Dharamsala, India // The Dalai Lama marked his official 80th birthday on Sunday, with prayers and celebrations at his hometown in exile but little to show for decades of lobbying seeking greater Tibetan autonomy.
The Nobel laureate will be in the United States when he turns 80 on July 6, but Sunday was his official birthday according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, and he celebrated with his family, fans and followers in Dharamsala.
The Tibetan spiritual leader told fellow exiles and Indian and foreign dignitaries that he expected to live another 20 years and would continue to work for the promotion of compassion and religious harmony.
“I hope you will join me again to celebrate my 90th birthday,” he said in a speech at the Tsuglakhang Temple in Dharamsala, the north Indian hill town where he has lived since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
The leader of the government-in-exile wished the Dalai Lama a happy birthday on behalf of all Tibetans, thanking him for his lifelong commitment to safeguarding Tibet and its culture and for his teachings on “universal responsibility to foster religious harmony worldwide”.
“You have empowered us with democracy and hope... for the people around the world, you are the beacon of hope and light to all the people,” Lobsang Sangay told an 8,000-strong crowd.
“For Tibetans, you are the life and the soul of Tibet.”
The event included traditional dancing and a special long-life prayer for the Buddhist spiritual leader, who shows no sign of slowing down.
Although he has officially given up his political role, the Dalai Lama maintains a hectic schedule of foreign travel and is due to visit Britain this month before travelling on to the United States.
But his retirement from politics in 2011 was a reminder to exiled Tibetans that the man who remains the universally recognised face of the movement will not be around forever.
“The two big questions are what will happen after he’s gone and whether Tibetans inside and outside China will look to his replacement in the same way,” said Jayadeva Ranade, president of the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy in New Delhi.
Sunday’s ceremony in Dharamsala – home to thousands of Tibetan refugees – is a time for celebration, but also for reflection on the Dalai Lama’s push for greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule.
The elderly monk’s promotion of non-violence along with his ready laugh have made him a global peace icon and kept Tibet firmly in the global spotlight.
He has been a unifying force for Tibetans inside and outside the mountainous region, but has little to show for his decades of lobbying.
Formal negotiations with Beijing broke down in 2010 after making no headway, and many exiled Tibetans remain deeply sceptical about renewing them.
*Agence France-Presse