Dalai Lama Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline Leaders Dalai Lama Biography The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet is recognized worldwide as the 'Man of Peace'. Learn about the childhood, life & timeline of Dalai Lama, in this biography. 493 Tenzin Gyatso, Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, born Lhamo Dondrub Famous as Jetsun Pema, Thubten Jigme Norbu, Tsering Dolma awards Templeton Prize Image Credit The longest living Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th and the present Dalai Lama and holds the profile of a spiritual and political leader of Tibet. Head monk of the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Dalai Lamas are said to be reincarnated souls in the line of tulkus, who are considered to be manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion. Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and in the tradition of Bodhisattva, Dalai Lamas are said to spend their entire life committed to promoting humanity.

These souls chose to be reincarnated instead of attaining ânirvanaâ for the benefit of the society and mankind. Dalai Lama is a combination of Mongolian word, Dalai and Tibetan word lama. While former means ocean, the latter stands for teacher. Since 1391 until date, there have been 14 Dalai Lamas, from the first Gedun Drupa until the present Tenzin Gyatso. Coming back to the 14th Dalai Lama, he was appointed at the age of two and was formally recognized when he was 15. Fearing assassination, he fled from Tibet and stationed himself and thousands of refugees in Dharmasala Himachal Pradesh. He established the Tibetan Parliament in Exile and has been an advocator for the Tibetan across the globe. Ever since his enthronement, he has strived to make Tibet an independent and democratic state, free from the dominance by Peopleâs Republic of China. He strongly preaches as well as practices the importance of non-violence and peace and significance of compassion. For his outstanding achievements and relentless work on peace, he has been bestowed with the Nobel Peace Prize.

Childhood & Early Life Born to a farming family in a small hamlet located in Takster, Amdo, north-eastern Tibet, Lhamo Donrub, as he was then christened, was fifth of the sixteen children in the family. He was one of the seven to survive childhood. If the legends are to be believed, it is said that there were numerous omens and spiritual signs that intercepted Lhamo as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. The head of the preserved body of the 13th Dalai Lama which was facing southeast had mysteriously turned northeast, indicating the direction in which his successor would be found. Later on, the Regent, Reting Rinpoche, had a vision which indicated Amdo as the region where the successor would be found. Interestingly, when young Lhamo was presented with various relics, some of which belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama and some not, he immediately recognized those that were owned by his predecessor. Thus, at the tender age of two, young Lhamo was proclaimed as the 14th Dalai Lama was renamed Tenzin Gyatso.

Gyatso was not enthroned until the age of fifteen. As a result, the Regent acted as the head of the Tibetan parliament or Kashag until that time. Gyatso received his monastic education starting at the age of six. While Yongdzin Trijang Rinpoche was his junior teacher, Yongdzin Ling Rinpoche served as his senior teacher. It was at the age of 23 that His Holiness (as he referred to on the Dalai Lama website) took his final examination at Lhasa's Jokhang Temple during the annual Monlam or prayer Festival. He passed the exam with distinction and was awarded Geshe Lharampa degree, the highest-level degree, equivalent to a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy. Role As a Leader Meanwhile, relations between Peopleâs Republic of China and Tibet had worsened in Tenzin Gyatsoâs growing years. Ma Bufang prevented the Tibetans from gaining independence. He even threatened Tibet with aerial bombardment lest it seeked helped from the Japanese. Ma Bufang attacked various Tibetan Buddhist monasteries such as the Tsang monastery and Labrang monastery.

In 1950, the army of the People's Republic of China had defeated the Tibetan counterparts and marched up to the edge of the Dalai Lama's territory, sending a delegation thereafter. Almost a month later, the 14th Dalai Lama ascended to His throne, assuming full political power and was formally adjudged as the temporal ruler of Tibet. His first major political move was when he sent a delegation from Tibet to Beijing in 1950, which endorsed the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. Four years later, along with the 10th Panchen Lama, he crossed borders to meet the Chinese leader Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Chou Enlai for initiating peace talks. He attended the first session of the National People's Congress as a delegate. Later on, he was selected as a deputy chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a post he officially held until 1964 With the 1959 Tibetan uprising and the brutal suppression of the same in the Lhasa region by the Chinese troops, the Dalai Lama was forced to escape into exile for the fear of assassination.

Assisted by the CIA Special Activities Division, the Dalai Lama crossed the border to reach Tezpur in Assam, India. His Holiness established a Government of Tibet in Exile in Dharamsala, a city in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The city came to be known as âLittle Lhasaâ. Since then, His Holiness has been living in Dharamsala. Accompanying him were almost 80,000 Tibetans refugees who followed him through the journey and settled in Dharamsala. His Holiness settled them in various agricultural settlements Seeking to preserve the Tibetan culture and education system, the Dalai Lama established a Tibetan educational system in order to teach the Tibetan children the language, history, religion, and culture. In the following years, he started the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, both of which became the primary university for Tibetans in India. His Holiness not just focussed on teaching the refugees the Tibetan culture, history and religion, he even initiated re-founding several monasteries and nunneries. The latter was basically his attempt to uphold and preserve the Tibetan Buddhist teaching and lifestyle.

After the Chinese invasion, the Dalai Lama, through his Central Tibetan Administration, made appeals in the United Nations for the rights of Tibetans. The appeals led to the formation of three resolutions, which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1959, 1961 and 1965. Each of the resolutions targeted China to provide Tibetans the basic human rights. Acting further to the cause, His Holiness established a democratic constitution, idolizing it upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1963. He created an elected parliament and an administration to champion his cause. Almost seven years later, the Dalai Lama opened to the world one of the most important institutions of Tibetology - the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala. Housing more than 80,000 manuscripts and important knowledge resources related to Tibetan history, politics and culture, the institution is a mecca for someone who wants to get in-depth information about Tibetan history and its culture. In 1973, His Holiness met Pope Paul VI in Vatican City.

Since then, he visited Pope John Paul II on numerous occasions in 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990 and 2003. He is also believed to have held extensive interfaith dialogue with people of the Jewish faith. While he first met them in Dharamshala, where a delegation of Jewish teachers had come, he also visited Israel thrice and even had a meeting with the Chief Rabbi of the country. In 1987, he travelled all the way to the West for the Congressional Human Rights Caucus held in Washington, D.C, where he talked about Tibet turning into a âzone of peaceâ or a sanctuary where enlightened people could retreat and live in peace without nuclear weapons. The plan which was mostly sketchy and imprecise turned to become a proposal, later on being popularly known as the âStrasbourg Proposalâ. According to it, he professed for a self-governing Tibet âin association with the People's Republic of Chinaâ.

