Tibetan spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama was formally presented the Grammy Award for his audiobook “Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama” at his residence in McLeodganj on Wednesday morning.The award was presented by renowned sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, who was accompanied by his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, along with music producer Kabir Sehgal, who was a collaborator on the Grammy-winning project.The audiobook won in the Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording category at this year’s Grammy Awards in February. The project blends the Dalai Lama’s reflections on compassion, peace, mindfulness and the oneness of humanity with Indian classical music, creating an immersive listening experience rooted in contemplation and universal values.Unlike a conventional music album, “Meditations” combines spoken teachings by the Dalai Lama with carefully composed musical arrangements. The work draws upon decades of his teachings on compassion, environmental responsibility and shared humanity — principles that have shaped his public life for more than seven decades.Several compositions in the album address pressing global concerns. In “Water”, the Dalai Lama reflects on the environmental changes he has observed since his childhood in Tibet and underscores the importance of protecting the planet’s natural resources. In “Peace”, he speaks about compassion as a fundamental human value, describing it as vital not only for personal growth but also for the well-being and future of society.Meanwhile, speaking to the media before presenting the award, Amjad Ali Khan described the project as a deeply meaningful collaboration.“This project brought together the sound of our sarods and the timeless message of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is a privilege for us to present this Grammy Award to him. His words of compassion and peace have touched millions across the world,” he said.Ayaan Ali Bangash termed the collaboration and Grammy recognition a blessing.“It’s such an honour to be here and we are just so blessed. We are so grateful that His Holiness blessed this project and allowed us to be a part of it. It’s all because of His Holiness’s blessings,” he said.The Dalai Lama was announced as the winner of the Grammy earlier this year. In the category, “Meditations” was nominated alongside “Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story” by Kathy Garver, “Into the Uncut Grass” by Trevor Noah, “Lovely One: A Memoir” by Ketanji Brown Jackson and “You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli” by Fab Morvan.