His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso (1935-)
"For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world."
-- Buddhist saint Shantideva
The 14th Dalai Lama in a nutshell
The spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, born in 1935 in Takster in northeastern Tibet. He assumed full political power as the Head of State and Government in 1950 and graduated with the Geshe Lharampa Degree (Doctorate of Buddhist philosophy) in 1959. He was forced into exile in 1959 after the Chinese military's brutal occupation of Tibet and has resided in Dharamsala (also known as "Little Lhasa"), India, the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile since then. The 14th Dalai Lama has actively appealed to United Nations and other, international, political powers on the questions of Tibet, resulting in several resolutions adopted by the U.N. General Assembly. He has met with and been recognized by many eastern and western authorities - both political and religious - and he is still working to resolve the Tibetan issues and to re-establish an independent, democratic state of Tibet.
When the 13th Dalai Lama passed away in 1935, the Tibetan government was faced with the task to find and appoint a successor and to search for and discover a child in whom the Buddha of Compassion would incarnate.
In 1935 the regent of Tibet went to the lake of Lhamo Lhatso - considered a sacred lake for the visions that could be seen in it - at Chokhorgyal, about 140 kilometers southeast of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. While there, the regent had a vision of three letters: "Ah", "Ka" and "Ma", followed by a picture of a monastery with roofs of jade green and gold, and a house with turquoise tiles. Two years later, high lamas and dignitaries were sent everywhere in Tibet in search of the place that the regent had seen in the water. When the search party lead by Lama Kewtsang Rinpoche of Sera Monastery arrived in the village of Takster in Amdo, they found a place matching the description of the vision. The Lama and his servants went in the house with the Lama disguised as a servant and wearing a rosary that had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. Inside the house, they found a little boy - no more than two years of age - who immediately recognized the rosary and demanded that it be given to him. Kewtsang Rinpoche promised him the rosary, provided he could tell whose it was, to which the boy replied "Sera aga", which - in the local dialect - means "a lama of Sera". Then Rinpoche asked who the leader was and the boy gave his name correctly. He also knew the name of the real servant. This was followed by a series of tests that included the choosing of articles that had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama.
With these tests everyone was convinced that the Incarnation had been found and their conviction was further enhanced by the significance of the three letters: "Ah" could stand for Amdo, the name of the province and the two letters "Ka" and "Ma" together for the monastery of Karma Rolpai Dorje on the mountain above the village where the boy was found.
The child and the student
The 14th Dalai Lama was born Lhamo Dhondrub to a peasant family on 6th of July, 1935. He was enthroned at the age of five, on 22nd of February, 1940 in Lhasa.
Once recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama, Lhamo Dhondrub was renamed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso - Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom. Tibetans normally refer to His Holiness as Yeshe Norbu, the Wishfulfilling Gem or simply Kundun - The Presence.
At the age of six, he began his education and finally completed the Geshe Lharampa Degree (Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy) in 1959, at the age of 25. He took the preliminary examination at all three monastic universities of Tibet (Drepung, Ganden and Sera) conducted in Jokhang, Lhasa during the annual Monlam Festival of Prayer, at the age of 24, and passed the examinations with honours.
When Tibet was threatened and invaded by China between 1949-1950, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was called upon to assume full political power as the Head of State and Government on November 17th, 1950. At the time, he was only 16 years old. During the 50's he visited China several times, trying to settle the disputes diplomatically by discussing the issues with the Chinese leaders, namely Mao Tse-Tung, Chou En-Lai and Deng Xiaoping. In 1956, while attending the 2500th Buddha Jayanti in India, he had a series of meetings with the Indian Prime Minister Nehru and Premier Chou about the deteriorating conditions in Tibet. On the night of March 17th, 1959, regardless of his efforts and the efforts of the Tibetan resistance movement, he was forced into exile in India where he was given political asylum, followed by some 80,000 refugees.
The 14th Dalai Lama appealed to the United Nations on several occasions on the questions of Tibet during the late 50's and early 60's and his efforts have resulted in three resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, in 19591, 19612 and 19653. In addition to appealing to the UN, he promulgated a draft constitution of democratic Tibet in 1963, assuring a democratic form of government. He has also largely contributed towards the preservation of Tibetan culture and national identity by formulating and setting up cultural, educational and religious institutions like the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (established in 1959) and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. Also, over 200 monasteries have been re-established to preserve the essence of the Tibetan way of life - the Tibetan Buddhist teachings.
He has continued his efforts for the good of the Tibetan people with initiatives like the Five-Point Peace Plan4 presented at the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1987. This plan calls for the designation of Tibet as a zone of peace, an end to the transfer of ethnic Chinese into Tibet, restoration of human rights and the abandonment of China's use of Tibet for nuclear weapons production and the dump site of nuclear waste as well as urging for negotiations on the future of Tibet and its relations with China. He elaborated on this plan in Strasbourg, France, on 15th of June, 1988 and proposed the creation of a self-governing Tibet. Regardless of the outcome of the proposal, his wish was for the Tibetan people to have the ultimate deciding authority.
In 1991, though, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile declared the Strasbourg proposal invalid because of the negative attitude of the Chinese leadership towards the ideas outlined in the proposal.
The 14th Dalai Lama has visited several countries in both east and west, meeting both political and religious leaders including the late Pope Paul VI in 1973 and the Pope John Paul II on several occasions during the 80's and 90's at the Vatican. He has also met with the leaders of the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic and Jewish communities during the 80's. During those meetings, he has spoken strongly for better understanding and respect among the different faiths and religions of the world. Towards this end, he has made numerous appearances in interfaith services, imparting the message of universal responsibility, love, compassion and kindness. As he said himself:
"I always believe that it is much better to have a variety of religions, a variety of philosophies, rather than one single religion or philosophy. This is necessary because of the different mental dispositions of each human being. Each religion has certain unique ideas or techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one's own faith."
