DHARAMSHALA, India — The Dalai Lama turned 90 on Sunday surrounded by thousands of followers, who thronged the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, where the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has been living in exile since fleeing Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959.
Sitting before a packed audience that included hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns who braved incessant rain to see him, he said: ‘’When I look back on my life, I see that I have not wasted it at all.’’
‘’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 honor. The head of the democratically elected Tibetan government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, raised the Tibetan flag as the musicians played the Tibetan anthem.
Recognized 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 living manifestations of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion.
Celebration capped a week of birthday events
The birthday party capped a week of celebrations, during which the Nobel Peace Prize winner said he plans to reincarnate after his death, ending years of speculation that he might be the last person to hold the role. He also said that the next Dalai Lama should be and recognized as per past Buddhist traditions.
On Saturday, the Dalai Lama said he hoped to live until the age of 130.