The Dalai Lama is now a Grammy winner.
On Sunday, the 90-year-old Tibetan Buddhist leader won the prize for best audiobook, narration and storytelling recording for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It’s the first nomination and win for the man who has served as the 14th Dalai Lama since 1940, when he was 4 years old.
Meditations, released last August,is a collection of the spiritual leader’s thoughts on topics including harmony, kindness, health, and peace.
Accepting the award on the Dalai Lama’s behalf was singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, who contributed music to the recording. Wainwright said, “OK, I’m not the Dalai Lama, obviously.…It’s an honor to accept this recognition on behalf of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, whose wisdom is at the heart of this work. In his words, ‘The most precious human quality is warmheartedness and caring for one another.’”
The Dalai Lama addressed his Grammy win, which drew a complaint from China, in a statement reading,“I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility. I don’t see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility. I truly believe that peace, compassion, care for our environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the collective well-being of all eight billion human beings. I’m grateful that this Grammy recognition can help spread these messages more widely.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
