Early life and background
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, spent most of her adult life on the
Tibetan Children's Villages project. The Dalai Lama's 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 local Tibetan language.
[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.
Thondup 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
The Chinese Muslim General
Ma Bufang did not want the 14th Dalai Lama to succeed his predecessor, and did all he could to delay the transport of the Dalai Lama from Qinghai to Tibet, by demanding massive sums of money in silver.
[8]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) although he was not formally enthroned as the temporal ruler of Tibet until the age of 15; instead, the
regent acted as the head of the
Kashag until that time.
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, who became his
videographer and tutor about the world outside Lhasa. At the
Norbulingka (summer palace), the 14th Dalai Lama enjoyed the 13th Dalai Lama's
movie projectors, which he used to watch films about
World War II, and the only three cars in Tibet, which he occasionally crashed.
[9]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][10]Life as the Dalai Lama
Historically the Dalai Lamas had political and religious influence in the Western Tibetan area of
Ü-Tsang around
Lhasa, where the
Gelug school of
Tibetan Buddhism was popular and the Dalai Lamas held land under their jurisdiction. 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.
[11]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.
[12] He wrote:
"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."[13] 
The Dalai Lama (right) and Panchen Lama (left) meet
Mao Zedong in 1955.
During his reign, a border crisis erupted with the
Republic of China in 1942. Under orders from the
Kuomintang government of Chiang Kaishek,
Ma Bufang repaired Yushu airport to prevent Tibetan separatists from seeking independence.
[14] Chiang also ordered Ma Bufang to put his Muslim soldiers on alert for an invasion of Tibet in 1942.
[15][16] Ma Bufang complied, and moved several thousand troops to the border with Tibet.
[17] Chiang also threatened the Tibetans with aerial bombardment if they worked with the Japanese. Ma Bufang attacked the Tibetan Buddhist Tsang monastery in 1941.
[18] He also constantly attacked the Labrang monastery.
[19]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 1950, at the age of 15, the 14th Dalai Lama was enthroned formally as the temporal ruler of Tibet.
Cooperation and conflicts with the PRC
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.
[10] The
CIA, with the
Korean War only recently over, offered the Dalai Lama assistance. In 1956, the CIA launched a large scale covert action campaign against the Communist Chinese. A secret military training camp for the Dalai Lama's guerrilla's was established at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado, in the US.
[27] Through communications through
Kalimpong, the Dalai Lama organized pro-independence literature and the smuggling of weapons into Tibet. Trained and armed by the CIA, the Dalai Lama's guerrillas attacked Communist forces in Amdo and Kham during 1956 and
pushed on into Central Tibet in 1959.
Exile to India
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., the Dalai Lama 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.
[33] In the 1970s, the then-
Paramount leader Deng Xiaoping set China's sole return requirement to the Dalai Lama as that he "must [come back] as a Chinese citizen.... that is, patriotism".
[34]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
[citation needed]. Then 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.
[35] 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.
[36]Teaching activities
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:
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.
[40] 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.
[41][42] He has stated that modern scientific findings should take precedence where appropriate over disproven religious superstition.
[43][44]On May 12, 2010, in
Bloomington,
[45] USA, the Dalai Lama, joined by a panel of select scholars, officially launched the
[46] project, which he and HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan had planned over the course of several years of personal conversations. The project is based on the book ‘
Common Ground between Islam and Buddhism’.
Social stances
The Dalai Lama reminds that according to Buddhist precepts
abortion is an act of killing,
[47] although he has said that there can be an exception for "if the unborn child will be
retarded or if the birth will create serious problems for the parent", qualifying his approval or disapproval according to each individual abortion.
[48] This position is at odds with cultural attitudes in Tibet, where abortion is unequivocally disapproved of, and where despite its free availability, women do not so avail themselves.
[49]In Tibet, meat being the most common food, most monks have historically been
omnivores, including the Dalai Lamas. The Dalai Lama experimented with
vegetarianism once, but 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".
[50] In 2001, the Dalai Lama told a girl in a
Seattle school that it is permissible to shoot someone with a gun if the person was "trying to kill you", but added that the shot should not be fatal.
[51]Democracy, non-violence, religious harmony and Tibet's relationship with India
The Dalai Lama says that he is active in spreading India's message of non-violence and religious harmony throughout the world "I am the messenger of India's ancient thoughts world over", he said democracy was deep rooted in India. He says he considers India as a master and Tibet its disciple as great scholars like
Nagarjuna went from
Nalanda to Tibet to preach Buddhism in the eighth century. He says millions of people had lost their lives in violence and economy of many a countries got ruined due to conflicts in the 20th century "Let the 21st century be a century of tolerance and dialogue."
