For many followers around the world, the Dalai Lama is a symbol of non-violence, compassion and the struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.
Tenzin Gyatso is turning 90 on Sunday. He is seen as the fourteenth reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and has conducted a tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet. He has, like thousands of other Tibetans, lived in exile in India since a series of uprisings and a failed revolt in 1959.
The statement is an assurance to Buddhist followers around the world that the 600-year-old institution will live on.
