He also gave his strongest hint so far that he believes Tibetans will discover another Dalai Lama after his death and that he expects the Chinese to come up with a rival. He said his reincarnation, the 15th, would be born to a Tibetan family outside China.
"We are still carrying on a struggle," he said. "Under those circumstances my reincarnation will logically be outside in a free country because the very purpose of the reincarnation is to fulfil the task started by the previous life."
In 1995 the Chinese authorities whisked away a six-year-old boy whom the Dalai Lama had identified as the Panchen Lama -- the second most powerful figure in Tibetan Buddhism. He has not been seen since, though Chinese officials insist he is in good health. They tried to install another boy as Panchen Lama.
The Dalai Lama said the Chinese might appoint a successor to him, "a young lucky boy," but Tibetans would reject him. "They will not respect him. He will not have any influence," he said.
He admitted that his death would be a "serious setback" for Tibetans and that things would be "a little chaotic for a few months."
But he pointed out that since the election of Tibet's first prime minister in exile two years ago, he was in a state of "semi-retirement."
"When I die that's permanent retirement," he added jokingly.
Concern over what might happen after the Dalai Lama's death was prompted by rumors last year that he had stomach cancer. He said he did not have cancer but admitted he had been seriously ill with pains in his intestine. He was now in good health, he said.
Earlier this summer he admitted that being Dalai Lama meant that he had "missed out" on sex. He said that while sex was undoubtedly pleasurable, it brought complications in the long run.
"Of course for a short moment people ... are very happy. But generally speaking I think [sex brings] too many ups and downs."
The Dalai Lama said he had avoided sexual desire by embarking on serious study of Buddhist texts from the age of 15 or 16 and by not eating solid food after lunch. Pointing to his groin he said: "So my instrument is useless. It has no purpose, no meaning."
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