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| His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tenzin Gyatso |
| Birth name | Lhamo Thondup |
| Birth date | 1935-07-06 |
| Birth place | Taktser, Amdo, Tibet |
| Nationality | Tibetan |
| Occupation | Monk, spiritual leader, author |
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso, born Lhamo Thondup in 1935 in Taktser, Amdo, is the 14th incarnation in the lineage associated with the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and the traditional political institution of Tibet. Recognized in 1939 and enthroned in 1940, he became a central figure in Tibetan religious life, international diplomacy, and human rights advocacy, intertwining relationships with figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and institutions including the United Nations and the Nobel Committee.
Born in rural Amdo to a farming family connected to local elites, Lhamo Thondup was identified during a search orchestrated by Regent Reting Rinpoche and elders of the Tibetan monastic community. The search involved examination of objects once belonging to the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, and consultation with senior lamas from the Ganden Phodrang and the Gelug monastery network, including emissaries from Lhasa and representatives of Tromzikhang. After recognition, he traveled to Lhasa for monastic education under tutors affiliated with Drepung Monastery, Ganden Monastery, and Sera Monastery, receiving teachings from figures like Trijang Rinpoche and Ling Rinpoche and joining rituals linked to the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple.
As the 14th in the tulku lineage associated with the Dalai Lama institution, he received training in Buddhist scholastic curricula, tantric practices, and ritual protocols central to the Gelug tradition, studying texts such as works by Tsongkhapa, commentaries by Je Tsongkhapa, and tantric manuals used across Nyingma and Kagyu circles. He has taught on ethics rooted in the Bodhisattva ideal, interfaith dialogue with leaders from Catholic Church and Islamic scholars, and promoted modern science dialogue with institutions including Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, and the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education. His stewardship included reforming monastic administration, supporting initiatives at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts and advising the Central Tibetan Administration on religious affairs.
His political role crystallized amid events including the 1950 entry of the People's Liberation Army into Tibet, the 1951 Seventeen Point Agreement, and the 1959 Tibet uprising that precipitated his flight to India, where he established a government-in-exile in Dharamshala and worked with leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. The exile period involved engagement with the United States via contacts in Washington, D.C., interactions with the Central Intelligence Agency in the context of early Tibetan resistance, and sustained negotiation attempts with representatives of the People's Republic of China including envoys from Beijing. He initiated the policy of the Middle Way Approach and oversaw democratic reforms within the Central Tibetan Administration, culminating in the transfer of political authority to an elected Sikyong and the promulgation of statutes modeled on international norms.
His international presence spans meetings with heads of state such as Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Margaret Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth II, and engagements with international organizations including the United Nations and the European Parliament. He has cultivated relationships with religious figures like Pope John Paul II, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Ayatollah Khamenei critics, and collaborated with scientists including Richard Feynman, Francis Collins, and Daniel Kahneman on mind and cognition research initiatives housed at institutions like the Mind & Life Institute, MIT, and the University of Oxford. His diplomacy has combined appeals to human rights bodies, participation in interfaith summits, and advocacy before assemblies such as the World Economic Forum and UNESCO.
He is the author or subject of numerous books and lectures translated into many languages, addressing ethics, compassion, secular ethics, and Buddhist philosophy; notable works and collaborations involve scholars like Robert Thurman, Matthieu Ricard, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. He has lectured at venues including Columbia University, Berkeley, Princeton University, and the Royal Institution, and participated in media with figures such as David Attenborough and interviewers for outlets like BBC and The New York Times. His public engagements include large teachings in cities like New York City, London, Tokyo, and Delhi, dialogues at scientific conferences, and participation in cultural projects with artists linked to institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution.
He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and honors from universities including Oxford, Harvard, and Cambridge, as well as awards from bodies like the Templeton Foundation and various municipal and civic organizations. Controversies have involved debates over succession, statements about figures like Mao Zedong and Zhao Ziyang in historical context, criticism from the People's Republic of China regarding separatism, and disputes over the role of the Panchen Lama following the selection processes involving Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and the officially recognized Panchen by Beijing. Other contested issues include interactions with intelligence agencies during the 1950s, the political implications of exiled leadership, and differing views within Tibetan communities and diaspora organizations such as the Tibetan Youth Congress.
Category:Dalai Lamas Category:Tibetan people Category:Recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize