The 14th Dalai Lama has turned 90 and marked the occasion with a powerful message that brought comfort to followers and delivered a clear signal to Beijing.
In a long-awaited announcement made via video, His Holiness confirmed that the centuries-old institution of the Dalai Lama will continue after his death through the process of reincarnation — a declaration that puts to rest years of speculation.
“No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” he said, making it clear that only his charitable trust, the Gaden Phodrang, will have the right to recognise his successor.
The Dalai Lama’s statement came during the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference and was widely interpreted as a direct rejection of China’s long-standing claim that it will oversee the next reincarnation.
The Tibetan spiritual leader used his birthday message to thank well-wishers from around the world, including Tibetan communities, for their support and compassion. “On the occasion of my 90th birthday, I understand that well-wishers and friends in many places, including Tibetan communities, are gathering for celebrations.”
“I particularly appreciate the fact that many of you are using the occasion to engage in initiatives that highlight the importance of compassion, warm-heartedness, and altruism.”
Born in a small village called Taktser in north-eastern Tibet, the Dalai Lama was recognised as the reincarnation of his predecessor at the age of two.
After undergoing traditional tests, the boy, born Lhamo Dhondup, was confirmed as a “tulku” and formally recognised in 1939 as the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. He began his spiritual training at the age of five, studying Buddhist philosophy, poetry, logic, medicine and the arts.
At just 15, he became Tibet’s head of state following the Chinese invasion of 1950. As tensions with the newly formed People’s Republic of China escalated, Tibet was annexed in 1951. Fearing for his life during the 1959 uprising in Lhasa, His Holiness disguised himself and fled across the Himalayas with supporters, reaching India on 31 March.
The Dalai Lama later recalled in his autobiography:
“Everything was uncertain, except the compelling anxiety of all my people to get me away before the orgy of Chinese destruction and massacre began.”
He eventually settled in Dharamshala in northern India, where he established the Tibetan government-in-exile.
Over the decades, he became a global spiritual icon, meeting world leaders and religious figures, including the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury, and addressing parliaments and universities. His efforts to promote peace and human values earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
While Beijing labels him a separatist and insists that the next Dalai Lama must be approved by the central government, the Dalai Lama’s message is unwavering.
In 1995, he recognised a six-year-old boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, as the 11th Panchen Lama, a key figure in selecting future Dalai Lamas. The boy was detained by Chinese authorities days later and has never been seen again. China installed its own Panchen Lama, widely rejected by the Tibetan community as a political puppet.
Lobsang Sangay, former head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, warned,
“For Tibetans inside and outside Tibet, the one selected as per the instruction of the Dalai Lama will be the real one and the one selected by the Chinese government will be a fake one.”
The Dalai Lama’s teachings — rooted in compassion, peace of mind and ancient Indian wisdom — have helped bring Tibetan Buddhism to a global audience.
Sangay highlighted the release of a new book by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, titled Voice for the Voiceless, which documents “over seven decades of struggle with China for my land and my people.”
He has authored over 100 books, collaborated with scientists and philosophers, and attracted massive global audiences. American academic Robert Thurman once said, “The Dalai Lama always has an amazing effect on his audience; whether it’s one person or 30,000 people. People just blossom in his presence.”
In his birthday message, the Dalai Lama reaffirmed his core spiritual commitments.
“As for myself, I will continue to focus on my commitments of promoting human values, religious harmony, drawing attention to the ancient Indian wisdom which explains the workings of mind and emotions, and Tibetan culture and heritage, which has so much potential to contribute to the world through its emphasis on peace of mind and compassion.”
Quoting the 8th-century Indian Buddhist master Shantideva, he concluded:
“As long as space endures,
As long as sentient beings remain,
Until then, may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.”
With that, the 14th Dalai Lama reminded the world that while his body may age, the spirit of Tibetan Buddhism — and its unwavering pursuit of compassion — endures.
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