His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama celebrated his 75th birthday today with hundreds of cheering followers in Dharmsala, northern India, which has been his home since he fled Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.
Looking at posters depicting his life as a child, a young man and a spiritual leader, the man who has come to symbolise Tibet’s struggle against China said: “I remember my past and I feel that I haven’t wasted these years.”
In neighboring Nepal, police detained at least 22 Tibetan exiles on their way to a celebration for the Dalai Lama, according to an Associated Press reporter who was at the police station in Katmandu.
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Tuesday celebrated his 75th birthday, breaking from tradition to accept greetings in person from hundreds of cheering supporters from across the globe.
“When I see these pictures and remember my past, I know my life has not been wasted,” the Dalai Lama told the people who braved heavy rain to greet the leader at a temple near his official residence in McLeod Ganj, 15 kms from here.
The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, walked through the crowd smiling and waving as he received gifts and traditional white scarves from his followers and appeared to be in fine health.
“Even at this age, I find time for my Buddhist studies that give me strength, peace, happiness and good health,” he said, and urged the crowd to show compassion to others.
Thousands gather to celebrate Dalai Lama’s 75th birthday
Telegraph.co.uk – July 6, 2010
The Nobel laureate will address a crowd of 5,000 fans and followers at his temple in McLeod Ganj, a hill station in the Indian Himalayas where he has lived since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
In apparently fine health and showing no signs of slowing down despite his advanced years, the Buddhist spiritual leader will break with recent birthday tradition and greet well-wishers in person.
“Everything is ready,” said the man tasked with organising the festivities, Tashi Norbu, an official in the Tibetan government-in-exile based in nearby Dharamshala.
“This time, as it’s his 75th birthday, he also wanted to join the function,” he said.
Elsewhere, Tibetan communities in North America, Europe and Australia are gearing up for music and cultural events to celebrate the day, while numerous Internet campaigns are collecting birthday messages.
The Dalai Lama celebrated his 75th birthday today with hundreds of cheering followers in Dharmsala, northern India, which has been his home since he fled Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.
Looking at posters depicting his life as a child, a young man and a spiritual leader, the man who has come to symbolise Tibet’s struggle against China said: “I remember my past and I feel that I haven’t wasted these years.”
In neighbouring Nepal, police detained at least 22 Tibetan exiles on their way to a celebration for the Dalai Lama, according to an Associated Press reporter who was at the police station in Katmandu.
Katmandu Police Chief Ramesh Kharel said the Tibetans were taken for questioning and would be released.
The Dalai Lama turned 75 on Tuesday, a milestone marked by celebrations in his hometown-in-exile but tinged by sadness that his compatriots in Tibet were unable to honour the occasion.
Under relentless rain, the Tibetan spiritual leader addressed a packed crowd of 5,000 followers at his temple in McLeod Ganj, a hill station in the Indian Himalayas where he has lived since fleeing Tibet in 1959.
In a reminder of the situation in his homeland, where China views him as a dangerous separatist, he expressed regret that his followers there would be unable to pay tribute for fear of reprisal.
“The Tibetans in Tibet have a great desire to celebrate my birthday but they are not allowed to,” he said in Tibetan.
Staring out at a banner depicting him at various stages over the last three-quarters of a century, he reflected on his work of preaching peace and religious tolerance while keeping the issue of Tibet in the spotlight.
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