Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, July 23: The nonagenarian Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama reiterated his aspiration to live beyond the age of 130 during a long-life offering (Tenshug) ceremony presented by the people of Zanskar at the Padum teaching ground in Zanskar, Ladakh on Wednesday. This reaffirmation echoes a similar statement he made earlier during a long-life prayer ceremony offered by the Cabinet of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) on earlier this month.
During the event, the Tibetan spiritual leader blessed a model and laid the foundation stone for the proposed Zanskar Monlam Choerton. The Zanskar Buddhist Association, the Zanskar Gonpa Association, and the Karsha Gon Yarchos Chenmo Organizing Committee jointly organized the long-life prayer offering. The ceremony drew an estimated 10,000 attendees, including monks, nuns, and lay devotees from across the region.
Addressing the gathering, the Tibetan spiritual leader reflected on his lifelong dedication to preserving Tibetan Buddhism and promoting non-violence and compassion. “I made a commitment during the Great Prayer Festival in Lhasa to uphold the authentic teachings of the Buddha. Since then, I have done everything I could in service of this path,” he said.
Recalling his historic visit to China in 1954-55, the Dalai Lama shared, “Mao Zedong and I got along well. But once he told me that ‘religion is poison.’ I thought he was joking. In reality, all religions aim to cultivate kindness and morality. Our Buddhist tradition combines discipline with wisdom. Many scientists now approach me with questions of psychology, recognizing the depth of our teachings. Our faith is not blind, it is rooted in reasoning and contemplation.”
Reflecting on his own spiritual journey, he added, “From childhood, when I remember the qualities of my teachers, my heart and bones fill with faith. This is the kind of rational devotion taught in our scriptures.”
Encouraged by the unwavering devotion of the Zanskar people, His Holiness reiterated his determination to live for several more decades. “Today, I reaffirm that I will live for about 130 years. This is supported by clear prophecies and recurring signs in my dreams. The local deities and earth spirits seem pleased, and I continue to pray with determination, not only for the preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition but also for the global spread of non-violence and peace.”
“In this auspicious gathering, we have made sincere prayers from the depths of our hearts. I, the monk Tenzin Gyatso, am committed to continuing to serve humanity for another 30 to 40 years,” he said.
The remarks by the Tibetan leader has deep geopolitical implications, especially with Beijing which asserts authority over the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama as well as other reincarnated religious figures, in a bid to control the Buddhist majority population of Tibet.
