Sat Jul 05 05:55:02 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
On July 5, 2025, the Dalai Lama, speaking in Dharamshala ahead of his 90th birthday, expressed his hope to live past 130 years. This statement follows previous remarks about potentially living to 110 and allays concerns regarding his succession, reiterating that he will reincarnate and that the Gaden Phodrang Trust holds sole authority to recognize his reincarnation. The Dalai Lama also reaffirmed his commitment to serving beings and the Dharma while in exile in India. Beijing views him as a separatist and asserts its right to approve his successor, a claim the Dalai Lama has rejected.
**News Article:**
**Dalai Lama Expresses Hope to Live Past 130 Amid Succession Speculation**
*DHARAMSHALA, INDIA – July 5, 2025* – The 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, stated he hopes to live beyond the age of 130 during a ceremony celebrating his upcoming 90th birthday. The statement, made to hundreds of followers gathered in Dharamshala, India, comes amid ongoing speculation about his succession.
“I still hope to live for over 130 years,” the Dalai Lama said, reaffirming his dedication to serving others and upholding Buddhist teachings.
This declaration follows previous comments where he suggested he might live to 110 and directly addresses concerns surrounding his reincarnation. The Dalai Lama has stated that he will be reborn and that the Gaden Phodrang Trust holds the exclusive right to recognize his next incarnation.
The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in Dharamshala since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing considers him a separatist and insists that it must approve his successor, a claim the Dalai Lama has repeatedly rejected, stating his successor will be born in the free world.
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