However, in 1991 the plan was rejected by the Tibetan Government in Exile because of Chinese leadershipâs negative attitude towards the proposal.. In 2007, the Dalai Lama participated in the Third Meeting of the Board of World Religious Leaders held in Amritsar India. Currently a member of the Board of World Religious Leaders as part of The Elijah Interfaith Institute, he was there to discuss on the topic of love and forgiveness. The Dalai Lama has conducted numerous teaching activities across various institutions in the US. The first was when he was selected as the Presidential Distinguished Professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Thereafter, he gave lectures at the University of Michigan, conducted a series of teachings at Lehigh University and gave a public lecture at the Colgate University. Perspective & Opinion on Social Causes His Holiness the Dalai Lama has held strong viewpoints about various social causes. To start off with, he is a strong advocator of democracy and non-violence and considers himself as the messenger of India, who is mainly assisting in spreading the message of non-violence and religious harmony. He envisions a world where tolerance and dialogue precedes violence and discord.

The Dalai Lamaâs take on abortion is not a very rigid one. Though he condemns the act and considers it sacrilegious, in special cases where the unborn child can be retarded after birth or when there is a harm of life during pregnancy, he thinks it to be ethically acceptable. On the economic front, His Holiness has firm belief in true Marxist policy and not those practiced by certain countries. He believes that Marxism is the only economic theory that is concerned with equal distribution of wealth and equitable utilisation of the means of production. It also pays equal importance on all the class of the society, right from working class to those who are underprivileged and victims of the minority class who face exploitation. The Dalai Lama strongly upholds the cause for safeguarding the environment. He has given numerous talks across the globe about the cause. He believes in preserving the environment and conserving the wildlife. Other social aspects which have drawn the attention of His Holiness include womenâs rights and health. While he claims himself as a feminist and proclaims that women have the ability to create a compassionate world due to their nurturing nature, health is also supremely important and only a healthy living can help attain peace of mind, body and soul.

Awards & Achievements He was honoured with Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent efforts efforts for the liberation of Tibet. In 2005, Dalai Lama was proffered the Christmas Humphreys Award by the Buddhist Society in United Kingdom. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the proud recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award, which was conferred upon him by the American lawmakers in 2007. Trivia "A dirty foot is a pure foot" is reportedly quoted by one of the fourteen Dalai Lamas. Practicing what he preaches, he is said to wash his feet every six months in accordance to his beliefs. Translate this page to Spanish, French, Hindi, Portuguese Pictures of Dalai Lama wasteurtime "10 Interesting Facts About Dalai Lama" Tweet The Dalai Lamas are the manifestations of the Bodhisattva (Buddha) of Compassion, who chose to reincarnate to serve the humanity. This Dalai Lama is the 14th Dalai Lama. He is the 74th manifestation of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, the enlightened Buddha of compassion.

Tibetans normally refer to His Holiness as Yeshe Norbu, the Wishfulfilling Gem, or simply Kundun - The Presence. The present Dalai lama was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at age two. In order to confirm his identity, Tibetan monks tested Gyatso by asking him to identify certain articles of clothing that belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. He passed the series of tests, then changed his name, took the throne at age four and became a monk at age six. Here is 10 lesser known interesting facts about him - The Dalai lama's name is Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso. The name Dalai lama is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning "ocean" and the Tibetan word (bla-ma) meaning "guru, teacher, mentor". The dalai lama is non-vegetarian.He was a vegetarian for a short time, but he developed jaundice. He had to go back to eating meat. Because of the lack of farming land in Tibet, meat has been a staple of their diet for many centuries.

The Dalai Lama enjoys collecting and repairing watches. The Dalai Lama is fascinated by science and has said that if he had not become a monk, he would have become an engineer. The Dalai Lama Tenzin was one of sixteen children and only one of the five of them to survive past six. The great monk has plenty of celebrity admirers, including Richard Gere (below), Steven Seagal and Carmen Electra. In 1989, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for his work advocating nonviolent means to free Tibet from China. The residence of the Dalai Lama , Potala Palace and Norbulingka, are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. When the Dalai Lama was asked on his website what is the purpose of life, he answered "to be happy". Famous People Lessons: English Lesson on Dalai Lama Advertisements The Dalai Lama was born in Tibet on the 6th of July 1935. His real name is Tenzin Gyatso. He is the leader of Tibet’s Buddhists but he lives in India, where thousands of his followers visit him. He is the world's most famous Buddhist monk.

He campaigns for freedom in Tibet and peace in the world. Tenzin became Dalai Lama when he was just two years old. He became Tibet’s ruler in November 1950, when he was fifteen. This was just one month after China took over Tibet. His first big job was to try and save his country from Chinese rule. He tried for nine years, but then had to escape to India. He has never been back. He traveled to the West  to Europe and the Americas. Thousands of people welcomed him. He has helped to spread love and harmony around the world. He gives speeches wherever he goes and he has won many awards. He got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He is always a famous figure on the news and is never without a huge smile. The Dalai Lama has been one of the best-loved and most well-known world leaders for many decades. He continues to ask China to give his Tibetan people more control over their land. He makes Chinese leaders angry by talking about Tibet. One day he might meet them and talk about a better and brighter future.

238 words smile LISTENING GAP FILL The Dalai Lama ________________ Tibet on the 6th of July 1935. His real name is Tenzin Gyatso. He is ________________ Tibet’s Buddhists but he lives in India, where thousands of his followers visit him. He is ________________ famous Buddhist monk. He campaigns for freedom in Tibet ________________ the world. Tenzin became Dalai Lama __________________ two years old. He became Tibet’s ruler in November 1950, when he was fifteen. This was ________________ after China took over Tibet. His first big job was to try and save his country from Chinese rule. He tried for nine years, ________________ escape to India. He has never been back. He traveled to the West  to Europe and the Americas. Thousands of people ________________. He has helped ________________ and harmony around the world. He gives speeches ________________ and he has won many awards. He got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He is always a famous figure on the news ________________ without a huge smile.

