14th Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso gives a characteristic hands-raised anjali greeting
Tenzin Gyatso gives a characteristic hands-raised anjali greeting
Reign 17 November 1950 – present
Predecessor Thubten Gyatso
Tibetan བསྟན་འཛིན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་
Wylie bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho
Pronunciation [tɛ̃ ́tsĩ càtsʰo]
Transcription
(PRC)		 Dainzin Gyaco
THDL Tenzin Gyatso
Chinese 丹增嘉措
Pinyin Dānzēng Jiācuò
Father Choekyong Tsering
Mother Diki Tsering
Born 6 July 1935 (1935-07-06) (age 75)
Taktser, Qinghai, Republic of China[1]

The 14th Dalai Lama (Religious name: Tenzin Gyatso, shortened from Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, born Lhamo Dondrub,[2] 6 July 1935) is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figure in the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has controversially consolidated control over the other sects in recent years. He is also well known for his political activities relating to the Tibetan independence movement, although he has recently moderated his stance.

The Dalai Lama was born in Taktser, Qinghai and was selected as the rebirth of the 13th Dalai Lama two years later, although he was only formally recognized as the 14th on 17 November 1950, at the age of 15. He inherited control over a government controlling an area roughly corresponding to the Tibet Autonomous Region just as the nascent People's Republic of China wished to reassert central control over it. The respective governments reached an agreement for a joint Communist-Lamaist administration that lasted until 1959.

During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, which China regards as an uprising of feudal landlords, but the Dalai Lama regards as an expression of widespread discontent, the Dalai Lama fled to India, where he denounced the People's Republic and established a government in exile. A charismatic speaker, he has since traveled the world, proselytizing for Tibetan independence and Tibetan Buddhism, though his role in the former is diminishing. He has spoken about such topics as abortion, economics, firearms, and sexuality, and has attracted controversy for his treatment of Dorje Shugden followers, his support for other separatist leaders, and other things.

Contents

Early life and background

The Dalai Lama as a boy

Lhamo Döndrub (or Thondup) was born on 6 July 1935 to a farming and horse trading family in the small hamlet of Taktser,[1] in the eastern border of the former Tibetan region of Amdo, then already incorporated into the Chinese province of Qinghai.[3][4] He was one of seven to survive childhood. The eldest was his sister Tsering Dolma, eighteen years older. His eldest brother, Thupten Jigme Norbu, had been recognised at the age of eight as the reincarnation of the high Lama Taktser Rinpoche. His sister, Jetsun Pema, who is affiliated with the Tibetan Youth Congress and Tibetan Women's Association, portrayed their mother in the 1997 Hollywood film Seven Years in Tibet. His first language was, in his own words, "a broken Xining language which was (a dialect of) the Chinese language" as his family did not speak the regional Amdo dialect.[5]

Tibetans traditionally believe Dalai Lamas to be the reincarnation of their predecessors, each of whom is believed to be a human emanation of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. A search party was sent to locate the new incarnation when the boy who was to become the 14th was about two years old.[6] It is said that, amongst other omens, the head of the embalmed body of the thirteenth Dalai Lama, at first facing south-east, had mysteriously turned to face the northeast—indicating the direction in which his successor would be found. The Regent, Reting Rinpoche, shortly afterwards had a vision at the sacred lake of Lhamo La-tso indicating Amdo as the region to search—specifically a one-story house with distinctive guttering and tiling. After extensive searching, the Thondup house, with its features resembling those in Reting's vision, was finally found.

The little boy was presented with various relics, including toys, some of which had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama and some of which had not. It was reported that he had correctly identified all the items owned by the previous Dalai Lama, exclaiming, "That's mine! That's mine!"[7]

House where the 14th Dalai Lama was born

Lhamo Thondup was recognised formally as the reincarnated Dalai Lama and renamed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom). Tibetan Buddhists normally refer to him as Yishin Norbu (Wish-Fulfilling Gem), Kyabgon (Saviour), or just Kundun (Presence). His devotees often call him His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the style employed on the Dalai Lama's website.

Monastic education commenced at the age of six years, his principal teachers being Yongdzin Ling Rinpoche (senior tutor) and Yongdzin Trijang Rinpoche (junior tutor). At the age of 11 he met the Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, having spotted him in Lhasa through his telescope. Harrer effectively became one of the young Dalai Lama's tutors, teaching him about the outside world. The two remained friends until Harrer's death in 2006.

During 1959, at the age of 23, he took his final examination at Lhasa's Jokhang Temple during the annual Monlam or prayer Festival. He passed with honours and was awarded the Lharampa degree, the highest-level geshe degree, roughly equivalent to a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy.[6][8]

Life as the Dalai Lama

Lhasa's Potala Palace, today a UNESCO world heritage site, pictured in 2006

As well as being a spiritual leader in all of cultural Tibet, Dalai Lamas have also politically ruled over a small domain centered around Lhasa in the province of Ü-Tsang. In 1939, at the age of four, the present Dalai Lama was taken in a procession of lamas to Lhasa.

China asserts that the Kuomintang government ratified the 14th Dalai Lama and that a Kuomintang representative, General Wu Zhongxin, presided over the ceremony. It cites a ratification order dated February 1940, and a documentary film of the ceremony.[9] According to Tsering Shakya, Wu Zhongxin along with other foreign representatives was present at the ceremony, but there is no evidence that he presided over it.[10]

The Dalai Lama's childhood was spent between the Potala and Norbulingka, his summer residence.

"On 8 July 1949, the Kashag [Tibetan Parliament] called Chen Xizhang, the acting director of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission office in Lhasa. He was informed that the Tibetan Government had decided to expel all Chinese connected with the Guomingdang Government. Fearing that the Chinese might organize protests in the streets of Lhasa, the Kashag imposed a curfew until all the Chinese had left. This they did on 14, 17 and 20 July 1949. At the same time the Tibetan Government sent a telegram to General Chiang Kai-shek and to President Liu Zongren informing them of the decision."[11]
The Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama meet Mao Zedong in 1955. Photo by Hou Bo

In October 1950 the army of the People's Republic of China marched to the edge of the Dalai Lama's territory and sent a delegation, after defeating a legion of the Tibetan army in warlord-controlled Kham. On 17 November. the 15-year-old was enthroned formally as the temporal ruler of Tibet.

Cooperation and conflicts with the PRC

The Dalai Lama's formal rule was brief. He sent a delegation to Beijing, and under military pressure ratified a Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet.[12][13] He tried to work with the Chinese government: in September 1954, together with the 10th Panchen Lama he went to the Chinese capital to meet Mao Zedong and attend the first session of the National People's Congress as a delegate, primarily discussing China's constitution.[14][15] On 27 September 1954, the Dalai Lama was selected as a deputy chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress,[16][17] a post he officially held until 1964.[18]

In 1956, on a trip to India to celebrate the Buddha's Birthday, the Dalai Lama asked the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, if he would allow him political asylum should he choose to stay. Nehru discouraged this as a provocation against peace, and reminded him of the Indian Government's non-interventionist stance agreed upon with its 1954 treaty with China.[8] The CIA, with the U.S. fighting against China in the Korean War at the time, offered the Dalai Lama assistance in contrast. Through communications through Kalimpong, the Dalai Lama organized pro-independence literature and the smuggling of weapons into Tibet. Armed struggles broke out in Amdo and Kham during 1956 and spread to Central Tibet in 1959.

Exile to India

First meeting: Jawaharlal Nehru and the Dalai Lama at Mussoorie in 1959 soon after he fled Tibet

Then fearing for his life, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet with the help of the CIA's Special Activities Division,[19] crossing into India on 30 March 1959, reaching Tezpur in Assam on 18 April.[20] Some time later he set up the Government of Tibet in Exile in Dharamsala, India,[21] which is often referred to as "Little Lhasa". After the founding of the exiled government he re-established the approximately 80,000 Tibetan refugees who followed him into exile in agricultural settlements.[6] He created a Tibetan educational system in order to teach the Tibetan children the traditional language, history, religion, and culture. The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts was established[6] in 1959 and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies[6] became the primary university for Tibetans in India. He supported the refounding of 200 monasteries and nunneries in an attempt to preserve Tibetan Buddhist teachings and the Tibetan way of life.

The Dalai Lama appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet. This appeal resulted in three resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 1959, 1961, and 1965.[6] These resolutions required China to respect the human rights of Tibetans and their desire for self-determination. During 1963, he promulgated a democratic constitution which is based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A Tibetan parliament-in-exile is elected by the Tibetan refugees scattered all over the world, and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile is likewise elected by the Tibetan parliament. During 1970, he opened the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala which houses over 80,000 manuscripts and important knowledge resources related to Tibetan history, politics and culture. It is considered one of the most important institutions for Tibetology in the world.[22]

Abandoned former quarters of the Dalai Lama at the Potala. The empty vestment placed on the throne symbolises his absence

International advocacy

At the Congressional Human Rights Caucus during 1987 in Washington, D.C., he gave a speech outlining his ideas for the future status of Tibet. The plan called for Tibet to become a democratic "zone of peace" without nuclear weapons, and with support for human rights, that barred the entry of Han Chinese. The plan would later be called the "Strasbourg proposal", because he expanded on the plan at Strasbourg on 15 June 1988. There, he proposed the creation of a self-governing Tibet "in association with the People's Republic of China." This would have been pursued by negotiations with the PRC government, but the plan was rejected by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile during 1991. The Dalai Lama has indicated that he wishes to return to Tibet only if the People's Republic of China agrees not to make any precondition for his return, which they have so far refused to do.[23][24]

The Dalai Lama celebrated his seventieth birthday on 6 July 2005. About 10,000 Tibetan refugees, monks and foreign tourists gathered outside his home. Patriarch Alexius II of the Russian Orthodox Church affirmed positive relations with Buddhists. The President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Chen Shui-bian, attended an evening celebrating the Dalai Lama's birthday at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei.[25] In October 2008 in Japan, the Dalai Lama addressed the 2008 Tibetan violence that had erupted and that the Chinese government accused him of fomenting. He responded that he had "lost faith" in efforts to negotiate with the Chinese government, and that it was "up to the Tibetan people" to decide what to do.[26]

