As the Dalai Lama turns 90, photos show the global arc of his life
As the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhists, he established a government-in-exile in the Indian town of Dharamshala after fleeing Tibet in 1959. Since then he has traveled the world to raise the issue of Tibet and Tibetans, while spreading a message of nonviolence.
He has met world leaders and celebrities, from the likes of fellow Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu to multiple U.S. presidents, popes and Hollywood stars.
As he celebrates his 90th birthday on Sunday, The Associated Press has curated a selection of photos of the Dalai Lama, from his early days in India to appearances he has made around the world.
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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
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Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Associated Press
Dalai Lama attends prayer in Dharamshala a day ahead of his 90th birthday
His followers see him as the face of Tibet's aspirations for greater autonomy, but have for years wrestled with the idea that he might be the last person to hold the role. He put that speculation to rest Wednesday, just days before he turns 90 on Sunday. There will be a successor after his death, he announced, and the Dalai Lama's office will lead the search and recognize a successor in accordance with past tradition. (AP video by Rishi Lekhi and Shonal Ganguly)
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
As the Dalai Lama turns 90, photos show the global arc of his life
DHARAMSHALA, India (AP) — The Dalai Lama is revered as a deity by millions of Tibetan Buddhists and known worldwide as a resolute voice for peace, spirituality and Tibet 's autonomy. He is also seen as a threat by China, which accuses him of wanting to wrest Tibet from Beijing's control. As the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhists, he established a government-in-exile in the Indian town of Dharamshala after fleeing Tibet in 1959. Since then he has traveled the world to raise the issue of Tibet and Tibetans, while spreading a message of nonviolence. He has met world leaders and celebrities, from the likes of fellow Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu to multiple U.S. presidents, popes and Hollywood stars. As he celebrates his 90th birthday on Sunday, The Associated Press has curated a selection of photos of the Dalai Lama, from his early days in India to appearances he has made around the world. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dalai Lama says he hopes to live another 40 years on eve of 90th birthday
The Dalai Lama has said that he hopes to live for another 40 years until he is 130 years old, on the eve of his 90th birthday, days after he sought to assuage rife speculation over his succession by saying he would reincarnate upon his death. The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader was speaking on Saturday during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday. Leading thousands in the prayers as the sound of chanting, drums and horns rang out, he said: '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', he said, referring to the teachings of the Buddha. The Dalai Lama previously told the Reuters news agency in December that he might live to 110. The Dalai Lama has confirmed that he will have a successor chosen in accordance with 'past tradition', ending years of speculation about the centuries-old office. In a video message on Wednesday, he said the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which he established to preserve the institution, will have the power to recognise his future reincarnation. Tibetan Buddhist leaders will search for his successor, he added, stressing that 'no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter'. The 14th Dalai Lama said he had received many messages in recent years from Buddhists calling for the office's continuation. 'In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,' he added. He made the comments on Wednesday during a three-day religious conference in Dharamshala, the northern Indian town where he has been based since 1959, when he fled Tibet for India after a failed uprising against China. Speaking to Al Jazeera, the Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue described the Dalai Lama's announcement on Wednesday as a 'punch in the face' for China, which governs the Tibet Autonomous Region and which has claimed that it has the power to appoint his successor. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama, whom China brands a 'separatist', has previously warned Beijing not 'to meddle in the system of reincarnation of lamas, let alone that of the Dalai Lama'. In response to his comments on Wednesday, China said the Dalai Lama's succession must be approved by the central government in Beijing and that it would be carried out 'by drawing lots from a golden urn', Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters. That urn is held by China, and the Dalai Lama has already warned that, when used dishonestly, it lacks 'any spiritual quality'.
