Dalai Lama celebrates 90th birthday with enthusiastic followers

Dalai Lama celebrates 90th birthday with enthusiastic followers

in Dharamshala, India, gathered thousands of people on Sunday to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama - an important milestone in the life of the spiritual leader and Nobel Prize winner for peace, which is known for his message and commitment to greater freedom for greater Beijing.

celebrations despite monsoons -like rains

unimpressed by the heavy monsoon rain and dense fog, people crowded in festive clothing in the narrow streets and waited to catch a glimpse of the Dalai Lama, which was celebrated in the Tsuclak slope, the Tibetan-Buddhist complex. Hundreds of hopeful guests waited whether they would be admitted to the temple, since it was already fully occupied shortly before the start of the celebrations and was strongly guarded by Indian police officers and security forces.

cultural performances and international support

masked dancers in traditional costumes whirled up to the sounds of gongs, whistles and horns, while the Dalai Lama was led by two companions to the complex. Indian minister and the Hollywood actor Richard Gere, a long-time supporter of the Dalai Lama, also spoke at the event. Singing performances filled the courtyard, while the Dalai Lama was served a piece of his birthday cake, which was garnished with fresh fruit and a white lily.

a way back to the roots

The meeting was the highlight of a celebration of several days, which attracted supporters and spiritual dignitaries to the small town in the Himalaya foothills, which has been the seat of the Tibetan exile and his home since the Dalai Lama escaped during a failed uprising in 1959. Many had taken a long way to take part in the celebration, such as Namgyal Dorjee Gongpa from New Jersey, USA. The 49-year-old, who took part in the celebration with his wife and three sons, said: "This is a very important occasion for me and my family."

The message of the Dalai Lama

In a birthday message on X, the Dalai Lama emphasized the importance of "achieving peace in the spirit through the cultivation of a good heart and through compassion". In his considerations, he promised to continue to promote human values, religious harmony, old Indian wisdom and Tibetan culture that "has so much potential to contribute to the world". At a ceremony on Saturday, the participants assured him that they pray for his long life. He explained that he was in "great physical condition" and raised his goal for a long life to 130 years - two decades more than his previous prediction.

The question of reincarnation

In a video address to religious dignitaries, the Dalai Lama announced on Wednesday that he would have a successor after his death. He confirmed that his office had the "sole authority" to recognize his upcoming reincarnation. "Nobody else has to intervene in this matter," said the Dalai Lama in his recorded message. This explanation forms the foundation for a struggle for his successor between Tibetan-Buddhist leaders in exile and the atheistic communist party of China, which claims to have the authority to approve the next Dalai Lama.

The effects on the Tibetan identity

The announcement of the Dalai Lama was welcomed by many Tibetan Buddhists who had been waiting for his decision whether the centuries -old institution would end with his death - a question he had previously said that he would re -rate his 90th birthday. Tenzin Nyidon, 26, who originally comes from Odisha, East India, told CNN that she looked at his reincarnation "with deep respect" and "try to politicize this process", said.

religious tradition in the area of tension in politics

Tibetan Buddhists believe in the cycle of rebirth and in the fact that an enlightened spiritual master like the Dalai Lama, when he dies, can choose the place and the time of his rebirth through the power of compassion and prayer. But the religious tradition has increasingly become a battlefield to control Tibetan hearts and thoughts. Experts expect Beijing to try to establish its own after the current Dalai Lama, as part of the Communist Party campaign, to "sink" religion to ensure that it corresponds to the leadership of the Communist Party and maintains its influence on Tibet.

worldwide support and messages

On his birthday, warm messages from world leaders, politicians, legislators and artists were included in a video that was played at the event and was put together by Tibet TV, which is operated by the Tibetan exile government. Barack Obama wished the Dalai Lama "Happy Birthday" and thanked him for his friendship. "They have shown generations what it means to practice compassion and to work for freedom and dignity. Not bad for someone who describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk," he added. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi explained in an explanation on X that was read out during the event: "I agree with 1.4 billion Indians to express his holiness, the Dalai Lama, for his 90th birthday." He called him a constant symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline and prayed for his ongoing health and a long life.