Washington: In North America, various events are being held to mark the upcoming 90th birthday celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As part of these celebrations, the Tibetan Association of Boston (TAB) and the Kurukulla Centre for Tibetan Buddhist Studies jointly organised a gathering of representatives from various religious traditions on the fifteenth day of Saga Dawa. The event held at the Kurukulla Centre aimed to welcome the upcoming Year of Compassion, commemorating the 90th birth anniversary (Ghoton) of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
President of the Tibetan Association of Boston, Yama Thoulutsang, and Geshe Ngawang Trinley of the Tibetan Buddhist Kurukulla Dharma Centre announced that His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will turn 90 in July 2025. In line with the official declaration by the Kashag of the Central Tibetan Administration—designating the year beginning with His Holiness’s birthday as the “Year of Compassion”—the Dharma Centre and the Community Association jointly organised an interfaith gathering on the evening of Saga Dawa. This welcoming ceremony honoured His Holiness and highlighted the importance of interfaith harmony, one of his four principal commitments.
The event brought together Buddhist monks and nuns from the Tibetan tradition, as well as interfaith representatives from various communities, including Vietnam, China, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, and Middle Eastern countries. These representatives reflected a range of faiths, including Judaism, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian.
Distinguished guests included Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Massachusetts State Representatives Paul J. Donato and Tackey Chan, former Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, Thondup Tsering of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and North and South America representative, as well as various non-governmental officials who joined local residents at the gathering.
