The Dalai Lama, Buddhism’s spiritual leader, has celebrated his 90th birthday in his hometown, Dharamshala in India. He has been living there in exile since he escaped Tibet in 1959.
Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th and longest living Dalai Lama in history. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
Thousands celebrated with him, including Hollywood star Richard Gere, a long-term supporter and friend of the Dalai Lama.
During the ceremony, which featured singing and dancing performances, the Dalai Lama was dressed in his traditional robe and accompanied by a group of monks. Statesmen from around the world have sent their birthday wishes to the Tibetan leader.
Tibetans believe in reincarnation and the Dalai Lama has announced that only his office will be able to name his successor, who should be born outside of China. In contrast, China’s government insists that it will appoint the next Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama in 2012
Image: Christopher Michel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Words
- accompany = if someone is with you
- announce = to say officially
- appoint = here: to give someone an official job
- ceremony = special event
- exile = you have to leave your country and live somewhere else, because of political reasons
- featured = to have as a highlight
- government = the people who rule a country
- including = also
- in contrast = on the other hand
- insist = here: to demand that something should happen
- long-term = for a long time
- monk = a man who lives in a monastery (a place where men live together, pray and lead a simple life)
- Nobel Peace Prize = a prize that you get because you have done things for peace around the world
- reincarnation = to believe that you live on in another person after you die
- robe = long peace of clothing
- spiritual = religious
- statesman = the leader of a government or country
- successor = the person who comes after him
- supporter = follower; someone who helps you and believes in your ideas