Dalai Lama's message ahead of 90th birthday: ‘Important to work for…'
The statement comes as celebrations are underway in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, ahead of the 90th birthday of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama said he is a "simple Buddhist monk" and doesn't engage in birthday celebrations.
Also Read: On eve of 90th birthday, Dalai Lama hopes to live till 130 years
"On the occasion of my 90th birthday, I understand that well-wishers and friends in many places, including Tibetan communities, are gathering for celebrations. I particularly appreciate the fact that many of you are using the occasion to engage in initiatives that highlight the importance of compassion, warm-heartedness, and altruism," the Dalai Lama said in a post on X.
"I am just a simple Buddhist monk; I don't normally engage in birthday celebrations. However, since you are organizing events focused on my birthday I wish to share some thoughts. While it is important to work for material development, it is vital to focus on achieving peace of mind through cultivating a good heart and by being compassionate, not just toward near and dear ones, but toward everyone," he added.
He also said he will continue to promote human values and religious harmony, adding that he will continue to dispel the miseries of the world.
Also Read: Only Dalai Lama can decide on his incarnation: India snubs China
"As for myself, I will continue to focus on my commitments of promoting human values, religious harmony, drawing attention to the ancient Indian wisdom which explains the workings of mind and emotions, and Tibetan culture and heritage, which has so much potential to contribute to the world through its emphasis on peace of mind and compassion," he added.
The statement comes days after Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, recently announced that the 600-year-old institution a spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists would continue and that the successor would be chosen outside of China.
He also asserted that a non-profit trust created by him in 2015 will be the sole authority to recognise his reincarnation, drawing a sharp condemnation from China.
Earlier in the day, the 89-year-old Tibetan leader said he hoped to live until he is over 130 years old.
"So far, I have done my best and with the continued blessings of Avalokiteshvara (a Buddhist spiritual protector), I hope to live another 30 or 40 years, continuing to serve sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma," the Dalai Lama said while addressing his followers at a prayer ceremony for his long life.
Dalai Lama has been in the Himalayan town ever since 1959 when he fled Tibet in the wake of a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
Since then, he has sustained Tibet's aspirations for greater autonomy under Chinese Communist Party rule and mobilised Tibetans inside and outside China.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
5 minutes ago
- India Today
Voter rolls revision is legal, moral and essential. So, what's the problem?
Demography is destiny, and dozens of districts in India have already seen their destiny being shaped by those who aren't Indians. It is through elections that a nation shapes its politics and policy, and it is only fair that only genuine citizens get to decide on the course the country takes. For this, intensive scrutiny of electoral rolls, from time to time, is a 326 of the Constitution ensures every Indian above the age of 18 shall be entitled to be registered as a voter, but the fundamental precondition is that the person has to be an Indian citizen. The Election Commission (EC) says it "has a constitutional obligation to ensure that only persons who are citizens" get to ensure that, the EC needs to conduct intensive revisions of electoral rolls at regular the recent political fireworks were sparked by the EC's announcement that it was starting a special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in intensive revision of electoral rolls is planned as a pan-India exercise and starts with Bihar, the state to go to the polls July 3, 11 INDIA bloc parties met Election Commission (EC) officials and raised concerns over the timing of the exercise. They alleged that over two crore voters of Bihar might get disenfranchised because they won't be able to provide the documents sought by the July 06, the EC made it clear that while voters were required to "submit their documents anytime before July 25, 2025", those who failed to do so would get an opportunity "during the claims and objections period". The enumeration form has to be submitted to the Booth Level Officer (BLO).The EC said in a statement on July 6 that 77,895 BLOs were involved in the house-to-house exercise, helping voters fill out enumeration forms, and collecting them.A revision of electoral rolls is an essential, legal and moral exercise, and was last conducted 20 years ago. Since then, only summary revision of electoral rolls has taken place. Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, also states that only Indian citizens are entitled to be registered on the electoral roll. (PTI Image for representation) With the special intensive revison, the EC intends to hold rigorous door-to-door surveys and weed out illegal immigrants who might have surreptitiously sneaked in into the voters' has 20 million Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, Kiren Rijiju, then junior Home Minister, told Parliament in SPECIAL INTENSIVE REVISION OF ELECTORAL ROLLS MATTERS FOR BIHARBihar, other than states like Assam, West Bengal and Jharkhand, is reported to have witnessed large-scale illegal immigration, especially from of Bihar, especially the Seemanchal region -- adjoining Bengal and Nepal -- are said to have seen an asymmetric growth in population. The region with four districts is not far from the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck, where Bangladesh territory juts in."The [Seemanchal] region, which is also considered the most backward in Bihar, has a 47% Muslim population as against Bihar's state-wide average of 17%," according to a 2020 National Herald demography of Seemanchal districts like Kishanganj, Araria, Katihar and Purnea has enabled Bangladeshis to blend in is ironic is that the name Seemanchal itself reveals the change. The region was regarded as part of the larger Kosi-Mithila belt, and experts opine that the new nomenclature is a calculated move to create a sub-regional region contributes 24 seats to Bihar's 243-member has 7.9 crore voters and will likely hold election later. Currently, the BJP-led NDA is in power in the state, with JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar the chief minister. Purnia MP Pappu Yadav speaking during a conference in Patna, on June 29. The Independent Lok Sabha MP, who supports the Opposition INDIA bloc in the lower house, declared a 'Bihar Bandh' on July 9 against the SIR drive of the Election Commission. (PTI Image) LIST OF 11 DOCUMENTS, 2003 VOTER ROLLS FOR VERIFICATIONThe last intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar was conducted in 2003, over two decades EC, in a statement issued on June 24, cited reasons like rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants for the revision of Bihar, the poll body is conducting a door-to-door exercise, which began on June 25 and will continue till September 30, to collect enumeration forms to verify genuine the 7.9 crore voters in Bihar, around 5 crore were in the January 1, 2003, last scrutinised list and only need to submit an extract from that roll. The remaining 2.9 crore voters must produce at least one document from a list of 11 list doesn't include Aadhaar card, PAN and driving licence, generally used across India as ID simple reason is that none of these documents are proof of voting in India is a right that comes with being an Indian, people will need to provide documents that prove they are identity card or pension payment order, birth certificate, passport, matriculation certificate, permanent residence, caste or forest right certificates are among the 11 documents that will work to prove date and place of of 11 Accepted Documents for Voter Verification (for those not in 2003 Rolls) Type1Identity card / Pension Payment Order of a PSU employee or pensioner2ID / Certificate / Document issued by government, local bodies, banks, post offices, LIC, PSU (pre-July 1, 1987)3Birth certificate issued by a competent authority4Passport5Matriculation / Educational certificate from a recognised board or university6Permanent residence certificate issued by competent state authority7Forest Rights Certificate8OBC / SC / ST or any valid caste certificate9National Register of Citizens (NRC), wherever it exists10Family register11Land or house allotment certificateWHY EXPERTS FEEL THE EXERCISE MIGHT DELIST VOTERSThe EC has divided the voters into three categories for the verification drive. Each category needs to furnish a different set of two significant years here are 1987 and 2004. In those last two years, India brought in laws to prevent illegal immigrants from gaining EC exercise is aligned with the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2003, which was notified in 2004, and the documents sought are according to the born before July 1, 1987, are most likely to be on the 2003 revised voter list. They just need to submit the enumeration form with the extract of the 2003 roll, which has been made available 2003 voter list would be treated as the base document with those on the list and their children using it to file the enumeration born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, have to provide one of the 11 documents for themselves, establishing date and place of birth. And also provide any of the documents for one of the those born after December 2, 2004, other than a document for themselves proving the date and place of birth, documents proving the citizenship of both parents are of BirthRequired DocumentsCategory 1: Likely on the 2003 voter listBefore July 1, 1987Only Enumeration Form (no additional documents needed if name is on 2003 list)Category 2: Self + One Parent's ProofBetween July 1, 1987 and Dec 2, 2004One of 11 Documents for self (date & place of birth) + One document for one parentCategory 3: Self + Both Parents' ProofAfter December 2, 2004One of 11 Documents for self (date & place of birth) + Documents for both parents' citizenshipIn the case of Bihar, the EC has clarified that 60% of the voters don't need to furnish any documents after it uploaded the 2003 record on its Bihar is the second most-populous state after Uttar Pradesh, the record of births and issuance of certificates has been historically that shouldn't be the case for those born in the 2000s. Also, officials and the EC are banking on the fact that the young voters will have one of the several listed are also suggesting that the idea of a universal adult franchise will now get pegged around education, with a matriculation certificate being one of the basic documents ARE OPPOSITION PARTIES OBJECTING TOThere are two reasons why the long-overdue process has kicked up a political storm. One is the list of documents, and the other is the window in which the exercise is being to reports, the EC earlier conducted intensive revisions of electoral rolls six to eight months ahead of polls. The window in this case is three-four months at the EC is confident that its well-oiled machinery is more than capable of conducting the exercise in the given time than the 77,895 block-level officers (BLOs), "20,603 BLOs are being appointed for the smooth and timely completion of the process," the EC said on July 6. Four lakh volunteers, including government officials and NCC cadets, were working in the field to assist "vulnerable populations", and 1.5 lakh booth-level agents of political parties were also helping out, it parties are contending that the exercise, too close to the Assembly polls in Bihar, will not give an opportunity to those left out of the rolls, especially the poor and the unlettered, to challenge the decision and get back as voters in are calling it votebandi, that is following the notebandi (demonetisation) and deshbandi (lockdown)."This is 'votebandi, this is disenfranchisement": @_YogendraYadav, Co-Founder, Swaraj India, on Bihar electoral roll revision move#NewsToday #BiharAssemblyElection #ElectoralRollRevision | @sardesairajdeep IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) July 3, 2025The Congress alleges that the SIR of electoral rolls would lead to poor and tribal voters being disenfranchised. It says the exercise carries a huge risk of wilful exclusion of voters using the power of the State was the Congress itself that raised doubts over the electoral rolls after the 2024 Assembly election in MP Rajesh Ranjan, better known as Pappu Yadav, has urged voters in Bihar's Seemanchal region to not cooperate with the BLOs conducting the SIR. He says the exercise could disenfranchise marginalised communities."Don't show any documents; they will use these documents as an excuse to delete your vote," said the Lok Sabha MP, who is an Independent but supports the opposition INDIA bloc in Parliament. He has called a Bihar bandh on July 9 against the intensive revision of electoral chief Asaduddin Owaisi accused the EC of using the SIR to "secretly implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bihar". Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress too alleged that the EC exercise was a "sinister move" to "bring NRC through the backdoor". The West Bengal CM called the exercise, a Trinamool Congress has also gone ahead and suggested that the EC treat the 2024 voter list as the base year for any revision of electoral is quite stunning coming from the ruling party of a state like West Bengal that has seen large-scale illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Regular rioting in Bengal, the latest of which was during anti-waqf law protests, has been blamed on the change in demography of its 2024 the base year would also legalise illegal voters who have made it to the electoral lists in the last 20 argument against the 11 documents is equally stunning. How can documents, like PAN and Aadhaar, which are issued declaring that they aren't proof of citizenship be allowed to prove citizenship?AN ARGUMENT FOR REVISION OF ELECTORAL ROLLSThe value of a citizen's vote is sacrosanct. That is why the country also holds the delimitation must be ensured that only genuine citizens get to vote. The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is the only way to ensure July 6, the EC said that the initial phase of Bihar SIR had been completed. It said 1.69 crore or 21.46% of the total enumeration forms had been SIR is a much-needed exercise, and the government should enable all genuine citizens to prove their citizenship. The EC has vowed that no genuine voter will be dropped from the vetted the electoral rolls aren't vetted now, or if the base year is changed, then there is a risk of illegal immigrants, and India has millions of them getting into or continuing on the electoral end result will be people who have no stake in India's growth and those not rooted in the nation's ethos making decisions that will impact its politics and policy. India is at a crossroads, and it can't surrender to clamour. If the exercise isn't conducted now, it might be too late.- EndsMust Watch advertisement
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja named treasurer as Elon Musk launches ‘America Party'
