Photo by Neal Patrick
You can read His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday message here.
Letter to the Lama Yeshe Ling Community from Geshe Sonam in honour of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday on July 6th, 2025
My dearest Lama Yeshe Ling Community and Friends,
On the occasion of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s birthday, I would like to offer my humble prayers and wishes for His Holiness’ continued long life, good health, and the fulfillment of all his aspirations for the benefit of the Buddha’s doctrine and sentient beings.
His Holiness was born in humble circumstances in a remote part of the Amdo region of Northeast Tibet, to a family of farmers. After his unmistaken recognition by wise teachers as the fourteenth Dalai Lama incarnation, he applied remarkable diligence in his methodical study and practice of every facet of Lord Buddha’s teachings.
Based on the profound understanding of the teachings that he cultivated, His Holiness turned the wheel of holy dharma for sentient beings, and became a friend to the world, visiting many countries with his message of wisdom and compassion.
We must all rejoice in his unparalleled energy and activities in revealing the unmistaken path to liberation to so many beings in the world. It is said that when one remembers the pure and universal kindness of holy beings and lifts one’s heart up in rejoicing, that one accumulates a great amount of merit and places profound positive imprints in one’s mind stream. So let us take this opportunity of His Holiness’ ninetieth birthday to deeply reflect and rejoice.
If we see ourselves as students of His Holiness, what he requests is that we strive our absolute best in the study and practice of the Buddha’s teachings. As his followers, we should try to apply his advice whenever possible. We should follow his example of how to deeply engage in a study of the teachings and bring forth our understanding.
Let us never forget His Holiness’ instruction to be a twenty-first century Buddhist, using our wisdom and analysis to bring forth a clear understanding of the dharma. Taking this advice and His Holiness’ own life as our inspiration, let us make a determination to never be discouraged in our study of the teachings and continue to do our best to cultivate a deeper understanding of the profound dharma.
The understanding and wisdom that we develop is a tremendous gift to the world in this time of great confusion and conflict. It is through the development of our own qualities of wisdom and compassion that we bring light to the world, each person who develops their positive mental qualities brings this world closer to peace and harmony.
Through our practice of cultivating positive deeds, and rejoicing in the merit of holy beings such as His Holiness, we amass a great accumulation of virtue. With devotion, respect, and single-pointed concentration let us dedicate the merit of this virtue:
- To the continued long life of His Holiness, and the complete fulfillment of all his holy wishes and aspirations. May any obstacles to the actualization of His Holiness’ vast vision be completely cleared away.
- To the flourishing of the Buddha’s teachings and the peace and happiness of every sentient being without exception.
- May all the wars, conflicts, environmental degradation, and all conditions for suffering of sentient beings in this world be completely cleared away. May the sun of happiness and peace shine upon every single being without discrimination.
In this way, let us make the occasion of His Holiness’ 90th birthday a powerful and meaningful day for ourselves and others. This is my request.
In dharma,
Geshe Sonam
Lama Yeshe Ling Centre