Gere celebrates Dalai Lama: Hollywood star joins 90th birthday tribute, hails Tibetan leader as selfless, universal

Hollywood actor and practising Buddhist Richard Gere on Sunday joined the 90th birthday celebrations of the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, calling the Tibetan spiritual leader a truly “selfless” human being. Addressing attendees at the event, Gere praised the Dalai Lama for his enduring teachings and profound wisdom.

“We have never seen a human being like him who completely embodies selflessness, love, compassion and wisdom,” he said. “When I grew up as a Christian, we understood compassion from our teacher, Jesus Christ. But I don’t think we understood this combination of compassion and wisdom until we met His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”

Reflecting on the Tibetan leader’s global stature, Gere said the Dalai Lama now belongs to the “world and universe”. Gere noted, “His Holiness exists beyond any concept of time and space.”

Before taking the stage, Gere bowed down and kissed the Dalai Lama’s hand in a show of admiration and respect. The actor was seen seated just behind the Tibetan spiritual leader during the celebrations.

The Dalai Lama, born Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935 in Takster, a small farming village in northeastern Tibet, was recognised as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two. He was formally installed as Tibet’s spiritual and temporal leader on 22 February 1940 and given the name Tenzin Gyatso.

The term “Dalai Lama” is Mongolian for “Ocean of Wisdom”.