Dalai Lama turns 90: Worshippers including Richard Gere travel to Himalayas to celebrate
Thousands of worshippers from around the world have travelled to Dharamshala, the small Indian town in the foothills of the Himalayas where the Dalai Lama lives, to mark the occasion.
This includes long-time follower and Hollywood star Richard Gere, who is set to speak during the celebrations for the Nobel laureate, who is regarded as one of the world's most influential religious leaders and worshipped by millions of Tibetan Buddhists as the living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion.
Hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns braved incessant rain on Sunday as they poured through the narrow streets of Dharamshala towards the main Dalai Lama temple, where the spiritual leader will hold a speech.
Events for the Dalai Lama's birthday already started on Monday, which marked his 90th birthday in the Tibetan calendar, six days before his birthday in the Gregorian calendar on Sunday.
On Saturday, the Dalai Lama said he hoped to live for decades more, until the age of 130.
Tenzin Gyatso, who became the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in 1940, fled his native Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule and took shelter in India, along with hundreds of thousands of Tibetans.
China has labelled the Dalai Lama a separatist and has sought to bring Tibetan Buddhism back under its control.
During his week of celebrations, the Dalai Lama explicitly said he will have a successor after his death, ending years of speculation over whether he would be the last Tibetan spiritual leader.
He riled China again by saying the next Dalai Lama should be found in line with Buddhist traditions, signalling that China should stay away from the process of identifying his successor, but Beijing said that the succession would have to be approved by its leaders.
Seeking to counter the rise of China, the US has called on Beijing to stop interfering in the succession of the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist lamas.
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The Guardian
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Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday, triggering geopolitical questions for the future
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The Independent
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STV News
11 hours ago
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The Dalai Lama has turned 90, surrounded by thousands of followers who came to the Himalayan town of Dharamshala. The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has been living in exile there since fleeing Chinese rule in 1959. Sitting before a packed audience that included hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns who braved unrelenting rain to see him, he said: 'When I look back on my life, I see that I have not wasted it at all.' 'I live my life in the service of other sentient beings,' he added. Recognised worldwide in his red robes and wide smile, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, describes himself as a 'simple Buddhist monk.' But millions of Tibetan Buddhists worship him as a living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion. The Dalai Lama helped by attendant monks as he arrives to preside over an event during which Tibetan exiles prayed for his longevity. / Credit: AP The birthday party capped a week of celebrations, during which the Nobel Peace Prize winner said he plans to reincarnate after his death, ending years of speculation that he might be the last person to hold the role. He also said that the next Dalai Lama should be recognised as per past Buddhist traditions. On Saturday, the Dalai Lama said he hoped to live until the age of 130. In the past, the Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born in the 'free world' — outside China. Many exiled Tibetans, however, fear China will name its own successor to the Dalai Lama to bolster control over Tibet, a territory it poured troops into in 1950 and has ruled ever since. China, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, has repeatedly said that it alone has the authority to approve the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. It also says it will reject anyone chosen without Beijing's consent. Dignitaries including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sent their wishes to the Tibetan leader. Modi said the Dalai Lama has 'been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline,' while Rubio said the Buddhist spiritual leader 'continues to inspire people by embodying a message of unity, peace and compassion.' The celebration was also attended by hundreds of followers from around the world including Hollywood movie star Richard Gere. 'He is the most extraordinary man to ever walk on this planet,' said Gere, as the crowd broke into a rapturous applause. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