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills A federal election commission (FEC) document is being widely shared on social media, revealing that Elon Musk has registered the America Party with the close examination, an Indian-origin name can be found on the document: Vaibhav Taneja, the chief financial officer (CFO) of is listed as the treasurer and custodian of records for Musk's new political party. His appointment to these key roles isn't surprising, considering his deep experience in financial roles and his involvement in Tesla's financial became Tesla's CFO in August 2023. Taneja joined the company in 2017 following its acquisition of SolarCity, where he held a senior finance position. Over the years, he climbed the ranks, starting as assistant corporate controller, then becoming corporate controller, chief accounting officer, and eventually announced on Sunday, that he is launching The America Party, to fight against Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax a post on X, he stated, 'Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.'He said, 'By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!'Taneja also made news recently for reportedly earning $139 million in 2024, which is far more than what other big tech executives are earning, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Google's Sundar Pichai.
The Wire
an hour ago
- The Wire
At Rio Summit, BRICS Hits Out at Tariffs, Iran Attacks and Gaza, but Stops Short of Naming US
New Delhi: As the United States prepares to notify its trade partners of revised tariff rates on their imports, the BRICS grouping of emerging economies, several of whom are engaged in trade talks with Washington, voiced 'serious concerns' over 'unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures,' but stopped short of directly naming Washington. US President Donald Trump has, meanwhile, issued a stark waring from White House. 'Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,' he posted on his social media platform, Truth Social. The leaders' joint statement, issued after the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, reflected the difficulty negotiators from the 11 members faced in agreeing on language that could reconcile competing national interests across a range of issues, from US trade policy and UN Security Council expansion to condemning Israel for Gaza conflict and the recent Iran-Israel escalation. India is among the five founding members of BRICS, alongside Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. In 2024, the bloc expanded to include Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Next year, India will be hosting the BRICS summit for the second time. While the heads of state of nearly half the member countries stayed away, key leaders present in Rio included Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa and Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed. Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping were both absent. This was Xi's first time skipping a BRICS summit since becoming president in 2013, while Putin's absence was linked to an International Criminal Court warrant. India and terrorism While global attention was largely fixed on how the BRICS bloc would respond to US tariff measures, India was more focused on the language in the joint statement concerning terrorism and United Nations Security Council reform. The leaders' declaration 'condemn[ed] in the strongest terms' the terror attack at Pahalgam on April 22, which India had blamed on Pakistan. The incident led to a four-day military exchange between the two countries, with India targeting what it described as terror infrastructure across the border. Although the BRICS statement did not explicitly name Pakistan, it reaffirmed the group's commitment to addressing the cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and safe havens. This language closely reflected the wording used in last year's Kazan declaration. Both statements called for 'zero tolerance' towards terrorism, rejected 'double standards' in its handling, reiterated support for the long-pending UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism proposed by India, and underlined that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality or ethnic identity. In his statement during the session on peace and security, Modi said that 'condemning terrorism must be a matter of principle, and not just of convenience'. 