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July 12, 2005
Dalai Lama
"There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness."
~ Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama, (Tenzin Gyatso), is the spiritual and temporal leader of the people of Tibet. He was born on the 6th of July 1935 in the small village of Taktser in North East Tibet. Born to a peasant family, he was recognised at the age of 2 as being the reincarnation of his predecessor the13th Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama, which means ocean of wisdom, comes from the Buddha of Compassion who chose rebirth as a way to serve the people. After the 13th Dalai Lama died in 1933 it became the job of the Tibetan government to seek out the child in whom the Buddha of Compassion was reborn. Previous successors would usually be located through their possession of attributes similar to those of the Dalai.
He was discovered through a sacred lake known to show visions of the future. A vision of the house he lived in was seen and the high lamas and dignitaries began their search throughout the country for the house.
The new Dalai Lama was enthroned in 1940. He began his education at 6 and by the time he was 25 he was awarded a Doctorate in Buddhist philosophy.
At the age of only 16 he became the political leader of Tibet as it was under threat from China. He was
forced into exile in India in 1959 after the Chinese took over Tibet from where he tried to find peace for the Tibetan people.
In 1989, the Dalai Lama was given the Nobel Peace Prize for "forward looking proposal for the solution of international conflicts, human rights issues and global environmental problems". He has travelled the world to encourage universal responsibility, love, compassion and kindness.
Posted by Single Fin at July 12, 2005 12:09 AM