The Dalai Lama turned 90 on Sunday last 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. 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. Earlier, 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. The celebration was also attended by hundreds of followers from around the world including Hollywood movie star Richard Gere.
Only Dalai can pick successor: India
India firmly rejected China’s claim that it has a decisive say in choosing the Dalai Lama’s successor and asserted that the issue could be decided only in accordance with the wishes of the Tibetan spiritual leader and established Buddhist traditions. The Dalai Lama’s position is of immense importance, not just for Tibetans but for millions of his followers across the globe. The right to decide on his successor rests solely with him, in accordance with centuries-old Buddhist customsIndia's,” India's parliamentary affairs and minorities minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters.