Dalai Lama

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 ‘nirvana’ 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 People’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.