[52]Economics
"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."
The Dalai Lama calls himself
Marxist and often offers
criticisms of capitalism. He reports hearing of
communism when he was very young, but only in the context of the destruction of
Communist Mongolia. It was only when he went on his trip to
Beijing that he studied
Marxist theory. There, he reports, "I was so attracted to Marxism, I even expressed my wish to become a
Communist Party member", citing his favorite concepts of
self-sufficiency and equal
distribution of wealth. He does not believe that China implemented "true Marxist policy",
[54] and thinks the historical
communist states such as the
U.S.S.R. "were far more concerned with their narrow national interests than with the
Workers' International".
[53] Of capitalism, he said that
in China, "millions of people's living standards improved", but that it "is only how to make profits", whereas Marxism has "moral ethics".
[55]Environment
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.
[63] 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".
[64] 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'".
[65] 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."
[66] He has said that sex spelled fleeting satisfaction and trouble later, while chastity offered a better life and "more independence, more freedom."
[67] He says that problems arising from conjugal life could even lead to suicide or murder.
[68] The Dalai Lama has said that all religions have the same idea about adultery.
[69]Controversies
At his residence in Dharamsala, 1993
The twelfth Samding
Dorje Phagmo (the only prominent female
tulku in Tibet) 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."
[70] 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.
[71]Dorje Shugden
During a teaching tour of the UK in May, 2008, members of the
Western Shugden Society[72][73] came out to demonstrate against the ban of a prayer to
Dorje Shugden,
[72] which they call religious persecution.
[73] Similar protests occurred in Sydney when the Dalai Lama arrived in Australia in June 2008.
[74] The Dalai Lama says he had not banned the practice,
[72] 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.
[75] The Shugden worshipers in India protest that they are denied admission to hospitals, stores, and other social services provided by the local Tibetan community.
[76]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.
[77] 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.
[78] 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.
[79] 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."
[80] However, according to Tsurphu Labrang, articles by Julian Gearing on this subject are biased, unverified and without crosschecking of basic facts.
[81]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).
[82] 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."
[83]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 led 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?"
[84] 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".
[85] The People's Daily stressed the links between
Chinese Buddhism and
Tibetan Buddhism and accused the Dalai Lama of "betraying
southern Tibet to India".
[84] Two years earlier in 2008, the Dalai Lama said for the first time that the territory, which India claims as part of
Arunachal Pradesh, is part of India, citing the controversial
1914 Simla Accord whose validity was questioned at its signing and still is today.
[86]Public image
The 14th Dalai Lama is a well-known figure internationally; his appeal is variously ascribed to his "
universalist values" and
Sinophobia in the
West.
[87] In the 1990s, many films were released by the
American film industry about Tibet, including
biopics of the Dalai Lama. This is attributed to both the Dalai Lama's 1989
Nobel Peace Prize as well as to the euphoria following the
Fall of Communism. The most notable films,
Kundun and
Seven Years in Tibet(both released in 1997), portrayed "an idyllic pre-1950 Tibet, with a smiling, soft-spoken Dalai Lama at the helm - a Dalai Lama sworn to
non-violence": portrayals the Chinese government decried as
ahistorical.
[88] One South African official publicly criticised the Dalai Lama's politics and lamented a taboo on criticism of him, saying "To say anything against the Dalai Lama is, in some quarters, equivalent to trying to shoot
Bambi".
[89]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.
[90] In response, the Dalai Lama agreed many of old Tibet's practices needed reform. His predecessor had banned extreme punishments and the death penalty.
[91] 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.
[92]International reception
The Dalai Lama has been successful in gaining Western sympathy for himself and the cause of greater Tibetan autonomy or independence, including vocal support from numerous Hollywood celebrities, most notably the actors
Richard Gere and
Steven Seagal, as well as lawmakers from several major countries.
[93] His relationship with Gere and Seagal have been
critiqued by Christopher Hitchens.
[94]Awards and honors
Possibility of retirement
In May 2007,
Chhime Rigzing, a senior spokesman for his office, stated that the Dalai Lama was moving into "retirement",
[100] but in 2008 the Dalai Lama himself ruled out such a move, saying "There is no... question of retirement."
[101] Rigzing stated
[when?] "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,
[102] on 18 March 2008 the Dalai Lama threatened to step down,
[103] which would be a first for a Dalai Lama.
[104][105] 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.
[106] The threatening resignation statement was criticized in the
Yale Daily News for not expressing sympathy for the innocent victims of the riots, for characterizing already-violent protests as "peaceful", and for demanding that the Tibetan police "stop using force" before they even responded to the initial riots.
[107]
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.
[108] 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.
[109]
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