Hollywood icon Richard Gere attended the Dalai Lama’s 87th birthday celebrations in Dharamsala on Wednesday. The American actor is a disciple of a Buddhist spiritual leader.
In several videos from the birthday celebrations, we see Gere attending events with followers of the 14th Dalai Lama. “I was able to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala 40 years ago, which clearly changed my life. So I am here today to inaugurate this incredible building that houses the works of a lifetime of him.” said the actor.
The birthday celebrations were organized by the Central Tibetan Administration of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also attended the function through video conferencing. According to PTI, the Dalai Lama also inaugurated a library and museum at his Pahari Indian headquarters.
Actor Richard Gere attends Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations pic.twitter.com/X2PZ9Kjt7V
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Richard Gere’s first brush with Tibetan Buddhism occurred during his visits to India and Nepal in the late 1970s. He became a practicing Buddhist after meeting the Dalai Lama in India. The actor has since been a human rights advocate in Tibet.
On the work front, Richard Gere was last seen in Three Christs.