Teaching activities

The Dalai Lama's main teaching room at Dharamsala

The Dalai Lama's chief spiritual practice is Dzogchen, a subject he teaches and writes about extensively. He has conducted numerous public initiations in the Kalachakra, and is the author of a great number of books. His teaching activities in the U.S. include the following:

In February 2007, the Dalai Lama was named Presidential Distinguished Professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia; it the first time that he accepted a university appointment.[27] On his April 2008 U.S. tour, He visited gave lectures on engaging wisdom and compassion, and sustainability, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.[28] Later in July, the Dalai Lama gave a public lecture and conducted a series of teachings at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.[29]

Interfaith dialogue

The Dalai Lama met with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1973. He met with Pope John Paul II in 1980 and also later in 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 2003. During 1990, he met in Dharamsala with a delegation of Jewish teachers for an extensive interfaith dialogue.[30] He has since visited Israel three times and met during 2006 with the Chief Rabbi of Israel. In 2006, he met privately with Pope Benedict XVI. He has also met the late Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Robert Runcie, and other leaders of the Anglican Church in London, Gordon B. Hinckley, late President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), as well as senior Eastern Orthodox Church, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Sikh officials.

On 6 January 2009, at Gujarat’s Mahuva, the Dalai Lama inaugurated an interfaith "World Religions-Dialogue and Symphony" conference convened by Hindu preacher Morari Bapu. This conference explored "ways and means to deal with the discord among major religions," according to Morari Bapu.[31][32] He has stated that modern scientific findings should take precedence where appropriate over disproven religious superstition.[33][34]

Social stances

The Dalai Lama endorsed the founding of the Dalai Lama Foundation in order to promote peace and ethics worldwide. The Dalai Lama is not involved operationally with this foundation, though he suggests some general direction and his office is routinely briefed on its activities.[35] He has also stated his belief that modern scientific findings take precedence over ancient religions.[36][37]

Abortion

The Dalai Lama reminds that according to Buddhist precepts abortion is an act of killing,[38] although he has taken a nuanced position, as he explained to the New York Times:

Of course, abortion, from a Buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative, generally speaking. But it depends on the circumstances. If the unborn child will be retarded or if the birth will create serious problems for the parent, these are cases where there can be an exception. I think abortion should be approved or disapproved according to each circumstance.[39]

Economics

The Dalai Lama, who considers himself "half-Marxist (and) half-Buddhist", wrote the following thoughts on Marxism:

Of all the modern economic theories, the economic system of Marxism is founded on moral principles, while capitalism is concerned only with gain and profitability. Marxism is concerned with the distribution of wealth on an equal basis and the equitable utilisation of the means of production. It is also concerned with the fate of the working classes—that is, the majority—as well as with the fate of those who are underprivileged and in need, and Marxism cares about the victims of minority-imposed exploitation. For those reasons the system appeals to me, and it seems fair. I just recently read an article in a paper where His Holiness the Pope Benedict XVI also pointed out some positive aspects of Marxism (though disapproving of it on the whole).

As for the failure of the Marxist regimes, first of all I do not consider the former USSR, or China, or even Vietnam, to have been true Marxist regimes, for they were far more concerned with their narrow national interests than with the Workers' International; this is why there were conflicts, for example, between China and the USSR, or between China and Vietnam. If those three regimes had truly been based upon Marxist principles, those conflicts would never have occurred.

I think the major flaw of the Marxist regimes is that they have placed too much emphasis on the need to destroy the ruling class, on class struggle, and this causes them to encourage hatred and to neglect compassion. Although their initial aim might have been to serve the cause of the majority, when they try to implement it all their energy is deflected into destructive activities. Once the revolution is over and the ruling class is destroyed, there is not much left to offer the people; at this point the entire country is impoverished and unfortunately it is almost as if the initial aim were to become poor. I think that this is due to the lack of human solidarity and compassion. The principal disadvantage of such a regime is the insistence placed on hatred to the detriment of compassion.

The failure of the regime in the former Soviet Union was, for me, not the failure of Marxism but the failure of totalitarianism. For this reason I still think of myself as half-Marxist, half-Buddhist.[40]

Environment

He has also expressed his concern for environmental problems:

On the global level, I think the ecology problem is very serious. I hear about some states taking it very seriously. That's wonderful! So this blue planet is our only home, if something goes wrong at the present generation, then the future generations really face a lot of problems, and those problems will be beyond human control; so that's very serious. Ecology should be part of our daily life.
—The Dalai Lama, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 19 September 2006[41]

In recent years, he has been campaigning for wildlife conservation, including a religious ruling against wearing tiger and leopard skins as garments.[42][43]

Firearms

In 2001, he discussed firearms and self-defence, and Hal Bernton, a staff reporter of The Seattle Times, reports that:

One girl wanted to know how to react to a shooter who takes aim at a classmate.

