Dharamshala: To mark the occasion of his 86th birthday, the Dalai Lama in an early morning virtual address reiterated to serve humanity and work for protecting the environment as birthday greetings poured in from all corners of the globe.
The Dalai Lama said, “I am just one human being. Many people really show they love me. And many people actually love my smile. In spite of my old age, my face is quite handsome. Many people really show me genuine friendship.”
“Now that it is nearly my birthday, I want to express my deep appreciation to all my friends who have really shown me love, respect and trust. For myself, I can assure you that for the rest of my life I am committed to serving humanity and working to protect the climate condition .”
“Since I became a refugee and now settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India’s freedom and religious harmony. I want to assure you that for the rest of my life I am committed to reviving ancient Indian knowledge.”
“I really appreciate the Indian concept of secular values, not dependent on religion, such as honesty, karuna (compassion) and ahimsa (non-violence).”
“So, my dear friends, on my birthday, this is my gift. Please keep it in mind. I myself am committed to non-violence and compassion until my death.”
“This is my offering to my friends. I hope my friends will also keep non-violence and compassion for the rest of your lives. All my human brothers and sisters should have these two things – non-violence and compassion,” the Dalai Lama concluded.
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 20 years of experience.
He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI.
In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism award. He reports on the Tibetan Government in Exile, politics, sports, tourism and other topics. He lives in Dharamshala.
