On Saturday, special prayers were offered at the Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Bodh Gaya to celebrate the 89th birthday of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. Tibetan monks gathered to pray for his long life and planned to cut a cake in his honor after the prayers.
The Dalai Lama, known worldwide for his teachings on compassion and peace, is currently recovering after a successful knee surgery in the United States. He was discharged from the hospital on June 29.
Celebrations were also held in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, at the Dorje Drak Monastery. Monks there offered early morning prayers for the Dalai Lama’s long life. The boy monk Nawang Tashi Rapten, the Taklung Tsetul Rinpoche, and the head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism were among those who participated in the prayers.
Acharya Lodoe Zangpo, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, shared that they celebrated the Dalai Lama’s 89th birthday and offered prayers for his long life. He emphasized that Buddhists see the Dalai Lama as a “peacemaker” who is very important in these challenging times.
Speaking to ANI, Zangpo said, “Today we are celebrating the 89th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Early in the morning, we offered long-life prayers and long-life Mandalas in front of His throne. We have done cake-cutting celebrations and now we have done all the prayers for his long life in continuity of Buddha Dharma in this world.”
When asked about the Dalai Lama’s importance for peace, Zangpo responded, “This is very important for all of us because of this degenerating time. There are so many changes and negative things and wars happening in this world. We see him as a peacemaker and revealer of peace and he is teaching a message of peace to us and everywhere in the world. So, we see him as very important in this degenerating time.”
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The 14th Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935, to a small farming family in Takster, Tibet. His birth name was Lhamo Thondup, which means ‘Wish-Fulfilling Goddess’. At the age of two, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama. He was brought to Lhasa in October 1939 and formally installed as the head of the state of Tibet on February 22, 1940.
At the age of six, Lhamo Thondup was named Tenzin Gyatso. On November 17, 1950, he was officially enthroned as the temporal leader of Tibet in a ceremony at the Norbulingka Palace. In March 1959, after the suppression of the Tibetan National Uprising, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India with over 80,000 refugees.
For over 60 years, the Dalai Lama has been dedicated to promoting peace, love, and compassion.
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