The Dalai Lama said acts of violence should be remembered, and then forgiveness should be extended to the perpetrators. But if someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, he said, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun. Not at the head, where a fatal wound might result. But at some other body part, such as a leg.[44]

Sexuality

In his view, oral, manual and anal sex (both homosexual and heterosexual) is not acceptable in Buddhism or for Buddhists, but society should tolerate gays and lesbians from a secular point of view.[45] In 1997 he explained that the basis of that teaching was unknown to him and that he at least had some "willingness to consider the possibility that some of the teachings may be specific to a particular cultural and historic context" while reiterating the unacceptable nature saying, "Buddhist sexual proscriptions ban homosexual activity and heterosexual sex through orifices other than the vagina, including masturbation or other sexual activity with the hand... From a Buddhist point of view, lesbian and gay sex is generally considered sexual misconduct".[46] In a 1994 interview with OUT Magazine, the Dalai Lama explained "If someone comes to me and asks whether homosexuality is okay or not, I will ask 'What is your companion's opinion?'. If you both agree, then I think I would say 'if two males or two females voluntarily agree to have mutual satisfaction without further implication of harming others, then it is okay'".[47] However, in his 1996 book Beyond Dogma, he clearly states, "A sexual act is deemed proper when the couples use the organs intended for sexual intercourse and nothing else....Homosexuality, whether it is between men or between women, is not improper in itself. What is improper is the use of organs already defined as inappropriate for sexual contact."[48] He has said that sex spelled fleeting satisfaction and trouble later, while chastity offered a better life and "more independence, more freedom." [49] He says that problems arising from conjugal life could even lead to suicide or murder.[50] The Dalai Lama has said that all religions have the same idea about adultery.[51]

Vegetarianism

In Tibet, meat being the most common food, most monks have historically been omnivores, including the Dalai Lamas. After getting jaundice, his doctors advised him to return to eating meat. This became controversial when he visited the White House and was offered a vegetarian menu, he rejected it and replied "I'm a Tibetan Monk not a vegetarian".[52]

Controversies

At his residence in Dharamsala, 1993

Despite protest from China, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the Dalai Lama in the Berlin Chancellery on 25 September 2007. The meeting was characterised as "private and informal talks" in order to avert potential retaliation by China such as the severance of trade ties. In response to the meeting, China cancelled meetings with German officials including Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries.[53]

The twelfth Samding Dorje Phagmo (considered to be Tibet's "only female living Buddha") was quoted in Xinhua as saying that "The sins of the Dalai Lama and his followers seriously violate the basic teachings and precepts of Buddhism and seriously damage traditional Tibetan Buddhism's normal order and good reputation", adding that "Old Tibet was dark and cruel, the serfs lived worse than horses and cattle."[54] The Dalai Lama's talks in the UK, May, 2008, were attended by Chinese protesters, angered that the Dalai Lama was there advocating for Tibetan independence instead of for the victims of the then-recent 2008 Sichuan earthquake.[55]

Dorje Shugden

During a teaching tour of the UK in May, 2008, members of the Western Shugden Society[56][57] came out to demonstrate against the ban of a prayer to Dorje Shugden,[56] which they call religious persecution.[57] Similar protests occurred in Sydney when the Dalai Lama arrived in Australia in June 2008.[58] The Dalai Lama says he had not banned the practice,[56] but strongly discourages it as he feels it promotes a spirit as being more important than Buddha, and that it may encourage cult-like practices and sectarianism within Tibetan Buddhism.[59] The Shugden worshipers in India protest that they are denied admission to hospitals, stores, and other social services provided by the local Tibetan community.[60]

Recognition of the 17th Karmapa

Another controversy associated with the Dalai Lama is the recognition of the seventeenth Karmapa. Two factions of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism have chosen two different Karmapas, leading to a deep division within the Kagyu school. The Dalai Lama has given his support to Urgyen Trinley Dorje, while supporters of Trinley Thaye Dorje claim that the Dalai Lama has no authority in the matter, nor is there a historical precedent for a Dalai Lama involving himself in an internal Kagyu dispute.[61] In his 2001 address at the International Karma Kagyu Conference, Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche—one of the four Karma Kagyu regents—accused the Dalai Lama of adopting a "divide and conquer" policy to eliminate any potential political rivalry arising from within the Kagyu school.[62] For his side, the Dalai Lama accepted the prediction letter presented by Tai Situ Rinpoche (another Karma Kagyu regent) as authentic, and therefore Tai Situ Rinpoche's recognition of Urgyen Trinley Dorje, also as correct.[63] Tibet observer Julian Gearing suggests that there might be political motives to the Dalai Lama's decision: "The Dalai Lama gave his blessing to the recognition of [Urgyen] Trinley, eager to win over the formerly troublesome sect [the Kagyu school], and with the hope that the new Karmapa could play a role in a political solution of the 'Tibet Question.' ...If the allegations are to be believed, a simple nomad boy was turned into a political and religious pawn."[64] However, according to Tsurphu Labrang, articles by Julian Gearing on this subject are biased, unverified and without crosschecking of basic facts.[65]

