(TibetanReview.net, Jul14, 2015) – Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama; Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives and currently the House Minority Leader, and Hollywood star Richard Gere were among the people who spoke passionately about their support for Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his cause, and their personal admiration for him during a long-life ceremony for him held in New York City on Jul 10. The event saw a gathering of more than 15,000 people in the Javits Convention Centre and was part of grand celebrations in several countries and many cities marking the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday.
Ms Jarrett said she had come on behalf of President Obama “to convey the warmth of the American people to His Holiness”. She said very few other people had made such positive contribution to humanity as His Holiness had with his unwavering message of compassion. “We celebrate today an extraordinary leader, a good man, a man with amazing grace. I wish you health and vigour to live to 120.”
Ms Pelosi said there was no better way to stand with His Holiness on his 80th birthday than to stand with the Tibetan people.
The head of the exile Tibetan administration at Dharamshala, India, Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, and the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Mr Penpa Tsering, also spoke.
Earlier in the day, asthe Dalai Lama drove down alongside the Hudson River to the Javits Convention Center for conferring a White Tara long-life empowerment, following the previous day’s religious teaching, a light aircraft flew in the clear blue sky overhead, trailing a banner wishing him a long life. After the empowerment ceremony, monks of the Dalai Lama’s Namgyal Monastery conducted the Long-Life Offering on behalf of the North American Tibetan Association and the Himalayan Buddhist, Mongolian and Russian communities.
The afternoon was devoted to birthday celebrations and festivities during which the speeches were made.
HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA HAS BECOME GLOBAL LEADER OF HUMANITY AND HIS POPULARITY IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER WORLD LEADERS(POLITICIANS/MUSICIANS/MOVIE STARS)
CHINA REFUSING TO TALK FOR TIBET OTONOMOUS REGION BECAUSE CHINESE REGEMES ARE AFRAID IF DALAI LAMA RETURNS TO TIBET. NOT ONLY TIBETANS, THIER 1.3 BILLIONS CHINESE WILL FOLLOW HIS HOLINESS DALAI LAMA AND CHINESE LEADER HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO RULE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS PERCEPTION. HIS HOLINESS DALAI LAMA HAS GIVEN UP WORLDLY TO CHINESE REGIMES NOT SEEKING INDEPENDENCE. THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS TIBET WAS NEVER PART OF CHINA AND I BELIEVE TIBET WILL NEVER BE PART OF CHINA.
I WISH HIS HOLINESS THE 14TH DALAI LAMA WILL LIVE UP TO 125 YEARS. EVERY SINGLE DAY I HAVE NOT PASSED WITHOUT WISHING THIS TO HIS HOLINESS. HAPPY BIRTH DAY HIS HOLINESS. SYDNEY AUSTRALIA