In an interview with Presenter for Channel 4 News Cathy Newman, the 14th Dalai Lama states that he, “Would be pleased if his successor was female.

Q:I wanted to ask you first, Your Holiness, about guns and the Senate who has voted against President Obama’s extra gun control. In some ways the Senators are saying that they’re defending a fundamental freedom. Freedom is of course at the heart of Tibet’s struggle. Is there any sense in which you understand their argument about freedom?

His Holiness: Actually, it is not guns itself just open fire so first it is people. So really there needs to be some kind of gun control that must take this here (points to heart).

Q: So the gun itself is not the problem?

His Holiness: And then, of course freedom is extremely important. I think even other elements also love freedom. Some people try to control, they also show unhappiness. We have this power of the brain, and we have a lot of potential, creativity. So freedom is very very essential. But in the meantime, freedom does not mean you can carry out any act out of destructive emotions. No.

Q: You said not so long ago, that “I don’t believe peace will come through prayer. Peace must come through our actions.”

His Holiness: yes

Q: And indeed, there was a Tweet that went out from your account yesterday that made a similar point. But the actions of some Buddhists in recent times have sometimes been very bloody. I’m thinking of the attacks on the Muslims in Burma and Sri Lanka. Do you have no control over their actions there?

His Holiness: Of course, even I think I do all religious tradition. I think the supreme or teacher like Jesus Christ or Buddha they cannot control all human’s minds. (laughs)

Q: But isn’t that abdicating…

His Holiness: One wise friend, one scientist, many years ago in Argentina had a meeting. He was a physicist. He mentioned our meeting. He as a scientist thought that he should not develop an attachment towards his own scientific field. That means, I am Buddhist, I should not develop an attachment towards Buddhism. Now, this is the real point. If I am too much attached to my own faith, then your whole mental attitude becomes biased. With a biased mind you cannot see the other side’s view objectively. So I think some of those fundamentalists they only think of themselves, and do not think of the others well. So this is one of the things.
Then, another thing, I think in many cases some conflicts are in the name of religion. But in reality, it is economic or political differences. So then people use the name of religion.

Q: So what is the motivation of, for example, the Buddhist Monk Wirathu, who calls himself “the Burmese Bin Laden”? He has got tens of thousands of followers and he has been accused of stoking anti Muslim hatred. What is his motivation?

His Holiness: I don’t know. I have not had the opportunity to study it very thoroughly, so unless we know the situation fully, just to make a comment is like speculation. It’s not righteous.

Q: But you condemn him, presumably?

His Holiness: Of course he is wrong.

Q: Before we move onto more peaceful subjects, since you retired as political leader, there has been a wave of self immolations as you’re aware. You have in the past … praised the courage of these people who set fire to themselves. Some people might see that as somewhat irresponsible. How do you justify that?

His Holiness: Right from the beginning, I expressed in I think one BBC interview. Firstly I expressed my deep sadness. Then I express my doubt how much effect we can have from such drastic action. So I never gave encouragement.
In the meantime I also mentioned, from my side, I have nothing to offer them. If I have something that I can offer them, then I would say: you should do this, you should not do this.

Q: Let’s talk about the new Chinese leadership. You knew the new Chinese President Mr. Xi’s father. In fact I think you gave him a watch some time ago. Does that, the fact that you have some kind of tenuous relationship with the new leadership, does that give you hope that there may be some way forward.

His Holiness: That is difficult to say. The communist system is such that one or two individuals cannot manoeuvre independently. However, I always looked in a more holistic way. If people think, China and the Communist Party lasted over 60 years. You have Chairman Mao. I usually call them four era’s. You have Chairman Mao, whose emphasis is important for ideology. Then the Deng Xiaoping era whose emphasis is important for economy. Keep open. So I think a lot of changes have taken place since then. Then the Chancellors era, where the Communist Party is no longer the party of the working class people. But the party should represent working people. So these are the three ideas. Then the Hu Jintao era. Because of the economy’s development, you get rich and poor and the living standard in coastal areas and the interior places. And then certain rights, which in the past they took for granted. Therefore, Hu Jintao stressed the important of promoting a global harmony society.

