The present 14th Dalai Lama has suggested different possibilities to identify the next (15th) Dalai Lama, but has not publicly specified the ritual qualifications and alleged mystical signs upon the method of rebirth would occur. On 5 February 1940, request to exempt Lhamo Thondup from lot-drawing Golden Urn process to become the 14th Dalai Lama was approved by the Central Government. The selection process remains controversial, as the atheist Chinese government has declared ownership on the selection process using the Golden Urn for the next Dalai Lama. After the Method of Reincarnation of Lamas (Chinese: 喇嘛轉世辦法) was abolished in 2004, the Religious Affairs Regulations () was published by the Central Government of China. Article 36 states that the process of reincarnation system must follow religious rituals and history custom, and approved by government. In 2007, Golden Urn was institutionalized in the State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5 (). Overview Following the Buddhist belief in the principle of rebirth, the Dalai Lama is believed by Buddhists to be able to choose the body into which he is reincarnated. That person, when found, will then become the next Dalai Lama. According to Buddhist scholars it is the responsibility of the High Lamas of the Gelugpa tradition and the Tibetan government to seek out and find the next Dalai Lama following the death of the incumbent. The process can take a long time. It took four years to find the 14th (current) Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. The search is generally limited to Tibet, although the current Dalai Lama has said that there is a chance that he will not be reborn, and that if he is, it would not be in a country under Chinese rule. To help them in their search, the High Lamas may have visions or dreams, and try to find signs. For example, if the previous Dalai Lama was cremated, they can watch the direction of the smoke to suggest where the rebirth will take place. When these signs have been interpreted and a successor found, there is a series of tests believed to ensure that they are the genuine reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. They assess the candidate against a set of criteria, and will present the child with various objects to see if they can identify those which belonged to the previous Dalai Lama. If a single candidate has been identified, the High Lamas will