Dalai Lama hopes to live beyond 130, days after declaring plans to reincarnate
Dalai Lama
said he hopes to live beyond the age of 130, as thousands of followers gathered in India's Dharamshala to offer prayers ahead of his 90th birthday.
'I have been able to serve the Buddha dharma and the beings of
Tibet
so far quite well, and I hope to live over 130 years,' the Dalai Lama said Saturday during a long life ceremony organised by his followers.
The Tibetan spiritual leader, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has lived in exile in Dharamshala since. He has led efforts to keep the Tibetan cause alive and push for autonomy under Beijing's rule.
On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama made global headlines by confirming his intent to reincarnate, reviving a centuries-old tradition that allows the Tibetan spiritual head to choose the body into which he returns. His announcement ended years of speculation after earlier remarks had suggested he might be the last to hold the title.
The Dalai Lama emphasized that his successor would be found according to traditional Buddhist processes and that his own office would oversee the search, a statement seen as a direct message to Beijing, which has claimed it holds the sole authority to approve the next Dalai Lama.
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Tibetan Buddhist Phuntsko Tsering, based in Dharamshala, said the comments were meant to counter China's attempts to interfere in the succession process. 'What he is trying to do is signal China that it shouldn't meddle in the process of reincarnation,' Tsering said.
Meanwhile, celebrations are underway in Dharamshala, home to over 20,000 exiled Tibetans, as preparations intensify for the Dalai Lama's birthday on Sunday. Giant posters and billboards have been put up across the town, with followers and Buddhist leaders from around the world expected to attend.
Barbara Weibel, a US citizen and longtime follower of Buddhism, said, 'I want this long life ceremony to keep him alive as long as possible… I had to be here for this.'
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