in Buddhism today, especially in the west and in Southeast Asia. How is India engaging with that?
A. India’s active engagements on multiple fronts are helping strengthen bilateral, cultural and religious ties. For instance, during the recent exposition of the holy relic from Sarnath in Vietnam (May 2 to June 2, 2025), more than 17 million Vietnamese people paid their respect in nine cities.
Q. Has India done enough to highlight its Buddhist heritage within the country?
A. Few Union governments have taken Buddhism seriously or did much to highlight our ancient heritage. Much more could have been done. For instance, the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodh Gaya—the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage place—could have been developed like Ayodhya or Kashi Vishwanath. Buddhism continues to be seen as a “minority” faith. The Buddhist monastic (gompa) education, once a beacon of knowledge, is either ignored or sidelined. People praise Nalanda, but rarely support reviving its actual curriculum and traditions.
Q. When we refer to ‘Buddhist diplomacy’, what does that mean in real terms?
A. I am not an expert in diplomacy, but I think it simply means the art of building relationships. Countries use all assets to build influence, and Buddhism is a powerful cultural and spiritual tool for this. In my view, it’s not about politics—it’s about culture and heritage.
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Q. China is leveraging Buddhism as a tool of soft power. How successful have these efforts been?
A. I don’t think they’ve achieved much. Sometimes, they appear to copy our initiatives. For example, after our successful relic tour in 2024, China quickly organised a relic tour in Thailand.
Q. China is staking claim on Tibetan medicine, like Sowa Rigpa, and imposing Chinese language in Tibet. Is that a concern?
A. It is a serious concern. Sowa Rigpa is a shared Himalayan wisdom preserved for centuries. China has no copyright on it. Instead of claiming ownership, they should focus on preserving and promoting it—especially in Tibetan, the only language that holds the full body of Sowa Rigpa literature.