Newsmakers

Still Exiled From His Native Tibet, The Dalai Lama Celebrates His 90th Birthday

On July 6, 2025, thousands gathered in Dharamshala, India, as the Dalai Lama marked his 90th birthday, capping off a week of heartfelt events. The festivities officially launched with a special “long-life prayer” ceremony, invoking blessings from classic Buddhist liturgy.

Indian PM Modi, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio—even former Presidents Obama, Clinton, and Bush sent warm regards.

International figures such as Richard Gere traveled to join the ceremonies—witnessing monks play Tibetan instruments, bagpipes, and drums in a jubilant courtyard celebration.

In his address, the Nobel laureate reflected on a life devoted to others, and he vowed to continue his four commitments: human values, interfaith harmony, ancient wisdom, and the preservation of Tibetan culture. He reaffirmed his intention to reincarnate per Buddhist tradition, explicitly stating that succession will be guided by the Tibetan exile community—not by the Chinese.

His succession plans sparked geopolitical interest: his clear stance that his sacred successor will be chosen by the Gaden Phodrang Trust and Tibetan monastics—outside China—directly challenges Beijing’s claims to authority.

Published by Tandy Culpepper

I am a veteran broadcast journalist. I was an Army brat before my father retired and moved us to the deep South. I'm talkin' Lower Alabama and Northwest Florida, I graduated from Tate High School and got botha Bachelor's degree and Master's in Teaching English from the University of West Florida, I taught English at Escambia County High School for two years before getting my m's in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Auburn University. Following graduation, I did a 180 degree turn and moved to Birmingham where I began ny broadcasting career at WBIQ, Channel 10. There I was host of a weekly primetime half-hour TV program called Alabama Lifestyles. A year later, I began a stint as a television weathercaster and public affairs host. A year later, I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida and became bureau chief at WPTV, the CBS affiliate. Two years later, I moved to Greensboro, North Carolina where I became co-host of a morng show called AM Carolina. The next year, I moved cross-country and became co-host and story producer at KTVN-TV in Reno, Nevada. I also became the medical reporter for the news department. Three years later, I moved to Louisville, Kentucky and became host and producer of a morning show called today in WAVE Country at WAVE-TV, Channel 3, the NBC affiliate. Following three years there, I moved to Los Angeles and became senior correspondent at the Turner Entertainment Reportn, an internationally-syndicated entertainment entertainment news service owned by CNN. I went back to school afterwards and got an MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. Oh, yes. I won a hundred thousand dollars on the 100 Thousand Dollar Pyramid, then hosted by Dick Clark.

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