The Dalai Lama celebrated his 90th birthday on Sunday in Dharamshala, India, surrounded by thousands of followers who gathered despite heavy rains. The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism marked the milestone with significant announcements about his future, including plans to reincarnate after death and hopes to live until age 130.
The celebration capped a week of birthday events in the Himalayan town where he has lived in exile since fleeing Tibet in 1959.
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Why It Matters
This birthday celebration carries profound implications for the future of Tibetan Buddhism and the ongoing political struggle over Tibet.
The Dalai Lama’s announcement about reincarnation ends years of speculation about whether he might be the last person to hold the role, while highlighting the complex succession question that involves both religious tradition and Chinese political control. His statements directly challenge Beijing’s claims of authority over selecting the next Dalai Lama.
What To Know
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, has spent over six decades in exile after Chinese troops entered Tibet in 1950. During Sunday’s ceremony, hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns joined the celebration as Tibetan musicians played traditional instruments and senior lamas struck cymbals in his honor. The head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, raised the Tibetan flag while the Tibetan anthem played.
The succession issue remains contentious. China views the Dalai Lama as a separatist and insists it alone has authority to approve the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama has previously stated his successor will be born in the “free world” outside China, while many exiled Tibetans fear Beijing will name its own successor to strengthen control over Tibet.
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What People Are Saying
The Dalai Lama during a speech before an audience of monks and nuns on Sunday: “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.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Dalai Lama has: “Been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Buddhist spiritual leader: “Continues to inspire people by embodying a message of unity, peace and compassion.”
Actor Richard Gere in a speech on Sunday: “He is the most extraordinary man to ever walk on this planet.”
The Dalai Lama’s birthday message: “I am just a simple Buddhist monk” and will “continue to focus on my commitments of promoting human values religious harmony.”
Elke Scholiers/Getty Images
Elke Scholiers/Getty Images
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.