Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Happy 81st Birthday, Dalai Lama

CC Liu, Ashley Wells, Seth Auberon, Wisdom Quarterly; DalaiLama.com

Even the Dalai Lama was once a novice or samanera in the monastery (Anekoho/flickr)
 
Tibetan monastics pray, Mahabodhi Temple
People in Asia do not customarily celebrate birthdays the way we do, glorifying the individual, showering him or her with gifts for being born. Asian use birthdays to give thanks to their parents and the temple for being born and having the good fortune to hear the Dharma.

In spite of China, I made it to 81!
When as Americans we bring a monk or nun a birthday cake, it has to be embarrassing and butt backwards. They must know we mean well and even regard our intention with sympathy.

So the whole world celebrates the exiled spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, even the CIA and Washington, D.C., lovers of peace. He turns 81 today. 

The current Dalai Lama will participate in the concluding ceremony of his yearlong 80th Birthday Celebrations in the morning at Drepung Monastery organized by the Geluk Organizing Committee.
 
Dalai Lama expresses sadness over passing away of Jewish writer Elie Wiesel
His Holiness the Dalai Lama Expresses Sadness over the Passing Away of Elie Wiesel (July 3, 2016) Palden Drepung, Mundgod, Karnataka, India - The Dalai Lama wrote this morning to Mrs. Marion Wiesel to tell her how saddened he was to learn that her husband, Elie Wiesel, had passed away in New York. He wrote: "Among his many qualities he was a steady friend of the Tibetan people."

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