CIA backing

In October 1998, The Dalai Lama's administration acknowledged that it received $1.7 million a year in the 1960s from the US Government through the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and also trained a resistance movement in Colorado (USA).[66] When asked by CIA officer John Kenneth Knaus in 1995 whether the organisation did a good or bad thing in providing its support, the Dalai Lama replied that though it helped the morale of those resisting the Chinese, "thousands of lives were lost in the resistance" and further, that "the US Government had involved itself in his country's affairs not to help Tibet but only as a Cold War tactic to challenge the Chinese."[67]

Ties to India

The Chinese press has criticized the Dalai Lama for his close ties with India. His 2010 remarks at the International Buddhist Conference in Gujarat saying that he was "Tibetan in appearance, but an Indian in spirituality" and referral to himself as a "son of India" in particular lead the People's Daily to opine, "Since the Dalai Lama deems himself an Indian rather than Chinese, then why is he entitled to represent the voice of the Tibetan people?"[68] Dhundup Gyalpo of the Tibet Sun shot back that Tibetan religion could be traced back to Nalanda in India, and that Tibetans have no connection to Chinese "apart... from a handful of culinary dishes".[69] The People's Daily stressed the links between Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism and accused the Dalai Lama of "betraying southern Tibet to India".[68] Two years earlier in 2008, the Dalai Lama said for the first time that the territory, which India calls Arunachal Pradesh, is part of India, acknowledging the 1914 cession to the United Kingdom that Chinese representatives rejected.[70]

Refusal of visa to enter South Africa

The Dalai Lama and fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu share a joke

In March 2009, the Dalai Lama was denied a visa to enter South Africa when he was scheduled to attend an international peace conference. The South African government initially stated that it denied his visa to avoid distracting attention from South Africa and its hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup,[71] although South African government officials later acknowledged that his visa had been denied to maintain close relations with China.[72] Chinese officials had urged the South African government to not admit him.[73]

Two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Arch Bishop-emeritus Desmond Tutu and former South African President FW de Klerk, criticised the denial and pulled out of the conference. Opposition parties in South Africa criticized the African National Congress (ANC); the Congress of the People even referred to "rumors" of financial ties between the ANC and the Chinese Communist Party. Conference organisers expressed outrage over the refusal to issue the Dalai Lama a visa and cancelled the conference.[73][74] The South African government defended its decision as a matter of sovereignty. One South African official publicly criticised the Dalai Lama and lamented a taboo on criticism of him,[75] while another publicly accused the Government of "being dismissive of human rights".[76]

Support for Rebiya Kadeer

During the Melbourne International Film Festival, the controversial film The 10 Conditions of Love, which documents the life of exiled Uighur separatist leader Rebiya Kadeer, was screened on 8 August 2009 in spite of attempts by the Chinese government (which labels her a terrorist), to block screening of the film. The Dalai Lama sent a message of support:

Australian Federal Labor Member of Parliament, Michael Danby, says he discussed Ms Kadeer with the Dalai Lama recently: "He asked me to convey to you in Melbourne that she is another one of the national leaders who is a paradigm of non-violence," he said. "He wanted to make it very clear to people that the claims of this woman being a violent person or instigating violence, is from his point of view, and with all of his authority, wrong."[77]

Public image

During a visit to Italy, 2007

Four marks on the Dalai Lama's right arm are the consequence of a childhood smallpox vaccination and do not have any special significance.[78] His right arm is uncovered in accordance with Buddhist tradition.

International reception

The Dalai Lama has been successful in gaining Western sympathy for dialogues between himself and the Chinese government, including vocal support from numerous Hollywood celebrities, most notably the actors Richard Gere and Steven Seagal, as well as lawmakers from several major countries.[79] His relationship with Gere and Seagal have been critiqued by Christopher Hitchens.Hitchens, Christopher (1998-07-13). "His material highness". Salon.com. http://www.salon.com/news/1998/07/13news.html. Retrieved 2010-08-27. </ref>

On 18 February 2010, United States President Barack Obama hosted a meeting at the White House with the Dalai Lama.[80] Obama "commended [the Dalai Lama's] commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government". China expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with the meeting.[81]

Critics of the news and entertainment media coverage of the controversy charge that feudal Tibet was not as benevolent as popularly portrayed. The penal code before 1913 included forms of judicial mutilation and capital punishment to enforce a social system controversially described as both slavery and serfdom.[82] In response, the Dalai Lama agreed many of old Tibet's practices needed reform. His predecessor had banned extreme punishments and the death penalty.[83] And he had started some reforms like removal of debt inheritance during the early years of his government under the People's Republic of China in 1951.[84]

Possibility of retirement

In May 2007, Chhime Rigzing, a senior spokesman for his office, stated that the Dalai Lama was moving into "retirement",[85] but in 2008 the Dalai Lama himself ruled out such a move, saying "There is no... question of retirement."[86] Rigzing stated "The political leadership will be transferred over a period of time but he will inevitably continue to be the spiritual leader". The Dalai Lama announced he would like the Tibetan Parliament in Exile to have more responsibility over the [Central Tibetan] administration.

