The Dalai Lama is having a three-day birthday party in California this week. Starting in Annaheim yesterday, Tibet's spiritual leader-in-exile put together a "Global Compassion Summit" around his 80th birthday.
It includes talks on subjects like compassion, wisdom, and leadership–and a performance by Michael Franti.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=178&v=qavferRNf5Q
Celebrities like Sharon Stone and George Lopez, among others, wished him a happy birthday.
The Dalai Lama asked people to share stories of compassionate acts with #WithCompassion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
"The Dalai Lama does not want any physical gifts—for him, this birthday is just like any other day. However if we can help to create a more compassionate, kind planet—that would be the most beautiful gift of all," the Dalai Lama's personal emissary for peace, Lama Tenzin Dhonden, told the Los Angeles Times.