Clever Dalai Lama

"Clever Hans" was a stage horse that could supposedly answer arithmetic questions by tapping its hooves, until it was found that it could not do so if it could not see its master's expression. What this actually said about the horse was that it had a very strong sense of empathy, and this is after all what horses are bred for.

The same must have happened with the 14th Dalai Lama when he was asked what items of the late 13th Dalai Lama "belonged to him". What this says about him is that he had the ability to understand what others desired of him, the desire to fulfil their desire, and the authority to claim something as his. This isn't a bad combination of characteristics for a spiritual leader, and it's probably why the custom has survived as long as it has.