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On July 6 2019, Tulkus, Khenpos, Lamas and the entire monastic community gathered in the main shrine hall of Palpung Sherabling Monastic College to celebrate the occasion that marks 84 years since the wondrous birth in this world of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, supreme spiritual friend of all sentient beings, lord of all Buddha's teachings on this Earth, great leader of world peace, and secular and spiritual crown ornament of the Land of Snow. The celebration began at 9 am with the Prayer of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones, continuing with an offering of a mandala and representations of the Buddha's body, speech and mind in front of a sacred image of His Holiness that liberates by seeing, followed by a tea and sweet rice offering. The entire monastic community recited long-life prayers and everyone offered a white ceremonial scarf to His Holiness Dalai Lama's sacred image. After that, the programme continued in the monastery courtyard with a contemporary birthday celebration, with melodious songs and chants of auspiciousness along with an offering of birthday cakes and sweets. Since this year is His Holiness Dalai Lama's obstacle year, the monks planted 84 trees equalling His Holiness's age as a long-life ritual for the pacification of outer, inner and secret obstacles and inauspicious omens, as well as for the flourishing of his enlightened activities. As a special birthday commemoration, a free medical eye camp was organised by inviting specialist eye surgeons from the Rotary Eye Hospital in Maranda, Palampur, who checked local Indian as well as Tibetan patients from nearby settlements for eye diseases and distributed free medicines. Some patients received appropriate eyeglasses and some benefitted from eye surgery.
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