The Dalai Lama has been ________________ best-loved and most well-known world leaders ________________. He continues to ask China to give his Tibetan people more control over their land. He makes Chinese leaders ________________ about Tibet. One day he might meet them and talk ________________ and brighter future. CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics. The Dalai Lama was born / birth in Tibet on the 6th of July 1935. His real name is Tenzin Gyatso. He is the leader / leading of Tibet’s Buddhists but he lives in India, where thousands of his followers visitors / visit him. He is the world's most famous Buddhist monk. He campaigns for freedom in Tibet and peace / piece in the world. Tenzin became Dalai Lama when he was just two years old. He became Tibet’s ruler / role in November 1950, when he was fifteen. This was just one month after China took / take over Tibet. His first big job was to try and safe / save his country from Chinese rule. He tried for nine years, but then had to escape to India. He has never been front / back.

He traveled to the West  to Europe and the Americas. Thousands of people welcoming / welcomed him. He has helped to spread love and harmony around the world / word. He gives speeches wherever he goes and he has won many awards. He got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He is always a famous number / figure on the news and is never without a huge / hug smile. The Dalai Lama has been one of the best-loved and most well-known / knew world leaders for many decades. He continues to ask China to forgive / give his Tibetan people more control over there / their land. He makes Chinese leaders angry by talking about Tibet. One day he might meet them and talk about a better and brighter / brightest future. SPELLING The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly. Paragraph 1 ______________________________________________________________________________ HOMEWORK 1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word. 2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about the Dalai Lama.

Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson. 3. DALAI LAMA POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of the Dalai Lama. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things? 4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the Dalai Lama. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles. 5. LETTER: Write a letter to the Dalai Lama. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Dalai Lama expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS The Dalai Lamas | The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama The First Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa The First Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa, was born in 1391 in Gyurmey Rupa, near Sakya in the Tsang region of central Tibet to Gonpo Dorjee and Jomo Namkha Kyi, a nomadic family. His given name was Pema Dorjee. He did his primary studies of reading and writing Tibetan script with Gya-Ton Tsenda Pa-La, and then at the age of fourteen, he took his novice vows from Khenchen Drupa Sherab, abbot of Narthang monastery, who gave him the religious name of Gedun Drupa. Latter, in the year 1411, he took the Gelong vows (full ordination) from the abbot. The young Gedun Drupa was aware of the fame of the Great Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa School and he became his disciple in 1416. His loyalty and devotion to Tsongkhapa persuaded the great master to make Gedun Drupa his principal disciple.

Tsongkhapa handed Gedun Drupa a brand new set of robes as a sign that he would spread the Buddhist teachings all over Tibet. In 1447, Gedun Drupa founded the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse, one of the biggest monastic Universities of the Gelugpa School. The First Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa was a great person of immense scholarship, famous for combining study and practice, and wrote more than eight voluminous books on his insight into the Buddha's teachings and philosophy. In 1474, at the age of eighty-four, he died while in meditation at Tashi Lhunpo monastery. Back to Top The Second Dalai Lama, Gedun Gyatso The Second Dalai Lama, Gedun Gyatso was born in 1475 in Tanag Sekme, near Shigatse in the Tsang region of central Tibet to Kunga Gyaltso and Machik Kunga Pemo, a farming family. His father was a well-known tantric practitioner belonging to the Nyingmapa sect.

When Gedun Gyatso was able to speak, he was reported to have told his parents that his name was Pema Dorjee, the birth name of the First Dalai Lama and that he would like to live in Tashi Lhunpo monastery. When he was conceived, his father had a dream in which someone dressed in white appeared and told him to name his son Gendun Drupa and also said that his son would be a person with the ability to recollect his past lives. However, his father named him Sangye Phel. He received his primary education from his father and at the age of eleven he was recognized as the reincarnation of Gendun Drupa, the First Dalai Lama and was enthroned at Tashi Lhunpo monastery. In 1486, he took his novice vows from Panchen Lungrig Gyatso and his vows of Gelong (full ordination) from Choje Choekyi Gyaltsen, who gave him the ordained name of Gedun Gyatso. He studied at Tashi Lhunpo and Drepung monasteries.

In 1517, Gedun Gyatso became the abbot of Drepung monastery and in the following year, he revived the Monlam Chenmo, the Great Prayer Festival and presided over the events with monks from Sera, Drepung and Gaden, the three great monastic Universities of the Gelugpa Sect. In 1525, he became the abbot of Sera monastery. He died at the age of sixty-seven in 1542. Back to Top The Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso The Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso was born in 1543 at Tolung, near Lhasa, to Namgyal Drakpa and Pelzom Bhuti, a rich family. His parents had already had many children, but they had all died and to ward off any misfortune that might take away this newborn child from them, they fed him on the milk of a white goat and named him Ranu Sicho Pelzang - The prosperous one saved by goat's milk.

In 1546, at the age of three, Sonam Dakpa Gyaltsen, the ruler of Tibet, and Panchen Sonam Dakpa recognized him as the reincarnation of Gedun Gyatso. He was escorted to Drepung monastery in a great procession and was enthroned and his hair was cut, symbolizing his renunciation of the world. He took novice vows from Sonam Dakpa at the age of seven and assumed the name of Sonam Gyatso. At the age of twenty-two, he took the Gelong vows (full ordination) of Bhiksu from Gelek Palsang. In 1552, Sonam Gyatso became the abbot of Drepung monastery and in 1558, the abbot of Sera monastery. In 1574, he established the Phende Lekshe Ling in order to assist him in carrying out his religious activities, which is now known as Namgyal monastery and still serves as the Dalai Lama's personal monastery.

It was during his time, the Mongolian King Altan Khan offered him the title of Dalai Lama which literally means Ocean of Wisdom and in return, the Dalai Lama conferred on Altan Khan the title of Brahma, the king of religion. The Third Dalai Lama also founded Kumbum monastery in Tsongkhapa's birthplace and Lithang monastery in Kham. In 1588, he died while teaching in Mongolia. Back to Top The Fourth Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso The Fourth Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso, was born in 1589 in Mongolia to the Chokar tribal chieftain Tsultrim Choeje, who was the grandson of Altan Khan, and his second wife PhaKhen Nula. With predictions from the state oracles and auspicious signs at his birth, the abbot of Gaden monastery recognized him as the true reincarnation of the Third Dalai Lama and he was given the name of Yonten Gyatso. His parents, however, refused to part with their son until he was older, so he received his primary religious education in Mongolia from Tibetan Lamas.

In 1601, at the age of twelve, Yonten Gyatso was escorted to Tibet accompanied by his father and the former Gaden throne holder, Sangya Rinchen, who bestowed the vows of novice monk on him. In 1614, at the age of twenty-six, he took the Gelong vows (full ordination) from the Fourth Panchen Lama, Lobsang Choegyal. He later became the abbot of Drepung monastery and then Sera monastery. In 1617, at the age of twenty-seven he died at Drepung monastery. Back to Top The Fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso The Fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, was born in 1617 in Lhoka Chingwar Taktse, south of Lhasa to Dudul Rabten and Kunga Lhanzi. When Sonam Choephel, the chief attendant of the Fourth Dalai Lama heard of the exceptional abilities of the Chong-Gya boy, he paid a visit to the child and showed him articles belonging to the previous Dalai Lama. The boy at once said those belonged to him.

Sonam Choephel kept the discovery of the Fifth Dalai Lama a secret because of the turbulent political situation. When things settled down, the Fifth Dalai Lama was taken to Drepung monastery where he was ordained into monkhood by the Third Panchen Lama, Lobsang Chogyal, and was given the name Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. The Fifth Dalai Lama was recognized at a time when Tibet was in political turmoil. However, all this uncertainty was laid to rest by Gushir Khan, the chief of the Qoshot Mongols and in 1642, the Dalai Lama was enthroned in the main hall of Shigatse as both the spiritual and political leader of Tibet. In 1645, the Dalai Lama held a meeting with high officials of Gaden Phodrang on the construction of the Potala Palace on the Red Hill, where the 33rd King of Tibet Songtsen Gampo had built a red fort. In the same year, the construction started and it took almost forty-three years to complete. In 1649, Sunzhi, the Manchu emperor, invited the Dalai Lama to Peking.

When he reached the Chinese province of Ningxia, he was greeted by the emperor's minister and military commander who came with three thousand cavalry to escort the Tibetan leader. The emperor himself traveled from Peking and greeted him at a place called Kothor. In the Chinese capital, the Dalai Lama stayed at the Yellow Palace, built for him by the emperor. When the emperor officially met the Dalai Lama, the two of then exchanged titles. In 1653, the Dalai Lama returned to Tibet. Gushir Khan died in 1655, as did Sonam Choephel, the Desi. The Dalai Lama appointed Gushir Khan's son Tenzin Dorjee as the new Mongol king, and Drong Mey-Pa Thinley Gyatso succeeded the latter to the post of Desi. When the Manchu Emperor died in 1662, his son, K'ang-si, ascended the Manchu throne. In the same year the Panchen Lama died at the age of ninety-one.

In 1665, after a petition from Tashilhunpo monastery, the Dalai Lama recognized a boy from Tsang region as the reincarnation of the late Panchen Lama and gave the boy the name of Lobsang Yeshi. The Fifth Dalai Lama was a great scholar, well versed in Sanskrit. He wrote many books, including one on poetry. He also established two educational institutions, one for lay officials and another for monk officials, where they were taught Mongolian, Sanskrit, astrology, poetry, and administration. He was a man of few words, but what he said carried conviction and influenced rulers beyond the borders of Tibet. In 1682, at the age of sixty-five he died before completing the construction of the Potala Palace, however, not before entrusting the responsibility of the construction to Sangya Gyatso, the new Desi with the advice to keep his death secret for the time being.

Back to Top The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, was born in 1682 in the region of Mon Tawang in present-day Arunachal Pradesh, India to Tashi Tenzin and Tsewang Lhamo. In order to complete the Potala Palace, Desi Sangye Gyatso carried out the wishes of the Fifth Dalai Lama and kept his death a secret for fifteen years. People were told that the Great Fifth was continuing his long retreat. On important occasions the Dalai Lama's ceremonial gown was placed on the throne. However, when Mongol princes insisted on having an audience, an old monk called Depa Deyrab of Namgyal Monastery, who resembled the Dalai Lama, was hired to pose in his place. He wore a hat and eyeshadow to conceal the fact that he lacked the Dalai Lama's piercing eyes. The Desi managed to maintain this charade till he heard that a boy in Mon exhibited remarkable abilities. He sent his trusted attendants to the area and in 1688, the boy was brought to Nankartse, a place near Lhasa.

There he was educated by teachers appointed by the Desi until 1697, when the Desi sent his trusted minister, Shabdrung Ngawang Shonu to the Manchu court to inform Emperor K'ang-si of the death of the Fifth and discovery of the Sixth Dalai Lama. He announced the fact to the people of Tibet, who greeted the news with gratitude and joy and thanked the Desi for saving them from lamenting the setting of the sun and, instead, making them rejoice in its rising. The Desi invited the Fifth Pachen Lama, Lobsang Yeshi, to Nankartse, where Tibet[s second highest religious leader administered the vows of a novice monk to the youth and named him Tsangyang Gyatso. In 1697, the fourteen-year old was enthroned as the Sixth Dalai Lama in a ceremony attended by Tibetan government officials representing the three major monasteries - Sera, Gaden, and Drepung - Mongol princes, representatives of Emperor K'ang-si and the Lhasa populace.

In 1701 there was a conflict between the Desi and Lhasang Khan, the descendant of Gushir Khan, and the latter killed the Desi Sangya Gyatso, which disturbed the young Dalai Lama. He left his monastic study and chose the outdoor life, he had no plans to take the fully ordained vows. In fact, he visited the Panchen Lama in Shigatse and requested his forgiveness, and renounced even the vows of a novice monk. Though he continued to live in the Potala Palace, he roamed around Lhasa and other outlying villages, spending his days with his friends in the park behind the Potala Palace and nights in taverns in Lhasa and Shol (an area below the Potala) drinking chang and singing songs. He was known to be a great poet and writer and he wrote several poems. In 1706, he was invited to China and died on the way.

Back to Top The Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso In retrospect, the Tibetan believed that Tsangyang Gyatso predicted his own rebirth at Lithang in Kham when he wrote this song: White crane, lend me your wings, I go no farther than Lithang, And thence, return again. Sure enough, the Seventh Dalai Lama was born in 1708 to Sonam Dargya and Lobsang Chotso in Lithang, two years after the disappearance of the Sixth. Thupten Jampaling Monastery, which was founded in Lithang by the Third Dalai Lama, was astonished by the wonders of the child and also the state oracles of Lithang had predicted that the newborn child would be the reincarnation of the late Dalai Lama. However due to the turbulent political situation, they could not escort the new Dalai Lama to Lhasa, and he was taken to Kumbum monastery, where he was ordained by Ngawang Lobsang Tenpai Gyaltsen.

In 1720, he was enthroned in the Potala Palace and he took the novice vows of monkhood from Panchen Lobsang Yeshi, who gave him the name Kelsang Gyatso. In 1726, during the auspicious month of Saka Dawa, he took the Gelong vows (full ordination) from Panchen Rinpoche. He sought the tutor of Panchen Lobsang Yeshi, the Abbot of Gyumey monastery and the Abbot of Shalu monastery, Ngawang Yonten, from whom he studied the entire major Buddhist philosophical treatises and became a master in both the sutra and tantra. In 1751, at the age of forty-three, he constituted the 'Kashag' or council of ministers to administer the Tibetan government and then abolished the post of Desi, as it placed too much power in one man's hand. The Dalai Lama became the spiritual and political leader of Tibet. At the age of forty-five, he founded the Tse-School in the Potala Palace and built the new palace of Norling Kalsang Phodrang.

The Seventh Dalai Lama was a great scholar and wrote many books, especially on the tantra. He was also a great poet who, unlike Tsangyang Gyatso, dwelt on spiritual themes. His simple and unblemished life won him the hearts of all Tibetans. He died in 1757. Back to Top The Eighth Dalai Lama, Jamphel Gyatso The Eighth Dalai Lama, Jamphel Gyatso, was born in 1758 at Thobgyal, Lhari Gang in the Tsang region of southwestern Tibet. His father, Sonam Dhargye, and mother, Phuntsok Wangmo, were originally from Kham and traced their ancestry to Dhrala Tsegyal, one of the legendary heroes of the Gesar epic. As soon as Jamphel Gyatso was conceived, Lhari Gang was blessed with a bumper harvest with each stalk of barley bearing three, four and five ears - something unprecedented. When the mother and a relative were having their supper in the garden, a huge rainbow appeared, one end of which touched the mother's shoulder.

(This is regarded to be a very auspicious omen, associated with the birth of a holy being.) Not long after his birth, Jamphel Gyatso was frequently observed to be looking heavenward with a smile on his face. He was also seen to be attempting to sit in a meditative, lotus posture. When Palden Yeshi, the Sixth Panchen Lama, heard about this boy, he pronounced: This is the authentic reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. As the child began to speak, he said: "I will go to Lhasa at the age of three". Now the whole of Tibet was convinced that this child was the Eighth Dalai Lama. Darkpa Thaye, the chief attendent of the Seventh Dalai Lama, came to Lhasa with a large contingent of lamas and Tibetan government officials. They took the boy, then two and a half years old, to Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse, performed the recognition ceremony and the Panchen Lama gave the boy the name Jamphel Gyatso. In 1762, the boy was escorted to Lhasa and enthroned in the Potala Palace.

The enthronement ceremony was presided over by Demo Tulku Jamphel Yeshi, who was the first Regent to represent the Dalai Lamas when they were minors. At the age of seven, he took the novice vows of monkhood from the Panchen Lama and then he was fully ordained in 1777. In addition to his remarkable spiritual legacy, it was the Eighth Dalai Lama who built the famous Norbulingka Park and Summer Palace on the outskirts of Lhasa. In 1804, he died at the age of forty-seven. Back to Top The Ninth Dalai Lama, Lungtok Gyatso The Ninth Dalai Lama, Lungtok Gyatso was born in 1805 in Dan Chokhor, a small village in Kham to Tenzin Choekyong and Dhondup Dolma. In 1807, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the Eighth Dalai Lama and was escorted to Lhasa with great ceremony. In 1810, he was enthroned at the Potala Palace. He took his novice vows from the Pachen Lama, who gave him the name Lungtok Gyatso.

Unfortunately, he died in 1815 at the very young age of nine. The Tenth Dalai Lama, Tsultrim Gyatso The Tenth Dalai Lama, Tsultrim Gyatso The Tenth Dalai Lama, Tsultrim Gyatso, was born in 1816 in Lithang in Kham to Lobsang Dakpa and Namgyal Bhuti. In 1822, he was recognized and enthroned in the Potala Palace and in the same year, he took his novice vows of monkhood from the Panchen Lama, Tenpai Nyima who gave him the name Tsultrim Gyatso. In 1826, at the age of ten, he was enrolled in Drepung monastery where he studied various Buddhist philosophical texts and mastered both the sutra and tantra. In 1831, he reconstructed the Potala Palace and at the age of nineteen, he took the Gelong vows (full ordination) from the Panchen Lama. However, he was constantly in poor health and died in 1837.

Back to Top The Eleventh Dalai Lama, Khedrup Gyatso The Eleventh Dalai Lama, Khedrup Gyatso, was born in 1838 at Gathar in Kham Minyak to Tsetan Dhondup and Yungdrung Bhuti. In 1841 he was recognized as the new Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, Tenpai Nyipa, cut his hair and gave him the name Khedrup Gyatso. In 1842, he was enthroned in the Potala Palace and at the age of eleven, he took the novice vows of monkhood from the Panchen Lama. Despite his young age, he assumed the responsibility of Tibetan spiritual and political leader at the request of the Tibetan people. However, he suddenly died in 1856 in the Potala Palace. Back to Top The Twelfth Dalai Lama, Trinley Gyatso The Twelfth Dalai Lama, Trinley Gyatso was born in 1856 in Lhoka, a place near Lhasa to Phuntsok Tsewang and Tsering Yudon.

In 1858, the young boy as Dalai Lama was escorted to Lhasa where Reting Ngawang Yeshi Tsultrim Gyaltsen, the regent gave him the name Thupten Gyatso. In 1860, at the age of five he took the novice vows of monkhood from the Gaden Throne Holder Lobsang Khenrab and he was enthroned in the Potala Palace. In 1873, at the age of eighteen, he took on full responsibility as both spiritual and political leader of Tibet. In 1875, he died at the age of twenty in the Potala Palace. Back to Top The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso, was born in the Fire Mouse year of 1876 at Langdun in Dagpo, central Thakpo Tibet to Kunga Rinchen and Lobsang Dolma, a peasant couple.

In 1877, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 12th Dalai Lama following predictions from the State Oracle Nechung and other auspicious signs at his birthplace. He was then escorted to Lhasa. In 1878 the Eighth Panchen Lama, Tenpai Wangchuk, performed the hair-cutting ceremony and gave him the name Ngawang Lobsang Thupten Gyatso Jigdral Chokley Namgyal. In 1879, he was enthroned in the Grand Reception Hall at the Potala Palace. Later that year, he received the Upasaka (Tib.: ge-nyen) vows from the Regent Tatsak Rinpoche, Ngawang Palden Yeshi. In 1882, at age six, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama was formally ordained as a novice monk (Tib.: ge-tsul) by the same Regent.