'If our response depends on where or against whom the attack occurred, it shall be a betrayal of humanity itself,' he added. In this image released by @MEAIndia via X on July 6, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a session on 'Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance' during the 17th annual BRICS Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Via PTI. India and UNSC The other issue highlighted by India is the UN Security Council reform. While BRICS declarations have routinely supported 'comprehensive reform' of the United Nations, this year's statement added that such reform should result in 'the amplified voice of the Global South'. It referred back to earlier declarations from the summits in Beijing and Johannesburg, which recorded the support of China and Russia – both permanent members of the Security Council, for the "aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the United Nations, including its Security Council." However, the declaration again stopped short of endorsing their candidacy for permanent seats. Negotiations over this paragraph were reportedly among the most difficult in the run-up to the BRICS summit, largely due to the group's recent expansion. Until 2023, South Africa had consistently been listed alongside Brazil and India as an aspirant for 'greater role' in UN. But with Egypt and Ethiopia now part of BRICS, African representation on the issue has become more complicated. Both Egypt and Ethiopia pushed for a formulation that acknowledged that the African Union had yet to decide on the continent's candidates for permanent seats, consistent with the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration. Trump The Rio summit also unfolded under the shadow of the United States' planned reimposition of tariffs, set to kick in from July 9. President Donald Trump had earlier warned of 100% duties on imports from BRICS countries if they pushed forward with alternatives to the dollar in global trade. In April, he announced new 'reciprocal' tariffs calibrated by country, including 26 percent for India, 30 percent for South Africa and 84 percent for China. These were put on hold for 90 days, during which several countries, including India, have accelerated trade talks to limit the impact. The BRICS countries voiced "serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures," warning that such actions are illegal and arbitrary. The joint statement described the 'indiscriminate rising of tariffs and non-tariff measures' as part of a wider trend of trade-restrictive practices that risk reducing global trade, disrupting supply chains, and creating uncertainty in the global economy. Despite the strong language, the declaration did not explicitly blame the United States. Analysts believe this omission reflected the host country Brazil's reluctance to provoke Washington. ' Brazil wants the least amount of damage possible and to avoid drawing the attention of the Trump administration to prevent any type of risk to the Brazilian economy,' Ana Garcia, a professor at the Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University, told Associated Press. However, this cautious approach did not appear to placate Trump. In a social media post issued shortly after the summit, he threatened to impose fresh 10% tariffs on BRICS members. It is uncertain which 'anti-American' policies he was targeting. Earlier in the year, his warnings were triggered by reports of a proposed BRICS currency – an initiative that now appears sidelined, as there was no reference to it in the final text. 'Genocide' and other wars The BRICS joint statement also avoided identifying either Iran or the United States when it referred to recent attacks on Iranian 'civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities' as a 'violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the IAEA'. Nevertheless, this marked a slight shift in tone from the bloc's earlier statement issued on June 25, which had only expressed 'grave concern over the military strikes' against Iran. In contrast, the Rio de Janeiro declaration used the term 'condemn'. On the war in Ukraine, the declaration once again avoided any direct criticism of Russia. Instead, it backed diplomatic initiatives led by Brazil and China, and a group of African nations. The statement also referred to attacks on Russian regions such as Bryansk and Kursk, but did so without assigning blame or identifying the perpetrators. The most direct criticism in the statement was aimed at Israel. The leaders expressed 'grave concern' over the military operations in Gaza and 'denounced the Israeli attacks against humanitarian operations, facilities, personnel and distribution points.' Although the host Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had referred to the situation in Gaza as ' genocide ' in his remarks during the summit, that term did not appear in the final declaration. The BRICS joint statement echoed the language of a recent United Nations General Assembly resolution by condemning 'all violations of international humanitarian law, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare.' India had unexpectedly abstained on that resolution, which had led the opposition to accuse the government of losing moral compass. In addition, the bloc called on all parties to engage 'in good faith' to secure an 'immediate, comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza,' ensure the release of all hostages, withdraw Israeli forces fully, and allow unhindered access of humanitarian aid. The declaration also reaffirmed support for full UN membership for Palestine and reiterated BRICS' 'unwavering commitment to the two-state solution.' However, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi later stated on his official Telegram channel that Tehran had registered reservations about the reference to the two-state solution, as Iran does not recognise Israel. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
