The Dalai Lama turned 84 on Saturday and called for creating compassionate society and religious harmony.
The Tibetan spiritual leader said working for creatingcompassionate society and religious harmony is his best birthday gift.
He said this during a live teleconfernce with his followersin Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia from his residence here.
“If you truly love me than keep in your mind my threecommitments. And whatever we say, where ever you live, try to createcompassionate atmosphere, compassionate society, then religious harmony,”he said.
He asked them to tell more people about “Tibetanknowledge, which comes from Nalanda”.
Releasing a statement on the occasion, the Tibetan parliamentin exile thanked the Indian government and its people for extending assistanceto the Tibetan people.
“For the past 60 years the government and people ofIndia with whom Tibet had deep cultural ties since ancient times have been mostgenerous in extending every possible assistance and facilities to the Tibetanpeople during this difficult time,” it said.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed uprising againstthe Chinese rule in 1959. Since then, he is pushing for autonomy for Tibet.
Thousands of Tibetans including monks, nuns, students andforeigners joined the birthday celebrations at the main Buddhist templeTsuglagkhang here.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur extended warmgreetings to the Dalai Lama, an official spokesperson said.
The Chief Minister said the spiritual leader is an apostleof peace and struggle, who is known for his non-violent struggle for theliberation of Tibet.
“The Dalai Lama is not only the leader of Tibetanpeople but humanity at large,” he said.
The Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935, at Taktser hamletin north-eastern Tibet. He was recognised at the age of two as thereincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 forhis non-violent campaign for democracy and freedom in his homeland.