By Thubten Samphel, Published in East Asia Gazette, 2 July 2021

On Tuesday, 6th July, 2021, the Dalai Lama turns 86.

Tibetans in Tibet and those in exile will celebrate the occasion and wish him continued good health and long life.

Tibetans and people along the Buddhist Himalayan belt will be joined by millions across the globe whose lives have been touched and in many cases changed by the Tibetan leader’s message of strengthening our positive inner qualities.

They in turn will be joined by the people of Mongolia and those of Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmukia, the three republics within the Russian Federation, all of which constituted and still constitute the traditional parish of the Dalai Lamas of Tibet.

While celebrating the life and teachings of the present Dalai Lama, millions across the globe will look to the future with fear and foreboding. This in part arises from the fact that there have been disruptions in the Dalai Lama succession in the past.

Read the full article here.