His Holiness the Dalai Lama attended celebrations in Leh, Ladakh, today to mark the occasion of his 91st birthday, with as estimated 25,000 well-wishers and followers gathered for the public event, which was held in Leh’s Shewatsel Teaching Ground.
The Dalai Lama arrived in Ladakh on 28 June, where he was received by throngs of local residents with a warm welcome. Monastics and lay well-wishers gathered along the route to hoping to glimpse His Holiness as he proceeded to Shewatsel Phodrang, where he will reside during his stay in Ladakh.
Today’s public birthday celebration was organized by the Ladakh Buddhist Association, the All Ladakh Gonpa Association, and the Central Tibetan Association.
Revered by millions of Tibetans and respected by Buddhists around the world, the Dalai Lama has spent his life promoting compassion and nonviolence and compassion. After fleeing Tibet in 1959, he established the Tibetan government-in-exile in the Dharamsala, northern Indian, his official residence, while advocating for greater cultural and political autonomy for Tibet.
Addressing the thousands gathered for the occasion of his birthday, the Dalai Lama said: ““Today, here in Ladakh, people have unwavering faith, devotion, and strong spiritual bonds. Many people from around the world have also gathered here. You have been praying that I will live long, and from my side I pray:
Wherever the Buddha’s teaching has not spread,
And wherever it has spread but has declined,
May I, moved by great compassion, clearly elucidate,
This treasury of excellent benefit and happiness for all. . . .
“On my part, as soon as I wake in the morning I say this prayer as Jé Tsongkhapa has written among the dedication verses at the end of his Great Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, ‘Where the Dharma has not spread, or where it has spread but declined, may I be the one who revives and spreads it out of compassion. . . .’
“So, this is my 91st birthday, I’ve reached the age of 91. When I look back on my life, this altruistic thought to help others has been at the core of my practice. This is what I think about the moment I wake up every day. People everywhere seem to admire me because of this sense of warm-heartedness, the thought to benefit others, that I cherish within.
“I’m 91, but according to indications in my dreams it seems I may yet live to be 130. So, I hope to be able to help Chinese people through the teaching of the Buddha and also to help people around the world to lead good, positive lives. This is what I aspire to do—thank you.” (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in Dharamsala published a public statement today in honor of His Holiness:
“On behalf of all Tibetans in Tibet and in exile, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile wishes to express immense joy, devotion, and delight in offering heartfelt and sincere greetings and felicitations to His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama, the very embodiment of universal compassion, a noble protector of the world, a supreme sovereign of the entire corpus of Buddhist teachings on this earth, and a great friend to all infinite beings despite the absence of any prior intimacy, on this very auspicious day of his attaining 91 years of age, holding in petal-formation our ten fingers to our hearts, and offering countless prostrations before him. . . .
“His Holiness has ensured the preservation and sustenance of the excellent cultural heritage of the Tibetan land of Dharma, which has its origin in the immaculate expanse of the view and conduct of the peerless Buddha himself. Through this, he has striven to fulfill the innate desire of all beings, with their seeking of happiness and avoiding suffering, through efforts that are rooted in the foundation of noble conduct. And he has enhanced this foundation to promote environmental protection, religious harmony, peaceful resolution of wars and conflicts, and other immeasurable activities extending across time and space, thereby assuming universal responsibility with a view to contribute to global peace in an ongoing effort. . . .
“As thus beseeched by the sage of the melody of truth, may Your Holiness sustain your living presence in your seven-fold posture of Vairocana for tens of thousands of aeons, with all your wishes being seen fulfilled with spontaneity and without exception, and with a definite rising of the sun of happiness of the reuniting of the Tibetans in Tibet and in exile, so that you will set your lotus feet on the Snowland of Tibet and bask in the joy of dwelling in the perfect world.”
Click here to read the CTA’s full statement.
The birthday observances also mark the conclusion of the “Year of Compassion”—a series of events aimed at sharing the Dalai Lama’s message of peace that began on the Tibetan spiritual leader’s 90th birthday in 2025.*
In a message shared on social media, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi extended birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama, praising his longstanding commitment to world peace and interfaith harmony.
Modi remarked that the Dalai Lama’s message of peace continued to inspire people across the world: “Warm birthday greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His message of peace and harmony has been a guiding force for people across the world. His moral and spiritual strength and his commitment to global good are commendable. Wishing him a long and healthy life.” (X)
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te also shared birthday wishes for the Dalai Lama on social media today. Lai wished His Holiness good health and happiness and thanks ed him for his lifelong devotion to peace and compassion.
In early June, prior to departing for Leh, the Dalai Lama traveled for medical treatment to New Delhi, where he underwent surgery on his left leg.
“Throughout his treatment, His Holiness’s personal medical team and the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama remained in close coordination with the administrative and medical staff at Apollo Hospitals. His Holiness is stable and expected to make full recovery. He was discharged on Friday morning, 12 June, “ said Dr. Rajesh Malhotra, Senior Consultant at Apollo Hospitals.
“It has been a great honor for the hospital and the medical team to serve His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We are grateful for the trust and confidence placed in us and privileged to have been able to contribute to His Holiness’s care.” (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
The only way to reduce the level of violence in our world is for more and more people across the globe to consciously adopt a stance of disarmament. . . . What is required, therefore, is both inner disarmament, at the level of our individual hatred, prejudice, and intolerance, and outer disarmament, at the level of nations and states. — His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
See more
Celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 91st Birthday (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
His Holiness’s 91st Birthday Celebration (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
His Holiness Arrives in Leh, Ladakh (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
Medical Update (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
Statement of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile on the Commemoration of the 91st Birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Central Tibetan Administration)
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