Thousands of devotees flocked to the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, India, on Sunday to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism who has been living in exile since escaping Chinese authority in Tibet in 1959.
Many devotees included hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns who braved incessant rain to see him.
“When I look back on my life, I see that I have not wasted it at all,” the Dalai Lama said. “I live my life in the service of other sentient beings,” he added.
Dressed in a traditional robe and a flowing yellow wrap, the Dalai Lama was escorted to the temple courtyard by a group of monks, as Tibetan artists beat drums and played bagpipes while senior lamas struck cymbals in his honour.
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 the living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion.
The head of the democratically elected Tibetan government-in-exile. Penpa Tsering raised the Tibetan flag as the musicians played the Tibetan anthem.
I plan to reincarnate after my death — Dalai Lama
The birthday party capped a week of celebrations, during which the Nobel Peace Prize winner said he plans to reincarnate after his death, putting an end to years of speculation that he might be the final person to occupy the position. In accordance with previous Buddhist traditions, he added, the future Dalai Lama should be acknowledged.
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.
World leaders and celebrities sent wishes
Dignitaries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US 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 rapturous applause.
In a birthday message on his website on Saturday, the Dalai Lama reiterated that he was “just a simple Buddhist monk” and that he will “continue to focus on my commitments of promoting human values and religious harmony.”
Celebrations were also held in Kathmandu, Nepal, where hundreds of Tibetan refugees, monks, and foreign diplomats marked the day with Buddhist prayers, chanting, and dances.
The Dalai Lama was thrust onto the Tibetan throne in 1937. Soon after, Chinese troops swept into his homeland in the 1950s and crushed a failed uprising, forcing him to escape with thousands of his followers to India, where he established a government in exile.
Since then, he has spent more than seven decades in exile and sustained a nation in exile by managing to build a community that’s kept the Tibetan culture and identity alive.
Leading a Tibetan diaspora in their fight for independence and resistance to China’s rule over Tibet, the Dalai Lama has also become one of the most recognisable individuals in the world.
