The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Monday gave the strongest indication that the 600 -year -old institution would continue after his death, in prayer celebrations for his 90th birthday.
The Dalai Lama joined thousands of Buddhist followers on Monday in prayer celebrations, a historical event that resonated far beyond the city of the Indian Himalayas, where he has lived for decades.
“As for the institution of Dalai Lama, there will be some kind of framework within which we can talk about its continuation,” he said, speaking in Tibetan.
The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, is according to Tibetans the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.
Drapeado in traditional brown and yellow robes, the Dalai Lama sat and listened to speeches and songs of monks, nuns, pilgrims, as well as supporters around the world on Monday.
“Although I am 90 years old, I am very healthy,” he said, before trying a portion of Tibetan -style birthday cake, a elaborately decorated tower made of roasted barley and butter cut in front of him.
“In the time I have gone, I will continue dedicating myself to the well -being of others as much as possible,” he said.
‘Continuation’
The 90th birthday of Dalai Lama is more than a personal milestone.
It is also expected that the charismatic Prize of the Nobel Peace Peace, Tenzin Gyatso, also reveals if there will be another Dalai Lama after him.
The Dalai Lama has said that the institution will continue only if there is a popular demand, and it is expected to reveal that decision on Wednesday.
The occasion has a deep weight not only for Tibetans, but also for world supporters who see Dalai Lama as a symbol of nonviolence, compassion and lasting struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese dominance.
“We offer to our fervent devotions that Tenzin Gyatso, protector of the Nieves Earth, lives for a hundred eons,” he sang a choir of red tunic monks.
“That all their noble aspirations are fulfilled,” they added, in front of a crowd that included religious leaders of many religions.
His advanced age has also caused concern for the future of Tibetan leadership and the delicate issue of his succession.
The Dalai Lama has been praised by his followers for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for the Tibet, a large high altitude plateau in China on the size of South Africa.
The Dalai Lama delivered the political authority in 2011 to an exiled government democratically chosen for 130,000 Tibetans worldwide.
At the same time, he warned that the future of his spiritual position faced an “obvious risk of political interests acquired misuse of the reincarnation system.”
