The Dalai Lama says the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue when he dies, ending speculation that he might be the last to hold the role.

Ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism said the next Dalai Lama should be found and recognised in keeping with Buddhist traditions.

He also said China should stay away from the process of identifying his successor, a statement expected to anger China, which has repeatedly said that it alone has the authority to approve the next religious leader.

It insists the successor must be found in China’s Tibetan areas, giving communist authorities power over who is chosen.

The Dalai Lama’s succession plan is politically consequential for most Tibetans who oppose Beijing’s tight control of Tibet and have struggled to keep their identity alive, in their homeland or exile.

It is also profound for Tibetan Buddhists who worship him as a living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion.

China believes they have the right to choose the Dalai Lama (Picture: AFP)

Many observers believe there eventually will be rival Dalai Lamas – one appointed by Beijing, and one by senior monks loyal to the current Dalai Lama.

Here’s all you need to know.

Who is the current Dalai Lama?

Tenzin Gyatso became the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940.

He fled Tibet when Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959 and has since been living in exile in the Indian town of Dharamshala.

The Dalai Lama has often urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing.

The self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile he once headed before relinquishing his political role in 2011, supports this stance.

How is the Dalai Lama chosen?

The current Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday this weekend (Picture: AP)

Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama can choose the body into which he is reincarnated.

The current Dalai Lama has said in the past that his successor will be born outside China.

The process of finding and recognising his reincarnation lies solely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust – an organisation founded by him in 2015.

It took four years to find the current Dalai Lama, the 14th incarnation, Tensin Gyatso.

Past tradition has meant the Dalai Lama is chosen by senior monks, who search for a child believed to be the Dalai Lama reincarnated.

To start the search, High Lamas may have a vision or a dream. If the previous Dalai Lama was cremated, they watched the direction of the smoke to indicate the direction of rebirth.

The group often meditates at central Tibet’s holy lake, Lhamo La-Tso and waits for a vision or indication of the direction in which to search.

Once the search finds the boy, there are a series of tests to ensure that he is the reincarnation.

If this is confirmed, the High Lamas confirm their findings with eminent religious leaders and then inform the Government.

The boy and his family are taken to Lhasa, where the boy will study Buddhism and relearn knowledge accumulated in previous lives.