"I am just a simple Buddhist monk": the Dalai Lama celebrated his 90th birthday this Sunday

Draped in his burgundy robe and yellow scarf, the Tibetan spiritual leader beamed a mischievous smile at thousands of worshippers before prayers began. The chants of Buddhist monks echoed from the McLeod Ganj Monastery in northern India, where the Dalai Lama has spent most of his time since fleeing the Chinese repression in 1959 in Lhasa, Tibet.

As the celebrations unfolded throughout the week, Tenzin Gyatso (his real name) could not avoid the weighty subject of what comes next, as China demands the right to approve the name of his successor. Highly anticipated on the issue, he affirmed Wednesday that the institution would be "perpetuated," immediately triggering a firm response from Beijing, emphasizing that any successor must be "approved by the central government." The Dalai Lama, for his part, assured that his successor would "necessarily be born in the free world."

The responsibility for appointing a successor "will rest exclusively with the members of the Ganden Phodrang Trust, the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama," he said. "No one else has the authority to interfere in this matter." "Seeing him celebrate his 90th birthday today fills me with happiness, but also fills me with deep sadness," said Dorje Dolma, 27, who fled Tibet for India. "His Holiness has always been like a father figure to me. His good health brings me joy, but sometimes his age worries me."

Born on July 6, 1935, Tenzin Gyatso became the 14th spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people at the age of two, duly identified by Buddhist tradition as the reincarnation of his predecessor. Considered a dangerous separatist by Beijing, the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner embodies the fight for Tibetan freedom worldwide. This vast Himalayan territory, comparable in size to South Africa, was invaded in 1950 by Chinese troops, who declared it a province of China. Tenzin Gyatso has never set foot there since his exile in India.

The spiritual leader received greetings from the Prime Minister of the country hosting him on Sunday. "I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday," Narendra Modi said in a statement. "He is an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience, and moral discipline," he added, wishing him "good health and a long life."