A number of western universities and institutions have awarded the 14th Dalai Lama with several peace awards and honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of his distinguished writings and leadership in interfaith understanding, peaceful resolution of conflicts, human rights issues and global ecological problems.
The 14th Dalai Lama's teachings are very clear and simple - just the way to be expected of a humble buddhist monk - he teaches of the fundamental rights of all beings, of love and compassion, of empathy and kindness. "Seeking joy and freedom from suffering is the birthright of all beings"5, he says. The approach is very practical and down to earth, nontheistic. "I don't know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness."6 His teachings are spiritual, but not religious (in the sense the term is usually associated with beliefs related to a Supreme Being of some kind) which makes them easy to adopt and agree on, or at least consider - even for a devout believer of a Deity-centered religion or an atheist.
The Nobel peace prize winner
In 1989, the Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama the Nobel peace prize, wanting to "emphasize the fact that the Dalai Lama in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently has opposed the use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people".7
On December 10th, 1989, he accepted the prize on behalf of the people of Tibet and everyone oppressed or struggling for freedom or peace.
Bibliography (most likely incomplete, please report any omissions or errors via /msg)
- My Land and My People, 1962
- The Opening of the Wisdom Eye, 1966
- The Buddhism of Tibet and the Key to the Middle Way, 1975
- Universal Responsibility and the Good Heart, 1977
- Advice from Buddha Shakyamuni, 1982
- Collected Statements, Interviews and Articles, 1982
- Four Essential Buddhist Commentaries, 1982
- Kindness, Clarity and Insight, 1984
- A Human Approach to World Peace, 1984
- Opening of the Eye of New Awareness, 1985
- Kalachakra: Rite of Initiation, 1985
- The Union of Bliss and Emptiness, 1988
- The Bodhgaya Interviews, 1988
- Transcendent Wisdom, 1988
- The Dalai Lama at Harvard, 1988
- Ocean Of Wisdom, 1989
- The Meaning of Life, 1990
- Policy of Kindness, 1990
- The Nobel Peace Prize and the Dalai Lama, 1990
- My Tibet, 1990
- The Global Community and the Need for Universal Responsibility, 1990
- Freedom in Exile, 1991
- Compassion and the Individual, 1991
- The Path to Bliss, 1991
- Cultivating a Daily Meditation, 1991
- Mind Science - An East-West Dialogue, 1991
- Words of Truth, 1993
- The Meaning of Life from a Buddhist Perspective, 1993
- A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night, 1994
- The World of Tibetan Buddhism, 1995
- The Power of Compassion, 1995
- The Way to Freedom, 1995
- Commentary on the Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, 1995
- Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart, 1995
- Dialogues on Universal Responsibility and Education, 1995
- Dimensions of Spirituality, 1995
- The Path to Enlightenment, 1995
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama - Speeches, Statements, Articles, Interviews from 1987 to June 1995, 1995
- Essential Teachings, 1995
- Violence & Compassion / Power of Buddhism, 1995
- The Spirit of Tibet: Universal Heritage - Selected Speeches and Writings, 1995
- The Good Heart - A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus, 1996
- Beyond Dogma, 1996
- Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective, 1997
- Love, Kindness and Universal Responsibility, 1997
- The Heart of Compassion, 1997
- The Joy of Living and Dying in Peace, 1997
- The Gelug / Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra, 1997
- The Art of Happiness, 1998
- The Path to Tranquillity - Daily Meditations, 1998
- The Four Noble Truths, 1998
- The Political Philosophy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama - Selected Speeches and Writings, 1998
- Ancient Wisdom, Modern World - Ethics for a New Millennium, 1999
- The Little Book of Buddhism, 1999
- The Heart of the Buddha's Path, 1999
- Imagine All the People, 1999
- Transforming the Mind, 2000
- A Simple Path, 2000
- The Compassionate Life, 2001
- Dalai Lama's Book of Transformation, 2001
- How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life, 2001
- An Open Heart, 2001
- Stages of Meditation, 2001
- The Essence of the Heart Sutra, 2002
- Live in a Better Way, 2002
The Dalai Lama's mailing address
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
P.O. Mcleod Ganj
Tel: +91 (0)1892 221343
Fax: +91 (0)1892 221813
His Holiness the Dalai-Lama's Religious and Cultural Society
Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala 176215
Himachal Pradesh, India
1: United Nations G.A. Resolution 1353 (XIV) on Tibet - http://www.tibetjustice.org/materials/un/un3.html
2: United Nations G.A. Resolution 1723 (XVI) on Tibet - http://www.tibetjustice.org/materials/un/un5.html
3: United Nations G.A. Resolution 2079 (XX) on Tibet - http://www.tibetjustice.org/materials/un/un6.html
4: The Five-Point Peace Plan - http://www.savetibet.org/Tibet/Tibet.cfm?ID=92&c=20
5: Seeking joy and freedom from suffering is the birthright of all beings - http://lywa.rootr.com/otherteachers/hhdl/sakadawa.shtml
6: Compassion and the Individual - http://lywa.rootr.com/otherteachers/hhdl/compassion.shtml
7: Press Release 1989 - http://www.nobel.se/peace/laureates/1989/press.html
+ various high-school and university books on religions and philosophy