DHARAMSHALA On Sunday, thousands of Tibetan Buddhists gathered in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, India, to commemorate the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. The Dalai Lama had stated a few days prior that he intended to reincarnate after passing away.
In order to reach the main Dalai Lama temple, where the spiritual leader was to give a lecture, hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns braved the constant rain and flooded through Dharamshala’s winding alleyways. They were accompanied by a group of Tibetans, some of whom were carrying traditional offerings.
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been in exile since he escaped Chinese control in Tibet in 1959. Thousands of his devotees from all over the world, as well as American and Indian politicians and celebrities, will be there on his birthday.
After years of anticipation that he might be the last to hold the position, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist spiritual leader announced earlier this week that he intends to reincarnate after his death. He added that, in accordance with earlier Buddhist customs, the next Dalai Lama ought to be located and acknowledged.
The Dalai Lama stated on Saturday that he planned to live for several more decades, until he was 130 years old.
The Dalai Lama has already stated that his successor will be born outside of China in a free world. However, many Tibetans living in exile worry that China may appoint its own Dalai Lama successor in order to strengthen its hold on Tibet, which it invaded with soldiers in 1950 and has dominated ever since.
China, which considers the Dalai Lama to be a separatist, has stated time and again that it is the only body with the power to choose the next Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader. It further declares that anyone selected without Beijing’s approval will be rejected.
The Dalai Lama identifies himself as a straightforward Buddhist monk and is well-known throughout the world for his red robes and broad smile. However, he is revered by millions of Tibetan Buddhists as a living embodiment of Chenrezig, the Buddhist deity of mercy.
In 1937, the Tibetan throne was thrown onto the Dalai Lama. After a failed insurrection was put down by Chinese soldiers in the 1950s, he was forced to flee to India with hundreds of his supporters, where he set up an exile government.
Since then, he has lived in exile for more than 70 years, supporting a country in exile by creating a community that has preserved Tibetan identity and culture. Leading a Tibetan diaspora in their fight for independence and resistance to China’s rule over Tibet, the Dalai Lama has also grown to become one of the most well-known individuals in the world.