And in 1895 he took the full monk ordination (Tib.: ge-long) from his tutor, Phurchok Ngawang Jampa Rinpoche, in the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, who served as both the Preceptor and Procedural Master of the ceremony. Phurbuchok was assisted by many eminent Buddhist masters of Tibet at that time, including Ling Rinpoche Lobsang Lungtok Tenzn Thinley and the Gaden Throne Holder, who served as the Secret Inquiry Master and so forth required by the ordination ceremony. On 27 September 1895 he finally assumed the political and spiritual authority of Tibet and was thrown into the thick of the Great Game played out by Czarist Russia and British India on the fringes of their sprawling empires. He went through the British invasion of Tibet in 1904 and the Chinese invasion of his country in 1909/10 but survived the ordeals of both experiences, with his authority enormously enhanced.

When the news spread in 1910 that Lu Chan, a Chinese General of the Manchu force, arrived in Lhasa, the Dalai Lama and some of the most important officials fled Lhasa and headed to India. The group crossed Dromo and held a negotiation with the Chinese invaders at the Jelep-la Pass, which separates Tibet and Sikkim. In 1911, the Manchu Dynasty was overthrown and the Tibetans took this opportunity to expel the remnant Manchu forces from Tibet. The Dalai Lama returned to Tibet and went on to exercise an unprecedented political authority not seen since the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Besides attempting to modernize Tibet, the Dalai Lama also tried to eliminate some of the more oppressive features of the Tibetan monastic system. During his exile in India, the Dalai Lama was fascinated by the modern world and he introduced the first Tibetan currency notes and coins. On 13 February 1913, he made public the five-point statement reasserting Tibet's Independence. Also, in 1913 he established the first post office in Tibet and sent four young Tibetans to study engineering in England.

In 1914, he strengthened Tibet's military force by organizing special training for the Tibetan army. In 1917 he established the Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astrology Institute) in Lhasa to preserve the unique traditional Tibetan medical and astrological systems. For that reason, he selected about a hundred young and intelligent students to train in Men-Tse-Khang. In 1923, he established a Police Headquarter in Lhasa for the security and welfare of the Tibetan people. In the same year he established the first English school of Tibet in Gyaltse. Sadly, he died in 1933 at the age of fifty-eight before accomplishing his goal for Tibet's modernization. BBC - Religions - Buddhism: Dalai Lama Dalai Lama Last updated 2006-09-21 The institution of the Dalai Lama is a relatively recent one. There have been only 14 Dalai Lamas in the history of Buddhism.

On this page The rôle of the Dalai Lama Potala Palace, the Dalai Lama's residence until 1959 The Dalai Lama is the head monk of Tibetan Buddhism and traditionally has been responsible for the governing of Tibet, until the Chinese government took control in 1959. Before 1959, his official residence was Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The Dalai Lama belongs to the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, which is the largest and most influential tradition in Tibet. The institution of the Dalai Lama is a relatively recent one. There have been only 14 Dalai Lamas in the history of Buddhism, and the first and second Dalai Lamas were given the title posthumously. According to Buddhist belief, the current Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of a past lama who decided to be reborn again to continue his important work, instead of moving on from the wheel of life. A person who decides to be continually reborn is known as tulku.

Buddhists believe that the first tulku in this reincarnation was Gedun Drub, who lived from 1391-1474 and the second was Gendun Gyatso. However, the name Dalai Lama, meaning Ocean of Wisdom, was not conferred until the third reincarnation in the form of Sonam Gyatso in 1578. The current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso. Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama, as a child © Choosing a Dalai Lama After the death of a Dalai Lama it has traditionally been the responsibility of the High Lamas of the Gelugpa Tradition and the Tibetan government to find his reincarnation. The High Lamas search for a boy who was born around the same time as the death of the Dalai Lama. It can take around two or three years to identify the Dalai Lama, and for the current, 14th Dalai Lama, it was four years before he was found. There are several ways in which the High Lamas might find out where the next reincarnation will be found. Dream One of the High Lamas may dream about some mark or location that will identify the boy.

Smoke If the previous Dalai Lama was cremated, High Lamas will watch the direction of the smoke and search accordingly. Oracle Lake High Lamas go to a holy lake, called Lhamo Lhatso, in central Tibet and watch for a sign from the lake itself. This may be either a vision or some indication of the direction in which to search.The home and village of Tenzin Gyatso was identified in a vision from this lake. Once the High Lamas have located the home and the boy, they present a number of artefacts which they have brought with them in preparation, to the child. Amongst these artefacts are a number of items that belonged to the deceased Dalai Lama. If the boy chooses the items that belonged to the previous Dalai Lama, this is seen as a sign, in conjunction with all of the other indications, that the boy is a reincarnation. This procedure, however, as Tenzin Gyatso has said himself, is not set in stone; if two thirds of the Tibetan people wish to change the method of identifying the next reincarnation, this would be just as valid. The search for the Dalai Lama has usually been limited to Tibet, although the third tulku was born in Mongolia.

However, as Tibet has been taken by the Chinese government, Tenzin Gyatso says that if he is reborn it will not be in a country run by the People's Republic of China, or any other country which is not free. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions Interestingly, Tenzin Gyatso has also expressed doubts over whether he will be reborn at all, suggesting the function of the Dalai Lama may be over. However, until Tibet is reunited with its spiritual leader, it seems likely that there will continue to be a Dalai Lama. Top Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso is the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in 1935 and recognised as the reincarnation of Thubten Gyatso at a young age.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, was born Lhamo Dhondrub on July 6 1935 to a peasant family in the province of Amdo, in a village called Takster in northeastern Tibet. The High Lamas of the Gelugpa tradition had been searching for many years for the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, but according to reports, there were incidents which marked out Lhamo as the correct child. The face of the embalmed thirteenth Dalai Lama is reported to have mysteriously turned north east. This, combined with a vision a High Lama had when looking in the sacred lake Lhamo Lhatso, indicated that Amdo was the village they should search. Furthermore, the vision also clearly indicated a three storey monastery with a gold and turquoise roof, and another vision of a small house with odd guttering. A monastery at Kumbum in Amdo fitted the description given by the High Lama and, after a careful search of the neighbouring villages, the house of Lhamo Dhondrub was identified. Lhamo was around three years old at the time.

