DHARAMSHALA, India — The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, turned 90 on Sunday after a week of celebrations by followers during which he riled China again and spoke about his hope to live beyond 130 and reincarnate after dying.
The Nobel laureate is regarded as one of the world’s most influential religious leaders, with a following that extends well beyond Buddhism, but not by Beijing, which calls him a separatist and has sought to bring the faith under its control.
Fleeing his native Tibet in 1959 in the wake of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, the 14th Dalai Lama, along with hundreds of thousands of Tibetans, took shelter in India and has since advocated for a peaceful “Middle Way” to seek autonomy and religious freedom for the Tibetan people.
Dressed in his traditional yellow and burgundy robe, the Dalai Lama arrived at a temple to smiles and claps from thousands of monks and followers who had gathered on a rainy morning in the small Indian hill town of Dharamshala, where he lives. He waved and greeted them as he walked slowly to the stage with support from 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 one another,” the Dalai Lama said, speaking after a Tibetan cultural performance that included songs for his long life.
“I live my life in the service of other sentient beings,” he said, flanked on the stage with long-time supporters including western diplomats, Indian federal ministers, Hollywood star Richard Gere and a monk who is expected to lead the search for his successor.
In a sign of solidarity, Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te, leaders of Indian states bordering Tibet, and three former U.S. presidents sent greetings to the Dalai Lama, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, whose video messages were played during the event.
In the preceding week of celebrations, the Dalai Lama had said he would reincarnate as the leader of the faith upon his death and that his non-profit institution, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, had the sole authority to recognize his successor.
China has said that the succession will have to be approved by its leaders, and the United States has called on Beijing to cease what it describes as interference in the succession of the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist Lamas.
