“He belongs to world, universe…” American actor Richard Gere at Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations

ANI

Dharamshala (HP), July 06, 2025(ANI):  Hollywood actor and practising Buddhist, Richard Gere, receives blessings from Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamshala on his 90th birthday celebration. He said, “He doesn't really care that much about birthdays. But we care about birthdays, but especially this birthday. Hello from His Holiness's point of view. Every moment is a birthday. Every breath is a birthday; every heartbeat is a birthday….”

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00:00Thank you very much.

00:30Thank you very much.

01:05But also the presence of all the extraordinary people here, the spiritual community, the secular

01:14community, all these wonderful diplomats and representatives from around the world come

01:21here to pay their respects to one of the most extraordinary people who have ever walked

01:30on this planet.

01:32I know his Holiness famously doesn't really care that much about birthdays, but we care

01:46about birthdays.

01:48But especially this birthday.

01:53I know from his Holiness' point of view, every moment is a birthday.

02:00Every breath is a birthday.

02:02Every heartbeat is a birthday.

02:07That's what he's taught us.

02:09And that's what we should be living with this openness and love and compassion for all beings.

02:18I mean, my own life is a pretty typical Western life, and I think I'm speaking for all the Westerners

02:28who are watching this online right now or however you watch these things.

02:32We've never seen someone like this who totally embodies selflessness, complete love and compassion and wisdom.

02:49We've never seen a human being like this.

02:54I mean, I grew up a Christian, and certainly we understood compassion from our teacher, Jesus Christ.

03:03But I don't think we've understood this combination of compassion and wisdom until we encountered His Holiness to Dalai Lama.

03:14So, I'm going to keep this really short because there are so many speakers.

03:26But Your Holiness, on behalf of all of us and as Westerners, there was something very sweet that I saw at a religious conference a few days ago

03:36after the proclamation that His Holiness agreed to continue the institution of the Dalai Lama.

03:48But many of the Lamas who spoke out when there was an open discussion were openly declaring,

03:56Look, His Holiness the Dalai Lama doesn't belong to Tibet anymore.

04:02His Holiness belongs to the world.

04:11And he belongs to the universe.

04:17And although this body, this extraordinary precious body of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is now 90 years old,

04:25Of course, His Holiness is Chen Rezi.

04:30He's outside of time and space.

04:33Beyond all concept.

04:39The most extraordinary biped to ever walk on this planet.

04:43Thank you, Your Holiness.

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