The search party went to his home and observed him without revealing their reasons. They came back a few days later with the formal intention of performing the final test. They presented some items to the child, including a mala, or rosary, and a bell that belonged to the deceased Dalai Lama. Lhamo instantly identified the items shouting "It's mine, it's mine!" At just over five years old, he was enrolled in the local monastery and began his training. He was also trained by the highest monks in the land at Lhasa, Tibet’s capital city, at that time his official residence. He was enthroned at the age of 15 in 1950 amidst the start of troubles with China, but continued to study until the age of 25, receiving the highest honours available. The young Lhamo Dhondrub, who was renamed Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, took leadership of a country that was, according to traditional maps, still a Chinese province. Around 1950, the political landscape of China was changing. Plans were made to bring Tibet officially under Chinese control.

But in March 1959, Tibetans took to the streets demanding an end to Chinese rule. Chinese People’s Republic troops crushed the revolt and thousands were killed. Fearing that the Chinese government would kill him, the Dalai Lama fled from Tibet to India with thousands of followers, where he was welcomed by Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru gave him permission to form The Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala in India. The Dalai Lama, and the refugees who followed him, created a society in which Tibetan language, culture, arts and religion are promoted. He is the first Dalai Lama to travel to the West, and his charismatic manner has helped to draw much support for Buddhism and the Tibetan resistance movement. In 1989 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for maintaining a policy of non violence with the Chinese government, despite the knowledge that many Tibetans would be happy to take up armed resistance to return him to his position as their leader.

The Dalai Lama - IMDb IMDb Actor | Miscellaneous Crew His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama (born Lhamo Döndrub, also known by his religious name, Tenzin Gyatso, shortened from Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso), is Tibet's head of state as well as the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was recognized at age 2 as the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion... See full bio » Born: The Dalai Lama on Twitter Share this page: Related News a list of 39 people created 01 Feb 2012 a list of 793 people created 07 Jun 2012 a list of 20 people created 24 May 2014 a list of 25 people created 08 Oct 2015 a list of 284 people created 5 months ago Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of The Dalai Lama's work have you seen?

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(TV Series documentary) Himself 2002-2004 Sendung ohne Namen (TV Series documentary) Himself 2000 Príbeh duhových bojovníku - Greenpeace (TV Movie documentary) Himself 1994 The Century of Warfare (TV Mini-Series documentary) Himself 1975 Anno Domini (TV Series) Himself 1998: Print ads for Apple Computers' "Think Different" campaign. Publicity Listings: 1 Biographical Movie | 1 Print Biography | 2 Portrayals | 1 Interview | 10 Articles | 2 Pictorials | 7 Magazine Cover Photos | See more » Official Sites: Facebook Fan Page | Official Site | See more » Alternate Names: Darai Rama 14-sei | The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet | 14. Dalai-Lama | H.H.

Tenzin Gyatso | Tenzin Gyatso | Dalai Lama | His Holiness The Dalai Lama | His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama | His Holiness the Dalai Lama | His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama | Le Dalaï Lama | Tenzin Gyatso His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama | Tenzin Gyatso Le Dalaï Lama Did You Know? Personal Quote: [on Donald Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign] I see another Hitler [ Adolf Hitler ] in the making. If American people vote for Trump, it will be the end of great American civilization. See more » Trivia: Has lived in Dharamsala, India since the 1959 failed uprising in Tibet.

See more » Star Sign: Dalai Lama XIV | Tibetan Buddhist monk | Britannica.com Tibetan Buddhist monk Alternative Titles: Bstan ′dzin rgya mtsho, Lha mo don grub, Lhamo Dondrup, Lhamo Thondup, Tenzin Gyatso Dalai Lama XIV Yasser Arafat Dalai Lama XIV, (born July 6, 1935, Tibet), title of the Tibetan Buddhist monk Bstan-’dzin-rgya-mtsho (Tenzin Gyatso), the 14th Dalai Lama but the first to become a global figure, largely for his advocacy of Buddhism and of the rights of the people of Tibet . Despite his fame, he dispensed with much of the pomp surrounding his office, describing himself as a “simple Buddhist monk.” It is a tenet of Tibetan Buddhism (which traditionally has flourished not only in Tibet but in Mongolia, Nepal , Sikkim, Bhutan, and parts of India and China) that highly advanced religious teachers return to the world after their death, motivated by their compassion for the world.

(See Dalai Lama: A Call to Compassion .) At the time of the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950, there were several thousand of these teachers, often referred to in English as “incarnate lamas” (the term in Tibetan is sprul sku, which literally means “emanation body”). The most important and famous of these teachers was the Dalai Lama, whose line began in the 14th century. The third incarnation, named Bsod-nams-rgya-mtsho (1543–88), was given the title of Dalai Lama (“Ocean Teacher”) by the Mongol chieftain Altan in 1580. His two previous incarnations were posthumously designated as the first and second Dalai Lamas. Until the 17th century the Dalai Lamas were prominent religious teachers of the Dge-lugs-pa sect (commonly called Yellow Hats), one of the four major sects of Tibetan Buddhism.

In 1642 the fifth Dalai Lama was given temporal control of Tibet, and the Dalai Lamas remained head of state until the flight of the 14th Dalai Lama into exile in 1959. It is said that the previous incarnations of the 14th Dalai Lama extend not only to the previous 13 but further back into Tibetan history to include the first Buddhist kings (chos rgyal) of the 7th, 8th, and 9th centuries. All the Dalai Lamas and these early kings are considered human embodiments of Avalokiteshvara , the bodhisattva of compassion and the protector of Tibet. Life in Tibet The 13th Dalai Lama died in Lhasa , the capital of Tibet, on December 17, 1933. According to custom, executive authority was given to a regent, whose chief task was to identify and educate the next Dalai Lama, who would typically assume control at about the age of 20. After consulting various oracles, the regent sent out search parties to locate the child.

One party made its way to Amdo , in the far northeast region of the Tibetan cultural domain, where it encountered a young boy named Lha-mo-don-grub, the son of a farmer. After passing a number of tests (including the selection of personal items that had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama), he was proclaimed the next Dalai Lama. He and his family were then held for ransom by a powerful Chinese warlord . The ransom was paid by the Tibetan government, and the child and his family made the long trip to Lhasa, where he was enthroned on February 22, 1940. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Ordained as a Buddhist monk, the young Dalai Lama moved (without his family) into the vast Potala Palace (the residence of the Dalai Lamas and the seat of Tibetan government), where he began a rigorous monastic education under the tutelage of distinguished scholars. Affairs of state remained, however, in the hands of the regent, who preserved Tibet’s neutrality during World War II .

