In a heartfelt celebration, thousands of Buddhists gathered in Dharamshala, northern India, on Sunday to mark the 90th birthday of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. A Nobel Peace laureate and one of the most influential figures in the world, the 14th Dalai Lama has been living in India since 1959, after fleeing Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
Dharamshala, a town in Himachal Pradesh, has been his home for over six decades and is also the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Followers, monks, Indian officials, and international friends including acclaimed American actor Richard Gere surrounded the Dalai Lama at the Tsuklakhang Tibetan Buddhist complex. Despite heavy monsoon rain, they greeted him with prayers, traditional Tibetan music, and dance, celebrating both his life and recent declaration that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue beyond his lifetime.
“This institution of the Dalai Lama is our identity, and I am glad it will be there,” said Loden, a Tibetan garment merchant from Delhi. “I came here for his birthday because he is very important to us. The whole world respects him, and there is some concern about the future Dalai Lama’s acceptability. But I believe he has done great work for Tibetans.”
Tibetan Buddhists believe that when a Dalai Lama passes away, he is reincarnated. Senior monks and members of the exile government then search for the child who is the reincarnation, relying on dreams, visions, rituals at sacred lakes, signs at the Dalai Lama’s death, and other omens. The 14th Dalai Lama was identified at the age of two through such a search.
Over the years, he has suggested that the continuation of the institution depends on the Tibetan people, and if they no longer find it relevant, the institution could end with him meaning there might be no 15th Dalai Lama. However, he announced plans for his successor on Thursday, reaffirming his belief in reincarnation.
+ There are no comments
Add yours