Today is His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 74th birthday. Thousands of Tibetan exiles in India and Nepal celebrated His Holiness's birthday. Yesterday, thousands stood in monsoon seasonal rains waiting outside His Holiness' residence in Dharamsala, the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile to join the birthday celebrations. His Holiness said that everyday is a new beginning, a fresh day, not just birthdays.
Born in 1935 in northeastern Amdo province of Tibet, Lhamo Dhondrub was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of 2. He was brought to Lhasa in October 1939, and enthroned as the head of the state of Tibet on February 22, 1940.
He fled to Dharamsala after a failed uprising against Chinese rule on March 10, 1959.
The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent campaign for democracy and freedom in his homeland.
A total of 140,000 Tibetans now live in exile, nearly 110,000 of them in 35 settlements across India. Six million Tibetans live inside Tibet.
Today, Indian and Australian governemnt officials meet in New Delhi to celerate His Holiness' birthday....strangely enough he shares his birth date with George W. Bush. At a luncheon here in San Francisco at St. Martin de Porres, His Holiness said he loved George Bush, that he was a great human being, but that his policies were a different matter. (See post Lunch with a Living Buddha from April, 2009)
Strangely enough, there are no news reports as of yet as to celebrations in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, which were most likely kept to a very low profile by Chinese authorities.
We hope one day in the years to come, he may have the opportunity to celebrate in Lhasa with his people.
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