The spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, turned 90 years on Sunday after a week of celebrations by the followers during which Furious for China again and spoke about his hope of living beyond 130 and reincarnating after he died.
The laureate Nobel is considered one of the most influential religious leaders in the world, with a follow -up that extends far beyond Buddhism, but not by Beijing, who calls him separatist and has tried to put faith under his control.
Fleeing his Natal Tibet in 1959 following a failed survey against Chinese domain, the 14th Dalai Lama, along with hundreds of thousands of Tibetans, took refuge in India and since then he has advocated a peaceful “intermediate way” to seek autonomy and religious freedom for the Tibetan people.
Dressed in his traditional yellow and burgundy robe, Dalai Lama reached a temple to smile and applause thousands of monks and followers who had gathered in a rainy morning in the small Indian city of Dharamshala, where he lives. He greeted and greeted them while walking slowly to the stage with the support of the monks.
“As far as I am concerned, I have a human life and, as humans, it is quite natural for us to love and help each other,” said Dalai Lama, speaking after a Tibetan cultural performance that included songs for his long life.
“I live my life at the service of other sensory beings,” he said, flanked on the stage with supporters of a lot of time, including Western diplomats, Indian federal ministers, the Hollywood star Richard Gere and a monk who is expected to lead the search for his successor.
In a sign of solidarity, the president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-Te, leaders of the Indian states that border the Tibet, and three former US presidents sent greetings to Dalai Lama, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, whose video messages were played during the event.
In the previous week of celebrations, Dalai Lama had said that he would reincarnate as the leader of the faith in his death and that his non -profit institution, Gaden Phodrang Trust, had the only authority to recognize his successor.
China has said that the succession will have to be approved by its leaders, and the United States has asked Beijing to cease what it describes as interference in the succession of Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist lamps.
After approximately two hours, Dalai Lama left the place abruptly after eating a piece of his birthday cake. A source previously said that he hadn’t felt too well.
The guests gathered at the ceremony turned to speak, including the Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs of India, Kiren Rijiju, a exercise Buddhist, who had previously made a rare statement that contradicts China by supporting Dalai Lama’s position on his successor.
He later clarified that the statement was made to his personal capacity when China warned New Delhi against interference in his internal affairs at the expense of bilateral relations.
On Sunday, Rijiju said that Dalai Lama was the “most honest guest in India … we felt blessed for his presence here in our country.”
He said that he has always considered that it was necessary to contribute significantly to the cause of the Tibetan people, and added that, as devotee, “we will follow the instructions and guidelines that will be issued from the institution of the Dalai Lama.”
Cultural performances were carried out throughout the morning, including Bollywood reproduction singers, while messages from world leaders were read.
“I joined 1,400 million Indians to extend our warmest wishes to their holiness, the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday. It has been a lasting symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline,” wrote Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in X.
The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also sent a message that said that Dalai Lama continued to inspire people by embodying a message of “unity, peace and compassion.”
“The United States remains firmly committed to promoting respect for human rights and the fundamental freedoms of Tibetans. We support efforts to preserve the linguistic, cultural and religious heritage of Tibetans, including their ability to choose and freely venerate religious leaders without interference,” he said, according to a reading of the State Department.
