Dalai Lama XIV celebrates her 90th birthday in Dharamsala

The Dalai Lama XIV celebrated his 90th birthday in Dharamsala at the ft of the Himalayas on Sunday. The spiritual leader of Tibetans stressed on Platform X the importance of interior peace and compassion towards all people.

"Although it is crucial to prosecute material development, it is crucial to accomplish interior peace by cultivating a good heart and compassion not only towards loved ones, but towards all people" - wrote the Dalai Lama XIV. He called himself “a simple Buddhist monk” and emphasized that he was not usually active in celebrating his birthday.

Thousands of people in Dharamsala

Several 1000 people gathered at the birthday celebrations on Sunday. The Dalai Lama XIV received a part of cake with fresh fruit and white lily.

Birthdays were celebrated by Tibetan prayers, dances, and singing. The guests included representatives of the Indian government, as well as Hollywood actor Richard Gere, who has been active in the conflict for Tibetan rights for years.

Wishes from the Prime Minister of India

Wishes to the Dalai Lama XIV via platform X were conveyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. «I join the 1.4 billion people of India to convey the wishes of His Holiness on the occasion of his 90th birthday» - he wrote.

On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama XIV announced that, according to a 600-year tradition after his death, reincarnation would take place and his successor would appear. As the Tibetans believe, his soul will be reborn in the body of the child.

From farm household to spiritual leader

The Dalai Lama XIV was born in 1935 under the name of Lhamo Dhondup in an agricultural household from Qinghai Province. As a two-year-old child, he was credited with reincarnation of his predecessor.

This designation was based on visions and signs that revealed themselves to the older monks liable for his identification. The late Sunday 90s of the Dalai Lama XIV is the spiritual leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

End of political power

He besides served as the political leader of the Tibetans in exile until 2011. From the 17th century onward, he served in Tibet as not only a spiritual but besides a political leader of the country.

Until the Chinese assault on Tibet in 1950, the Dalai Lama was the theocratic ruler of the state. In 2011, the Dalai Lama XIV made a decision to quit to political retirement and signed a paper formally transferring political power over Tibet to a democratically elected leader, thus ending a 368-year-old tradition.

(PAP) Note: This article was edited with Artificial Intelligence.