In response to the 2008 Tibetan unrest,[87] on 18 March 2008 the Dalai Lama threatened to step down,[88] a move unprecedented[89] in the history of the office of the Dalai Lama.[90] Aides later clarified that this threat was predicated on a further escalation of violence, and that he did not presently have the intention of leaving his political or spiritual offices.[91] Many Tibetan exiles expressed their support for the Dalai Lama, and the People's Republic of China intensified their criticism of him.[92][93]

In the ensuing months, he held meetings aimed at discussing the future institution of the Dalai Lama, including "[A] conclave, like in the Catholic Church, a woman as my successor, no Dalai Lama anymore, or perhaps even two", referring to the possibility of having both his approved successor and China's approved successor both claiming the title.[94] He has clarified that his goal is to relinquish all temporal power and to no longer play a "pronounced spiritual role" and have a simpler monastic life.[95]

Awards and honors

The Dalai Lama receiving a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. From left: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate President pro tempore Robert Byrd and U.S. President George W. Bush

The Dalai Lama has received numerous awards over his spiritual and political career.[96] He was a laureate for community leadership in 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Awards, Asia's version of Nobel Prize.[97] On 22 June 2006, he became one of only five people ever to be recognised with Honorary Citizenship by the Governor General of Canada. On 28 May 2005, he received the Christmas Humphreys Award from the Buddhist Society in the United Kingdom.

On 10 December 1989 the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.[98] The committee recognized his efforts in "the struggle of the liberation of Tibet and the efforts for a peaceful resolution instead of using violence."[99] The chairman of the Nobel committee said that the award was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi." In his acceptance speech the Dalai Lama criticised China for using force against student protesters during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. He said the victims' efforts were not in vain. His speech focused on the importance of the continued use of non-violence and his desire to maintain a dialogue with China to try and resolve the situation.[100]

Filmography

Examples of films recently made about Tenzin Gyatso:

