Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, gave on Monday the strongest indication yet that the 600-year-old institution would continue after his death, at prayer celebrations for his 90th birthday.The Dalai Lama joined thousands of Buddhist followers on Monday in the prayer celebrations, a landmark event resonating far beyond the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades.”As far as the institution of the Dalai Lama, there will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about its continuation”, he said, speaking in Tibetan.The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, is according to Tibetans the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.Draped in traditional maroon and yellow robes, the Dalai Lama sat and listened to speeches and chants of monks, nuns, pilgrims, as well as well-wishers from across the world on Monday.”Though I am 90 years old, physically I am very healthy,” he said, before tasting a slice of Tibetan-style birthday cake, an elaborately decorated tower made from roasted barley and butter cut in front of him.”In the time I have left, I will continue to dedicate myself to the well-being of others as much as possible,” he said.- ‘Continuation’ -The Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday is more than a personal milestone.The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist Tenzin Gyatso is also expected to reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him.The Dalai Lama has said the institution will continue only if there is popular demand — and is widely expected to reveal that decision on Wednesday.The occasion carries profound weight not only for Tibetans, but also for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion, and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.”We offer our fervent devotions that Tenzin Gyatso, protector of the Land of Snows, lives for one hundred eons,” a chorus of red-robed monks sang.”May all your noble aspirations be fulfilled,” they added, in front of a crowd that included religious leaders of many faiths.His advancing age has also sparked concern over the future of Tibetan leadership and the delicate question of his succession.While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a “simple Buddhist monk”.Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name a successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950.The Dalai Lama has been lauded by his followers for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau in China about the size of South Africa.The Dalai Lama handed over political authority in 2011 to an exiled government chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally.At the same time, he warned that the future of his spiritual post faced an “obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system”.

The Dalai Lama, the charismatic Buddhist spiritual leader lauded worldwide for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for his Tibetan homeland, will celebrate his 90th birthday in July.A thorn in China’s side, Tenzin Gyatso became the face of the Tibetan cause as he crisscrossed the globe, mixing with royalty, politicians and celebrities.With his famous beaming smile, the Dalai Lama has become a global symbol of peace whose message transcends religion. He is regarded by his many supporters as a visionary in the vein of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.The Dalai Lama was just 23 when he fled the Tibetan capital Lhasa in fear for his life, after Chinese troops crushed an uprising that began on March 10, 1959.It took him 13 days to cross the Himalayas to the Indian border. He has never returned.His life in exile has centred around the northern Indian hill-town of Dharamsala, home to thousands of fellow Tibetans who maintain traditional customs, even though many have never set foot in their ancestral homeland.In Dharamsala, he set up a government-in-exile and launched a campaign to reclaim Tibet, evolving to adopt a “middle way” approach that relinquished demands for independence for calls for greater autonomy.- Unlikely celebrity -In 1989, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his bid to “seek reconciliation despite brutal violations”.The award catapulted him into the global spotlight, and he was courted by world leaders and Hollywood stars.In his maroon robes, simple sandals and wide-rimmed spectacles, the Dalai Lama is an unlikely celebrity.But his sense of mischief — he once announced he would like to reincarnate as an attractive blonde — and infectious chuckle have proved irresistible, making him a darling of the world’s media.The Chinese government, however, has remained impervious to his charm, branding him a separatist and a “wolf in a monk’s robe”.Tibet has alternated over the centuries between independence and control by China, and Beijing says the region is an integral part of the country.The Dalai Lama wants greater autonomy for his people, including the right to worship freely and to preserve their culture, which many Tibetans say has been crushed under Chinese rule.Formal negotiations with Beijing broke down in 2010.A year later, the Dalai Lama retired from politics to make way for a new leader elected by exiled Tibetans around the world.- Life of exile -Born into a farming family in the Tibetan village of Taktser on July 6, 1935, he was chosen as the 14th incarnation of Tibetan Buddhism’s supreme religious leader at the age of two.He was given the name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso — Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith and Ocean of Wisdom — and taken to Lhasa’s 1,000-room Potala Palace to be trained to become the leader of his people.He indulged a precocious scientific curiosity, playing with a watch sent to him by US president Franklin Roosevelt and repairing cars, one of which he crashed into a palace gate.But his childhood ended abruptly at age 15, when he was hastily enthroned as head of state after the Chinese army invaded Tibet in 1950.Nine years later, as Chinese troops crushed a popular uprising, he escaped to India.When told the Dalai Lama had fled, Chinese leader Mao Zedong reportedly said: “In that case, we have lost the battle.”He was welcomed by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who offered Dharamsala as a base for him and thousands of fellow Tibetan refugees.Throughout the Dalai Lama’s life, he has been treated as an honoured guest in India — an official policy stance that has been a source of tension with China.It is unclear how, or even whether, his successor will be named, with his predecessors chosen by monks according to ancient Buddhist traditions.He has alternatively suggested the next Dalai Lama could be a girl, that his spirit could transfer to an adult successor, or that he could even be the last in the line — and that he might be reincarnated as an animal or an insect instead.But he has always been clear that any successor named by China would not be credible.”No recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People’s Republic of China,” he said.burs-pjm/rsc/sco