So this shows the same authoritarian party, there is the possibility, add according new reality.

Now today, obviously, the world trend has a goal of more democracy, openness, transparent, rule of law. So China, no matter how powerful, is still part of the world. And China is everyday engaged with the outside world. So under that reality, so people from China have to go along with the world trend. That is my basic reason to be optimistic. Now, look, wait, and whether it is 6 months, or a year, or a few years, I think things will change. Society…. And then Hu Jintao’s slogan promoting harmonious society is absolutely right, it is very important. But harmony must come from friendship, trust, from the heart, from here (points to heart).

Q: When the Chinese took over there were no highways there was no railway.
Now 20km of highway, and an amazing railway. I mean in some ways life has improved there has it not?

His Holiness: That is true. I welcomed it when the Chancellor announced the construction of a railway link. I welcomed it. At that time some of my friends, some Tibetans, really had a negative attitude. But I openly welcomed them.

Q: So in some ways China has been good for the Tibetans

His Holiness: A lot of the constructions were very good. But we are human beings. As I mentioned earlier freedom is something very important. We are not animals.

Q: With the kind of progress we’ve been talking about has come materialism, and you blamed the 2008 financial crisis on greed. Just yesterday we had a banker here in Britain, Rich Ricci who quit, getting a multi-million pound pay off. What more do you think governments should be doing to tackle greed around the world?

His Holiness: I don’t know. I think government needs should take some time to study about human psychology, the human mind.

Q: Should governments be imposing maximum pay?

His Holiness: That I don’t know. An expert would know these things.

Q: Would you like to see that though?

His Holiness: I really don’t know. Money matters, the economy matters, my experience and my knowledge on this is zero.

Q: Finally, you retired as a political leader a couple of years ago. The Pope quit this year. Do you ever wish this was an option open to you at some point?

His Holiness: I became Dalai Lama not out of election. But someone recognise reincarnation

Q: You were discovered.

His Holiness: So as long as this body remains, I will remain the Dalai Lama.

Q: You were discovered at the age of two and were put on the throne at the age of four. When you were little did you ever wish you hadn’t been discovered?

His Holiness: When I was very young, when I did some studies, then sometimes I felt I should be an ordinary boy then I can play more and have more freedom. Then gradually I developed awareness, thinking more this is a good opportunity. And then eventually I really realised that monkhood, as a Buddhist monk, I think is very very healthful. You see to maintain peace of mind; a healthy body. I think one thing, a silly example maybe not important, but as a monk no dinner. So that is also very helpful, to reduce my weight!

Q: I will remember that tip!

His Holiness: You see some people complain that they are overweight, but are always taking something.

Q: I’m sure many women would like to do that. Final question. Do you think the next Dalai Lama could be a woman? Is that possible?

His Holiness: Possible. Many years ago in Paris, in I think a woman’s magazine, they interviewed me. The first time this question came. I answered yes. In Tibetan tradition there are amongst the high Lama some females. Not only today in modern times, but I think 600 years ago already there were highly respected female reincarnations there.

Q: Would it be a good thing if the next Dalai Lama was a woman? Would that be good in your view?

His Holiness: I think it’s good, because you see, biologically females have more potential to develop affection or love to others. More sense of console to others suffering. Some scientists have tested this. Two people, one male one female watching a movie of a person passing through painful experiences. Then even on the physical level the female was more sensitive with responses much stronger.
So therefore I am usually saying, now we are in the 21st century, not only is it about education, but also about education about warm heartedness. Also education is one part of this, here females have more potential so should take a more active role regarding the promotion of human compassion and human affection.

Q: I’m very pleased to hear that. Your Holiness, thank you very much.