The 14th Dalai Lama

1
The 14th Dalai Lama

• By Meg Miller, Libby Reiser, and Andrew Dudum

2
Brief History of Dalai Lama

• Leader of Tibetan Buddhism
• Supreme spiritual leader
• Considered to be one of the innumerable
  incarnations of Avalokitesvara
• From the 17th century to 1959, the Dalai Lama has
  been the head of the Tibetan Government.
• Lineage of leaders traces back to 1391

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Three main commitments in life

• First
• As a human being, the Dalai Lama must promote
  human values.
• Second
• As a religious practitioner, the Dalai Lama must
  promote religious harmony and understanding among
  the worlds major religious traditions
• Third
• As a Tibetan, the Dalai Lama must act as the free
  spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle
  for justice.

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Biography of Tenzin Gyatso

• Born on July 6 1935 to a farming family in
  northeastern Tibet. 
• Age two recognized as the reincarnation of the
  13th Dalai Lama 
• He began his monastic education at the age of
  six.  The curriculum consisted of five major and
  five minor subjects. 

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Leadership and Exile

• 1950- His Holiness was called upon to assume full
  political power after China's invasion of Tibet
  in 1949. 
• 1954- He went to Beijing for peace talks with Mao
  Zedong
• 1959- His Holiness was forced to escape into
  exile.
•  
• Since then he has been living in Northern India,
  the seat of the Tibetan political administration
  in exile.  
• He has appealed to the United Nations on the
  question of Tibet.  The General Assembly adopted
  three resolutions on Tibet in 1959, 1961 and
  1965.

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Free Tibet

• 1963- His Holiness presented a draft democratic
  constitution for Tibet.
• May 1990- First time the people of Tibet elected
  the political leadership.
• 1992- As leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama issued
  guidelines for a future, free Tibet.

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Free Tibet (continued)

• To learn more about the Free Tibet movement,
  visit

www.freetibet.org
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Tasks when Tibet becomes free

• -Elect a constitutional assembly to frame and
  adopt Tibet's democratic constitution
• - Would transfer all his historical and political
  authority to the Interim President and live as an
  ordinary citizen
• -Tibet, comprising of the three traditional
  provinces of U-Tsang, Amdo and Kham, would become
  federal and democratic

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Five Point Peace Plan

• In his address to members of the United States
  Congress in Washington, D.C. on 21 September
  1987, His Holiness proposed the following peace
  plan, which contains five basic components  
• 1. Transformation of the whole of Tibet into a
  zone of peace.  
• 2. Abandonment of China's population transfer
  policy that threatens the very
•          existence of the Tibetans as a people.
• 3. Respect for the Tibetan people's fundamental
  human rights and democratic
•          freedoms.
• 4. Restoration and protection of Tibet's natural
  environment and the abandonment
•       of China's use of Tibet for the
  production of nuclear weapons and dumping of
•          nuclear waste.
• 5. Commencement of earnest negotiations on the
  future status of Tibet and of
•          relations between the Tibetan and
  Chinese peoples.
•   

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Universal Recognition

• 1989- Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his
  non-violent struggle in the liberation of Tibet. 
  
• First Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his
  concern for global environmental problems.
• Traveled to more than 62 countries spanning 6
  continents. 
• Since 1959- Received over 84 awards, honorary
  doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his
  message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious
  understanding, universal responsibility and
  compassion.
• Has authored more than 72 books

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Teachings

• Leading balanced life
• Happiness
• Need for universal responsibility
• Mind has great power
• Physical condition plays secondary role to
  spiritual condition
• Need for love
• All forms of life are connected

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Teachings (continued)

• Compassion is more powerful than hate and anger
• Compassion is a commitment
• We grow from difficulties
• Love connects and is necessary

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Spreading his teachings

• On the 16th day of the Tibetan calendar, the
  Dalai Lama gives his annual spring teachings
• Usually lasts about 15 days
• Gives public talks and speeches on important
  issues to him throughout the year

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Quotations

• Happiness is not something ready made. It comes
  from your own actions.
• In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the
  best teacher.
• My religion is very simple. My religion is
  kindness.
• Sleep is the best meditation.
• We can live without religion and meditation,
  but we cannot survive without human affection.

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Pictures!
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The Dalai Lama visits Harvard

• http//www.harvard.edu/news/dalai.html