TIBET – 

The 14th Dalai Lama has told followers that he is considering early reincarnation. His motivation, he says, is that he just wants to be a kid again. He looked back fondly on his early days before he was identified as the successor to the 13th Dalai Lama.

“I was just over two when they came for me, and I know they say that you don’t remember anything before the age of three, but technically I’m way older,” he said. “It’s hard to be a Lama, especially one of the Dalai kind, and the idyllic days of lazing in the grass, with sand tickling my naked bottom – it’s hard to recapture them. When I do that now, I have to pretend it’s for spiritual reasons.”

Mr Lama also spoke about his tense relations with China, due to his former alliance with the Tibetan Liberation Movement.

“I want to be friends with them, not enemies. And it makes me sad that they stop me being friends with other autonomous nations.”

The Dalai Lama has been refused entry into South Africa on numerous occasions, as they do not want to compromise relations with China.

“I wanted to visit my old friend, [Archbishop] Desmond Tutu. But they wouldn’t let me go to his birthday bash. Has anyone ever stopped a toddler from attending birthday parties because of international relations concerns? No. Here’s to being a baby.”