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His Holiness the Dalai
Lama
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His
Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is both the
spiritual
and temporal leader of Tibet and head of one of the
largest of the world
religions, Buddhism.
Dalai is the Mongolian word for "ocean" and
lama
means "spiritual teacher" in Tibetan.
The title Dalai Lama can be translated as "Ocean of
Wisdom".
The Dalai Lamas are considered to be manifestations of
Avalokitesvara,
embodying the compassion of all the Buddhas,
reincarnated in order to
serve mankind.
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Biography
Jampel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso was born in
Taktser, northern Tibet, on 6 July 1935, and
was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama
at the age of two. In 1939 he was brought to
Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, where he was crowned as
spiritual leader the following year.
His Holiness was forced to assume the full political
responsibility that accompanies the function and
position of Dalai Lama on 17 November 1950, at the age of
sixteen, as a result of the threat of invasion
by China. He fled to India on 17 March 1959, and was
followed into exile by more than 100,000 Tibetan
refugees. He has lived in the northern Indian town of
Dharamsala, where the Tibetan government-in-
exile became established, ever since.
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The Nobel
Peace Prize
His Holiness the Dalai
Lama is held in the highest regard throughout the
world. His tireless commitment to Tibet's freedom and world
peace have
been highly praised and in 1989 he was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize.
In its citation, the Nobel Prize committee wrote that
"The Dalai Lama has
developed his philosophy of peace from a great reverence
for all things
living and upon the concept of universal responsibility
embracing all
mankind as well as nature."
The message
Peace and non-
violence, according
to the Dalai Lama, can only be attained
through the development of positive inner qualities. At
the heart
of these
lies the development of fundamental human values such as
compassion
and tolerance.
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A simple Buddhist
monk
His Holiness often says:
"I am a simple Buddhist monk - no more and no less." He
gets up at 4.00 each
morning to meditate, and follows this meditation with
meetings, private audiences, religious instruction and
ceremonies. Before retiring to bed, the Dalai Lama
concludes each day with further prayers.
When asked about the source of his inspiration, His
Holiness frequently quotes a verse from the well-known
8th-century Buddhist master Shantideva:
"For as long as space endures,
And as long as living beings remain, Until then may
I too abide, To dispel the misery of the world."
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