Although removed from international affairs, the Dalai Lama learned something of the outside world from magazines and newsreels, as well as from the Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer during the latter’s seven years in Tibet. After they took control of China in 1949, the communists asserted that Tibet was part of the “Chinese motherland” (the non-Chinese Qing rulers of China had exercised suzerainty over the region from the 18th century until the dynasty’s fall in 1911/12), and Chinese cadres entered Tibet in 1950. With a crisis looming, the Dalai Lama was asked to assume the role of head of state, which he did on November 17, 1950, at the age of 15. Attempts by the Chinese to collectivize monastic properties in eastern Tibet met with resistance, which led to violence and intervention by the People’s Liberation Army that year.

On May 23, 1951, a Tibetan delegation in Beijing signed a “Seventeen-Point Agreement” (under duress), ceding control of Tibet to China; Chinese troops marched into Lhasa on September 9, 1951. During the next seven and a half years, the young Dalai Lama sought to protect the interests of the Tibetan people, departing for China in 1954 for a year-long tour, during which he met with China’s leader Mao Zedong . Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies In 1956 the Dalai Lama traveled to India to participate in the celebration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Buddha ’s Enlightenment. Against the advice of some members of his circle, he returned to Tibet, where the situation continued to deteriorate. Guerrillas fought Chinese troops in eastern Tibet, and a significant number of refugees flowed into the capital. In February 1959, despite the turmoil, the Dalai Lama sat for his examination for the rank of geshe (“spiritual friend”), the highest scholastic achievement in the Dge-lugs-pa sect.

Structures of Government: Fact or Fiction? As tensions continued to escalate, rumours that Chinese authorities planned to kidnap the Dalai Lama led to a popular uprising in Lhasa on March 10, 1959, with crowds surrounding the Dalai Lama’s summer palace to protect him. The unrest caused a breakdown in communications between the Dalai Lama’s government and Chinese military authorities, and during the chaos the Dalai Lama (disguised as a Tibetan soldier) escaped under cover of darkness on March 17. Accompanied by a small party of his family and teachers and escorted by guerrilla fighters, the Dalai Lama made his way on foot and horseback across the Himalayas, pursued by Chinese troops. On March 31 he and his escorts arrived in India, where the Indian government offered them asylum. Life in exile In the wake of the Lhasa uprising and the Chinese consolidation of power across Tibet, tens of thousands of Tibetans followed the Dalai Lama into exile. In 1960 he established his government-in-exile in Dharamsala , a former British hill station in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh , where he continued to reside.

The government of India, however, was reluctant to allow all the Tibetan refugees to concentrate in one region and thus created settlements across the subcontinent, where the Tibetans established farming communities and built monasteries. The welfare of the refugees and the preservation of Tibetan culture in exile, especially in light of reports of the systematic destruction of Tibetan institutions during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–76), were the primary concerns of the Dalai Lama during this period. Dalai Lama, 2006. Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest The Dalai Lama traveled little during the early part of his exile and published only two books, an introduction to Buddhism and an autobiography. In later years, however, he traveled quite extensively, visiting Europe for the first time in 1973 and the United States for the first time in 1979. He subsequently traveled to dozens of other countries, delivering addresses at colleges and universities, meeting with political and religious leaders, and lecturing on Buddhism. His activities focused on two main goals, one of which was to build and sustain international awareness of the plight of Tibet.

In 1988, at a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg , France, he set forth a plan in which Tibet would be an autonomous region of China rather than an independent state. He continued to advocate what he called a “middle way approach” between the complete independence of Tibet and its complete absorption into the People’s Republic of China. He also sent numerous delegations to China to discuss such proposals, but they met with little success. In recognition of his efforts, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1989. His other goal was to disseminate the central tenets of Buddhism to a wide audience. He is the author of dozens of books on Buddhist themes, many of which are derived from public lectures or interviews. Some of these works are written in the traditional form of commentaries on Buddhist scriptures, while others range more widely over topics such as interreligious dialogue and the compatibility of Buddhism and science. Throughout his life, the Dalai Lama has fulfilled his traditional roles for the Tibetan community: he is revered by Tibetans both in Tibet and in exile as the human incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and as the protector of the Tibetan people.

In the latter role he consulted with oracles in making major decisions and made pronouncements on the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, as in 1980 and again in 1996, when he spoke out against the propitiation of the wrathful deity Dorje Shugden, one of the protectors of the Dge-lugs-pa sect. Seated Avalokitesvara, gilt bronze sculpture from Nalanda Bihar, 8th century ce; in the Nalanda … P. Chandra Opium Wars After the Dalai Lama reached the age of 70, the question of his successor was repeatedly raised. In the 1980s his public speculation about whether there would be a need for another Dalai Lama was taken by some as a call to the Tibetan community to preserve its culture in exile. During the first decade of the 21st century, he declared that there would be a 15th Dalai Lama and that he would be discovered not in Chinese-controlled Tibet but in exile. Yet he subsequently suggested that he might appoint his successor. The Chinese government rejected this idea and insisted that the tradition of selecting a new Dalai Lama by determining the reincarnation of the predecessor had to be maintained.

In 2011 the Dalai Lama stepped down as the political head of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Dalai Lama, 2008. © 360b/Shutterstock.com Previous Dalai Lamas were often figures cloaked in mystery, living in isolation in the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The 14th Dalai Lama, in contrast, achieved a level of visibility and celebrity that would have been unimaginable for his predecessors. He became the most famous Buddhist teacher in the world and is widely respected for his commitment both to nonviolence and to the cause of Tibetan freedom. In 2012 he won the Templeton Prize . 1000+ images about Famous_Dalai Lama on Pinterest | Tibet, On september and Dalai lama Forward His Holiness the Dalai Lama is greeted by students holding small Tibetan flags on his arrival at Yakumo Academy, a girl's school in Tokyo, Japan, where he spoke on non-violence and making the 21st century an era of dialogue on November 18, 2013. (Photo courtesy Office of Tibet, Japan) See More

Question: Tenzin Gyatso is more famously known by what name?
Answer: The Dalai Lama