where the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has been living in exile since fleeing Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959. Sitting before a packed audience that included hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns who braved incessant rain to see him, he said: “When I look back on my life, I see that I have not wasted it at all.” “I live my life in the service of other sentient beings,” he added. Dressed in a traditional robe and a flowing yellow wrap, the Dalai Lama was escorted to the temple courtyard by a group of monks as Tibetan artistes beat drums and played bagpipes while senior lamas struck cymbals in his honour. The head of the democratically elected Tibetan government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, raised the Tibetan flag as the musicians played the Tibetan anthem. Recognised worldwide in his red robes and wide smile, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, describes himself as a “simple Buddhist monk”. But millions of Tibetan Buddhists worship him as living manifestations of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion. The birthday party capped a week of celebrations during which the Nobel Peace Prize winner said he plans to reincarnate after his death, ending years of speculation that he might be the last person to hold the role. He also said that the next Dalai Lama should be recognised as per past Buddhist traditions. (Jamaica Gleaner)