Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday and the celebration and service that was held in my own electorate. I thank the wonderful Atisha Buddhist Centre for inviting me to be involved in this celebration. I was honoured to join the celebration of the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Sunday 6 July at the wonderful Atisha Buddhist Centre that is at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in my electorate.

Although I am not Buddhist, many in my community are, and I deeply respect their commitment, their involvement and the commitment they have to universal values that he upholds. He's an enduring symbol of the love, compassion and patience—things that many subscribe to—of his faith. I recall the kindness of many of the Buddhists in my community at early voting. They brought calm to an otherwise quite toxic and hostile environment. When they walk through our community in Bendigo, they do exude this calmness. In times of division, the monks and the nuns remind all of us of the Dalai Lama's universal commitment to compassion and peace.

Happy birthday, Dalai Lama.

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