Washington: A three-day celebration marking the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday kicked off Sunday, as thousands of supporters – and some protesters – gathered in Anaheim, California to hear the spiritual leader speak.
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The Dalai Lama in 2012. As the Chicago Tribune has also reported, he has said that had he not become a monk, he would have become an engineer.
“In many ways, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has profoundly touched not only the lives of the Tibetan people, but also countless others throughout the world”, said Tashi Namgyal, North American Representative to the Tibetan Parliament and co-chair of the Gratitude Events Organising Committee.
The Dalai Lama marked his official 80th birthday last month – on June 21 according to the Tibetan lunar calendar – in Dharamsala, his hometown in exile in India.
The group claims that the Dalai Lama denounced a deity revered by the group, causing rifts between families and ostracizing Shugden followers from the mainstream Tibetan community.
China accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to split Tibet from the rest of China and has called him a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”.
The three-day celebration will continue with a talk on climate change Monday and a discussion on youth leadership Tuesday.
Actress Dia Mirza tweeted, “Happy Birthday Dalai Lama thank you for helping me become a better person”.
The 80-year-old, whose English is sometimes disjointed, said that everyone had the potential for compassion, including violent extremists. “As a force for good, you’ve given us all so much”. Relive the footage with Music Feeds’ Glastonbury 2015 All-Action Replay.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate, said at an Iowa event that he would not support removing tax-exempt status from groups that refuse to recognize gay marriages because “we have religious freedom and I respect people who have different points of view”.
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People of diverse faith and non-faith traditions around the world are inspired by his messages of peace, compassion, and non-violence.
