DHARAMSHALA, India — Tibetan religious chief the Dalai Lama mentioned that he hopes to reside till he’s over 130 years outdated, days after he laid out a succession plan by saying he plans to reincarnate after his death.
The Dalai Lama, who’s celebrating his ninetieth birthday on Sunday, made these feedback throughout a ceremony organized by his followers to supply prayers for his lengthy life.
“I’ve been in a position to serve the Buddha dharma and the beings of Tibet thus far fairly effectively, and I hope to reside over 130 years,” the Dalai Lama instructed 1000’s of followers who had gathered Saturday in India’s northern city of Dharamshala.
Dharamshala has been the Dalai Lama’s residence in exile since 1959 after he fled Tibet within the wake of a failed rebellion towards Chinese language rule. Since then, he has sustained Tibet’s aspirations for greater autonomy underneath Chinese language Communist Celebration rule and mobilized Tibetans inside and out of doors China.
On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama mentioned that he intends to reincarnate, paving the way in which after his demise for a successor to tackle a mantle stretching again 500 years. Tibetan Buddhists consider the Dalai Lama can select the physique into which he’s reincarnated.
That announcement ended years of hypothesis that began when he indicated that he could be the final particular person to carry the position.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning religious head of Tibetan Buddhism additionally mentioned that the following Dalai Lama must be discovered and acknowledged as per previous Buddhist traditions, whereas stressing that his workplace will lead the search.
China views the Dalai Lama as a separatist and has insisted that solely Beijing has the authority to approve his successor.
In the meantime, the exiled Tibetan neighborhood of greater than 20,000 individuals in Dharamshala is gearing as much as have a good time the Dalai Lama’s birthday on Sunday. His followers have put up big posters and billboards throughout city, as tens of 1000’s of persons are anticipated to attend the occasion, together with Buddhist leaders of assorted sects and followers from internationally.
Barbara Weibel, a U.S. citizen who has been following Buddhism for greater than 30 years, mentioned she “needed to be right here for this.”
“I need this lengthy life ceremony to maintain him alive so long as doable,” she mentioned.