The Dalai Lama has turned 90, surrounded by thousands of followers who came to the Himalayan town of Dharamshala.
The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has been living in exile there since fleeing Chinese rule in 1959.
Sitting before a packed audience that included hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns who braved unrelenting rain to see him, he said: “When I look back on my life, I see that I have not wasted it at all.”
“I live my life in the service of other sentient beings,” he added.
Recognised worldwide in his red robes and wide smile, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, describes himself as a “simple Buddhist monk.”
But millions of Tibetan Buddhists worship him as a living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion.
The birthday party capped a week of celebrations, during which the Nobel Peace Prize winner said he plans to reincarnate after his death, ending years of speculation that he might be the last person to hold the role.
He also said that the next Dalai Lama should be recognised as per past Buddhist traditions.
On Saturday, the Dalai Lama said he hoped to live until the age of 130.
In the past, the Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born in the “free world” — outside China.
Many exiled Tibetans, however, fear China will name its own successor to the Dalai Lama to bolster control over Tibet, a territory it poured troops into in 1950 and has ruled ever since.
China, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, has repeatedly said that it alone has the authority to approve the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. It also says it will reject anyone chosen without Beijing’s consent.
Dignitaries including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sent their wishes to the Tibetan leader.
Modi said the Dalai Lama has “been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline,” while Rubio said the Buddhist spiritual leader “continues to inspire people by embodying a message of unity, peace and compassion.”
The celebration was also attended by hundreds of followers from around the world including Hollywood movie star Richard Gere.
“He is the most extraordinary man to ever walk on this planet,” said Gere, as the crowd broke into a rapturous applause.
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