The Dalai Lama celebrates his 88th birthday this Thursday at his residence in the Indian city of Dharamshala, embracing the message of peace, while the life of one of the most important religious leaders in the world recovers from the scandal and the idea of free Tibet grows old with him.
“By showing their approval of what I am trying to do, my friends have given me their wholehearted support for which I would like to thank them,” he said in a birthday message from his official residence in McLeod Ganj, a town in the Indian Himalayas.
It’s been nearly a decade since the Dalai Lama earned the nickname of the world’s most popular religious leader, when he appeared on stage at the Glastonbury Festival to celebrate his 80th birthday, outshining with a smile and mustard robe the memorable appearance of Kanye West, who had declared himself “the biggest rock star on the planet” the night before.
Lhamo Dhondup, the birth name of the top Buddhist religious leader, marks his 88th birthday today with much of that popularity waning. A video of an audience widely shared on social media in mid-April generated a wave of scorn.
The images showed the leader kissing a child on the lips and then asking if he could “suck” his tongue, during a public event and in the presence of other adults.
The Dalai Lama’s office issued an apology, saying the Buddhist leader “often teases people he knows in innocent and mischievous ways, including in public and on camera,” while Tibetan government-in-exile leaders came out in his defense and They described what happened as a smear campaign motivated by China.
“Many people in different parts of the world have heard my name and appreciate what I have to say, plus I have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. For my part, I pray that I can bring peace to the world by spreading understanding of the unity of humanity,” the Dalai Lama said today in a message addressed “to his friends.
Without references to what happened last April or to the cause of Tibet, controlled by China, the spiritual leader recalled that he is “simply a human being”.
To the friends, in the message defined by the search for peace and the commitment to work for it, “I urge you to adopt a courageous resolution like the one that I, your friend, Lhamo Dhondup, from Amdo, have made”, he concluded .
The Buddhist leader who walked the Himalayas in 1959after a failed popular revolt in Lhasa against Chinese rule, is the hope of millions of Tibetans against China, which exercises its dominance over Tibet.
However, his decision to renounce political power to dedicate himself to spiritual leadership is another of the actions that causes criticism from Tibetans, especially the exile community who expected him to use his influence for a powerful battle against Beijing.
The Tibetan leader who was born on July 6, 1935 in Taktser, in eastern Tibet, became the spiritual head of his people at the age of two when he was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor.
Now, although he has said that he hopes to live more than 100 years, the unknown of his succession, which according to Buddhist tradition must occur in Tibet through his “reincarnation”, continues to mark the last years of his legacy.