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 At the time of Tenzin Gyatso's birth, Taktser was a city located in the Chinese province of Chinghai/Qinghai and was controlled by Ma Lin, a warlord allied with Chiang Kai-shek and appointed governor of Qinhai Province by the Kuomintang. See Thomas Laird, The Story of Tibet. Conversations with the Dalai Lama, Grove Press: New York, 2006 ; Li, T.T. "Historical Status of Tibet", Columbia University Press, p179 ; Bell, Charles, "Portrait of the Dalai Lama", p399; Goldstein, Melvyn C. Goldstein, A history of modern Tibet, pp. 315–317
  2. ↑ Tibetan: ལྷ་མོ་དོན་འགྲུབ་; Wylie: Lha-mo Don-'grub; Lhasa dialect IPA: [l̥ámo tʰø̃ ̀ɖup]; simplified Chinese: 拉莫顿珠; traditional Chinese: 拉莫頓珠; pinyin: Lāmò Dùnzhū
  3. ↑ Thomas Laird, The Story of Tibet. Conversations with the Dalai Lama, Grove Press: New York, 2006.
  4. ↑ "Brief biography, official website of the Dalai Lama". Dalailama.com. http://www.dalaiLama.com/page.105.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-02. 
  5. ↑ Thomas Laird, The Story of Tibet: Conversations With the Dalai Lama, 2007, p. 262. "At that time in my village," he said, "we spoke a broken Chinese. As a child, I spoke Chinese first, but it was a broken Xining language which was (a dialect of) the Chinese language." "So your first language," I responded, "was a broken regional Chinese dialect, which we might call Xining Chinese. It was not Tibetan. You learned Tibetan when you came to Lhasa." "Yes," he answered, "that is correct (...)."
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "Profile: The Dalai Lama". BBC News. 25 February 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1347735.stm. Retrieved 31 December 2009. 
  7. ↑ "Dalai Lama — Speech to the U.N. and Images of Tibet". http://www.cosmicharmony.com/Tibet/DalaiLama/DalaiLama.htm. Retrieved 6 August 2006. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Marcello, Patricia Cronin (2003). The Dalai Lama: A Biography. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313322074. http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0313322074&id=wLzA8YKI-coC&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html. 
  9. ↑ "Tibet during the Republic of China (1912-1949)". Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5jXYNfPaW. Retrieved 2 September 2009. 
  10. ↑ Shakya 1999, pp. 6–7
  11. ↑ Tsering Shakya. (1999). The Dragon in the Land of Snows: A History of Modern Tibet since 1947, pp. 7–8. Columbia University Press, New York. ISBN 0-231-11814-7.
  12. ↑ Gyatso, Tenzin, Dalai Lama XIV, interview, 25 July 1981.
  13. ↑ Goldstein, Melvyn C., A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951, University of California Press, 1989, pp. 812–813
  14. ↑ Goldstein, M.C., A History of Modern Tibet, Volume 2 - The Calm before the Storm: 1951-1955, p.493
  15. ↑ Ngapoi recalls the founding of the TAR, Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, China View, 30 August 2005.
  16. ↑ Goldstein, M.C., A History of Modern Tibet, Volume 2 - The Calm before the Storm: 1951-1955, p.496
  17. ↑ "Chairman Mao: Long Live Dalai Lama!". Voyage.typepad.com. 21 January 2007. http://voyage.typepad.com/china/2007/01/chairman_mao_lo.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  18. ↑ "Official: Dalai Lama's U.S. award not to affect Tibet's stability". 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (People's Daily). 2007-10-16. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6284184.html. Retrieved 2010-08-28. 
  19. ↑ The CIA's Secret War in Tibet, Kenneth Conboy, James Morrison, The University Press of Kansas, 2002.
  20. ↑ Richardson (1984), p. 210.
  21. ↑ "Witness: Reporting on the Dalai Lama's escape to India." Peter Jackson. Reuters. 27 Feb 2009.[1]
  22. ↑ "Library of Tibetan Works and Archives". Government of Tibet in Exile. 1997. http://www.tibet.com/ltwa.html. Retrieved 23 September 2008. 
  23. ↑ "Global Village News". Dalai Lama Considers Ending Exile & Return To Tibet. http://www.gvnr.com/71/3.htm. 
  24. ↑ Interview with The Guardian, 5 September 2003
  25. ↑ "China keeps up attacks on Dalai Lama". CNN. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/04/01/taiwan.dalaiLama.05/. 
  26. ↑ "Dalai Lama admits Tibet failure". Al Jazeera. 2008-11-03. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2008/11/200811382944579283.html. Retrieved 2010-08-28. 
  27. ↑ "Dalai Lama named Emory distinguished professor". News.emory.edu. http://news.emory.edu/Releases/DalaiLama1170686715.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  28. ↑ "Dalai Lama Visits Colgate". The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. http://dalaiLama.com/news.242.htm. Retrieved 23 April 2008. 
  29. ↑ "Lehigh University : His Holiness the Dalai Lama". .lehigh.edu. http://www3.lehigh.edu/dalaiLama/index.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  30. ↑ Kamenetz,Rodger (1994)The Jew in the Lotus Harper Collins: 1994.
  31. ↑ "Dalai Lama inaugurates 6-day world religions meet at Mahua". Indianexpress.com. 7 January 2009. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dalai-Lama-inaugurates-6day-world-religions-.../407503/. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  32. ↑ Canada Tibet Committee. "Dalai Lama to inaugurate inter-faith conference". Tibet.ca. http://www.tibet.ca/en/newsroom/wtn/5137. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  33. ↑ Paine, Jeffery (14 September 2003). "Boston.com". The Buddha of suburbia. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/09/14/the_buddha_of_suburbia/. 
  34. ↑ "The Dalai Lama's views on science and religion in an op-ed for The New York Times". Dalailama.com. http://www.dalaiLama.com/news.5.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-02. 
  35. ↑ "The Dalai Lama Foundation". Missions and Programs. http://www.dalaiLamafoundation.org/members/en/mission.jsp. 
  36. ↑ Paine, Jeffery (14 September 2003). "Boston.com". The Buddha of suburbia. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/09/14/the_buddha_of_suburbia/. 
  37. ↑ The Dalai Lama's views on science and religion in an op-ed for The New York Times
  38. ↑ Dalai Lama meets Idaho’s religious leaders by Gary Stivers, www.sunvalleyonline.com, 15 September 2005
  39. ↑ Claudia Dreifus (28 November 1993). "New York Times Interview with the Dalai Lama". New York Times. http://www.tibet.ca/en/newsroom/wtn/archive/old?y=1993&m=12&p=5_1. Retrieved 31 March 2009. 
