MOSCOW, Jan 5 Secular New Year is widely celebrated in Buddhist countries, but the Dalai Lama XIV avoids lavish celebrations, his representative in Russia, the CIS countries and Mongolia, the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche, said in an interview with RIA Novosti. “His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not celebrate the holidays as we imagine, he does not arrange magnificent celebrations at all. For him, all days are the same, and he uses them for spiritual practice. Personally, I also do not pay special attention to birthdays, New Years and similar festivities — the only exceptions are dates that have spiritual significance, «Rinpoche said. it is that in Buddhist countries the secular New Year is «celebrated quite widely.» The lama also said that Buddhists respect the Old New Year, but not everyone celebrates it. 
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