(TibetanReview.net, Sep11’25) – Noting that we are living in an era of decline, the Dalai Lama has said Sep 10 that he still has a positive role to play for the benefit of humanity and reiterated his resolve to live for another 40 years or so, speaking at a long-life prayer ceremony being offered to him at the Tsuglakhang, Dharamshala, jointly be three Tibetan groups.
“Although we are living in an era of decline and many changes are taking place, at the same time the Dalai Lama has become widely admired around the world. As a result of karma I have created and prayers I have made in the past, I pray that meeting with me, or listening to my teaching, will leave a strong, positive imprint on your minds so you will be taken care of and guided by Chenrezig in life after life. Of course, you should make prayers about this too,” the Dalai Lama has said.
The bodhisattva Chenrezig is the protector deity of Tibet and the Dalai Lama is believed to be his reincarnation.
“You have offered prayers here today that I will live long and I have made my own prayers that I will be able to continue to fulfill my responsibilities for the benefit of the Tibetan people, our spiritual traditions and for humanity in general,” he has said.
Making it clear that neither the many ups and downs he had encountered in his life nor what the Chinese Communist Party-government has been saying about him had affected his health, the Dalai Lama has expressed determination to go where his karma takes him. “In China proper, there are growing numbers of people taking an interest in the Buddhist tradition. I am determined to be of benefit to everyone. I take a broad view and always try to look at things from a wider perspective, to benefit everyone without distinction,”
He has also said, “There are leaders in the world who exercise their power and authority through the use of weapons. The Dalai Lama, however, leads people with faith and reverence. not with guns or knives, I seek to benefit as many people as I can.”
The Dalai Lama has also spoken about what he had learnt and benefitted from the Buddhist texts and what text did not interest him. “I pursued my studies of the Perfection of Wisdom, the philosophy of the Middle Way and so forth. As far as the Treasury of Knowledge, the Abhidharmakosha, by Vasubandhu, is concerned, I had neither enthusiasm for nor much belief in its description of the formation of the world and so forth. But with regard to the Perfection of Wisdom, the Middle Way and logic, I got a taste of what they are about by studying them.”
The long-life prayer ceremony was offered jointly by Young Tibetans from Across the World, the Lhokha Cultural & Welfare Association and Namgyal Monastery’s Institute for Buddhist Studies in Ithaca, New York.
The ceremony was led by Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoché of Lhodrak Kharchu Monastery and Avikrita Vajra Rinpoché of the Sakya Phuntsok Phodrang. Around 4,000 people attended the ceremony.
Over the next three days, a Tibetan Youth Festival is being held with focus on commitment (damtshik), connection (drelam) and celebration (gahzom) as young Tibetans reaffirm their faith and reverence for His Holiness.