DHARAMSHALA, India: The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, turns 90 on Sunday (Jul 6) 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.
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 Tibetan people.
Thousands of followers from around the world, celebrities and officials from the United States and India, will attend his birthday celebrations in Dharamshala, the small Indian town in the foothills of the Himalayas where the Dalai Lama lives.
During the celebrations, which will include cultural performances and remarks by long-time follower and Hollywood star Richard Gere as well as federal Indian ministers, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to deliver a speech.
