Blessed for Dalai Lama’s presence in India, says Rijiju

The Union minister, a practising Buddhist, said the Dalai Lama is one of the most revered, admired and worshipped global spiritual leaders and the most honoured guest of India.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju, who attended the 90th birthday celebration of Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama on Sunday, said that the country feels blessed for his presence in India.

Union ministers Kiren Rijiju, Rajiv Ranjan and others during Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama's 90th birth anniversary celebrations, at Dharamshala, on Sunday. (ANI)

The Union minister, a practising Buddhist, said the Dalai Lama is one of the most revered, admired and worshipped global spiritual leaders and the most honoured guest of India. “We feel blessed for his presence in our country which he regards as “Aryabhumi”. His Holiness the Dalai Lama profoundly calls himself the son of India and he is one of the greatest ambassadors of ancient Indian knowledge. It is a matter of pride and honour for India and Indians to have you (Dalai Lama) in our midst.”

Speaking at Tsuglhakhang temple at McLeodganj in Dharamshala, Rijiju said, “Dalai Lama has always held the view that India can make significant contributions towards world peace, through inner peace by utilising ancient Indian knowledge and combining it with modern education. He has time and again reiterated the need for India to revive its ancient knowledge.”

“As devotee myself and on behalf of the millions across the world, I want to emphatically state that whatever decision taken by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the established conventions and traditions, we will fully abide by it and we will follow the directions and guidelines to be issue from the institution of Dalai Lama,” the Union minister said.

Rijiju said that this is a celebration of a remarkable life dedicated to compassion, wisdom and non-violence. “Dalai Lama is a living bridge between ancient wisdom and the modern world. For over seven decades you have carried the light of Buddha’s teachings with humility and clarity, guiding not only the followers of Tibetan Buddhism but people of all faiths and backgrounds – towards a more compassionate and ethical way of life,” he said.