Dalai Lama celebrates 80th birthday in California

The objective of this prayer is to ask for a long and healthy life for the Dalai Lama and to preserve his Buddhist teachings.

Set for release Monday, July 6 on the Tibetan spiritual leader’s birthday, the album The Art of Peace: Songs for Tibet II features new, remixed or previously released tracks by iconic artists including Peter Gabriel, Sting and Kate Bush.

Rupert Hine, the British songwriter and producer who coordinated the musical selection, said that the Dalai Lama “is used to the people who are already sympathetic to his ideas”.

Shugden practitioners contend the Dalai Lama is practicing religious discrimination and abusing his power. In recent years, however, China has employed its growing influence – underpinned by the threat of diplomatic and economic pain – to compel a growing number of countries not to receive the Dalai Lama, thereby reducing his global visibility. Against this background, a Chinese-appointed “imposter” Dalai Lama could end up transforming a peaceful movement seeking autonomy into a violent underground struggle for independence. These accomplishments, and the Dalai Lama’s infectious laugh and warmth, explain why he is such a beloved and respected figure throughout the world. “The Dalai Lama was probably the best of them… but even he was naive and incalculable”.

As HH Dalai Lama says: “Be kind whenever possible”.

Addressing a crowd in Glastonbury’s Sacred Space, he said the very objective of existence was “a happy life”, and spoke of the importance of love, tolerance and forgiveness in resolving conflicts such as those in Syria and Iraq.

Several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the Honda Center, with some holding placards that read “Stop lying!” and “Hypocrisy”.

In 2011 the Dalai Lama delegated his political responsibilities to a prime minister elected by Tibetan exiles in an attempt to lessen his own totemic status and secure the movement’s future after his death. The Chinese government accuses him of trying to separate Tibet and labels him “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. The record was released amid high tensions in Tibet, where an uprising against China’s iron-fisted rule broke out ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Ex- foreign secretaries Shyam Saran, Lalit Mansingh and Shivshankar Menon, who is also a ex- NSA, and ex- union minister Arun Shourie shared anecdotes from their many interactions with the Tibetan spiritual leader, highlighting his great sense of humour and his humaneness, at a talk at the India worldwide Centre. “I’m dedicated to using my message and actions to bring hope and transformation to those in need”.

The Dalai Lama marked his official 80 birthday last month-on June 21 according to the Tibetan lunar calendar-in Dharamsala, his hometown in exile in India.