  40. ↑ "Tibet and China, Marxism, Nonviolence". Hhdl.dharmakara.net. http://hhdl.dharmakara.net/hhdlquotes1.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  41. ↑ "His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Address to the University at Buffalo". Archive.org. http://www.archive.org/details/DalaiLama_2006_09_19. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  42. ↑ "Dalai Lama Campaigns to End Wildlife Trade". ENS. 8 April 2005. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2005/2005-04-08-01.asp. 
  43. ↑ Justin Huggler (18 February 2006). "Reports Fur Flies Over Tiger Plight". New Zealand Herald. http://www.tew.org/archived/wildlife.skins.issue.html. 
  44. ↑ Bernton, Hal (15 May 2001). "Dalai Lama urges students to shape the world". Archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=dalai15m0&date=20010515. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  45. ↑ The Buddhist religion and homosexuality at Religioustolerance.org
  46. ↑ Dalai Lama Urges 'Respect, Compassion, and Full Human Rights for All', including Gays. Conkin, Dennis. Bay Area Reporter, 19 June 1997
  47. ↑ OUT Magazine February/March 1994
  48. ↑ Beyond Dogma by the Dalai Lama
  49. ↑ Sex invariably spells trouble, says Dalai Lama
  50. ↑ Published: 5:18PM GMT 29 Nov 2008 (29 November 2008). "Sexual intercourse spells trouble, says Dalai Lama". London: Telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/3534994/Sexual-intercourse-spells-trouble-says-Dalai-Lama.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  51. ↑ "The Dalai Lama comments on Tiger Woods' scandal". FOX Sports. 2010-02-20. http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/The-Dalai-Lama-comments-on-Tiger-Woods%2527-scandal?GT1=39002. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
  52. ↑ Iyer 2008, pg. 203
  53. ↑ "Merkel meets with the Dalai Lama". Euronews.net. http://euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=444371&lng=1. 
  54. ↑ Xinhua, (carried by Reuters 29 April 2008). "Female living Buddha condemns Dalai Lama - Xinhua." Retrieved on: 30 May 2008.
  55. ↑ Cacciottolo, Mario (22 May 2008). "Peace and Placards Greet the Dalai Lama". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7415623.stm. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 56.2 "Protest at Dalai Lama prayer ban". BBC News. 27 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7421888.stm. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 "Noisy demonstrations target Dalai Lama on London streets". The China Post. 23 May 2008. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/europe/2008/05/23/157717/Noisy-demonstrations.htm. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  58. ↑ "Dalai Lama arrives to welcomes and taunts". The Age (Melbourne: AAP). 11 June 2008. http://www.theage.com.au/national/dalai-Lama-arrives-to-welcomes-and-taunts-20080611-2p30.html?page=2. Retrieved 11 June 2008. 
  59. ↑ "His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Advice Concerning Dolgyal (Shugden)". Dalailama.com. 27 March 2006. http://www.dalaiLama.com/page.132.htm. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  60. ↑ "The Dalai Lama's demons". 09/08/2008. http://www.france24.com/en/20080808-dalai-Lama-demons-india-buddhism-dorje-shugden. Retrieved 8 May 2010. 
  61. ↑ International Karma Kagyu Buddhist Organization, "An Open Letter to the Dalai Lama", 17 Mar 2001.
  62. ↑ Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, "Message to the International Karma Kagyu Conference", 2001.
  63. ↑ Vijay Kranti, "The Dalai Lama and Chinese Desperation", Border Affairs, 2001.
  64. ↑ Julian Gearing, "The perils of taking on Tibet's holy men", Asiaweek, 20 Feb 2001.
  65. ↑ "Statement from the Tsurphu Labrang regarding litigation matter". Kagyu.org. http://www.kagyu.org/ktd/news/tsurphustatement.php. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  66. ↑ "World News Briefs; Dalai Lama Group Says It Got Money From C.I.A.". The New York Times. 2 October 1998. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3061EF73E5C0C718CDDA90994D0494D81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fD%2fDalai%20Lama. 
  67. ↑ Posted on Nov 6th 2008 1:30PM by Kelly Wilson (2008-11-06). "Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower". Members.aol.com. http://members.aol.com/superogue/intro.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-02. 
  68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 "A look at the Dalai Lama's ridiculous Indian heart". China Tibet Information Center. 2010-01-22. http://chinatibet.people.com.cn/6876597.html. Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  69. ↑ Gyalpo, Dhundup (2010-02-09). "Why is the Dalai Lama "son of India"?". Dharamsala: Tibet Sun. http://www.tibetsun.com/opinions/2010/02/09/why-is-the-dalai-lama-son-of-india/. Retrieved 2010-08-18. 
  70. ↑ "Tawang is part of India: Dalai Lama". TNN. 4 June 2008. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Tawang_is_part_of_India_Dalai_Lama_/articleshow/3097568.cms. Retrieved 4 June 2008. 
  71. ↑ South Africa: Govt Scores Own Goal Over Peace Conference. Accessed 31 March 2009. Archived 30 April 2009.
  72. ↑ Dalai Lama banned to placate China, S Africa admits. Accessed 31 March 2009. Archived 30 April 2009.
  73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 [2]
  74. ↑ Peace Conference in South Africa Is Cancelled, NY Times, March 24, 2009
  75. ↑ Independent Online. "'I've heard him described as Buddha'". Iol.co.za. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20090326193006308C764635. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  76. ↑ More support for Hogan's Dalai Lama comments, March 26 2009 Archived 30 April 2009.
  77. ↑ "Dalai Lama sends message of support to Kadeer - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. 9 August 2009. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/09/2650267.htm?section=justin. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  78. ↑ Freedom in exile: the autobiography of the Dalai Lama. New York, NY: HarperCollins. 1990. ISBN 0-06-039116-2. 
  79. ↑ Interview with CBC News, 16 April 2004
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  81. ↑ "China summons U.S. ambassador over Dalai Lama meeting". CNN.com. 23 February 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/19/china.obama.dalai.lama/index.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
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References

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14th Dalai Lama
Born: 6 July 1935
Buddhist titles
Preceded by
Thubten Gyatso		 Dalai Lama
1950–present
Recognised in 1937		 Incumbent
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Post created		 Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
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