Dharamsala, Feb 2 (NationPress) The esteemed spiritual figure, Dalai Lama, aged 90, has achieved his inaugural Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording. The Nobel Peace Laureate was in competition with notable personalities such as Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan, US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, show host Trevor Noah, and actress Kathy Garver.

Rufus Wainwright accepted the award on behalf of the Dalai Lama during a ceremony that was streamed on YouTube.

His work, “Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama”, showcases innovative collaborations infused with Hindustani classical music.

The album features collages of his insights on significant themes including mindfulness, harmony, and health, collected over recent years. Upon receiving the award, His Holiness expressed, “I accept this honor with appreciation and modesty. This recognition extends beyond me, symbolizing our collective universal responsibility. I genuinely believe that peace, compassion, environmental stewardship, and an understanding of our shared humanity are crucial for the well-being of all eight billion individuals on our planet.”

He added, “I hope this Grammy acknowledgment can help disseminate these essential messages more broadly.”

Sixty-six years ago, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, under the disguise of a soldier, departed from Norbulingka Palace in Tibet, navigating a perilous 14-day journey into exile in India. Since that time, he has remained the most distinguished guest of the Indian government, often expressing his enjoyment of the freedoms he has. He has dedicated himself to promoting human values, religious harmony, and the preservation of Tibetan language and culture, a legacy derived from the teachings of India’s Nalanda University.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled to exile on March 17, 1959, following a Chinese crackdown on an uprising in Tibet.

A globally recognized figure of compassion, the Dalai Lama shares insights into his decades-long interactions with China in his latest book, ‘In Voice for the Voiceless’. This work serves as a reminder of Tibet’s ongoing struggle for autonomy and the hardships faced by his people.

The book documents his remarkable life journey, illustrating the profound loss of homeland to an oppressive force and the resilience required to forge a new existence in exile, while confronting the existential challenges of a nation, its populace, culture, and faith.

He was merely 16 when Communist China invaded Tibet in 1950, just 19 during his first encounter with Chairman Mao in Beijing, and 25 when he was compelled to flee to India and assume the role of a leader in exile.

Upon reaching India after a treacherous expedition, the Dalai Lama initially resided in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, for about a year.

On March 10, 1960, just prior to relocating to Dharamsala, nestled in the upper regions of India’s Kangra Valley, the Dalai Lama stated: “As exiles, our immediate focus must be on resettlement and the preservation of our cultural traditions. We, the Tibetans, shall eventually reclaim freedom for Tibet.”

Presently, India is home to approximately 100,000 Tibetans and the government-in-exile.