His Holiness the Dalai Lama
His Holiness the Dalai Lama needs no
introduction. One of the great spiritual leaders of the world, he has also
collaborated in the writing of many international bestselling books. But
his collaboration with author Victor Chan is special. It is the first book by
His Holiness the Dalai Lama done in conjunction with an ethnic Chinese
collaborator. Together, they wrote the critically-acclaimed THE
WISDOM OF FORGIVENESS (Riverhead, 2004) which was an international hit.
Together, they are also author of the forthcoming TRANSFORMING
ADVERSITY (Riverhead, 2011).
Education in Tibet
He began his education at the age
of six and completed the Geshe Lharampa Degree (Doctorate of Buddhist
Philosophy) when he was 25 in 1959. At 24, he took the preliminary examinations
at each of the three monastic universities: Drepung, Sera and Ganden. The final
examination was conducted in the Jokhang, Lhasa during the annual Monlam
Festival of Prayer, held in the first month of every year Tibetan calendar.
Leadership Responsibilities
On November 17, 1950, His
Holiness was called upon to assume full political power (head of the State and
Government) after some 80,000 Peoples Liberation Army soldiers invaded Tibet. In
1954, he went to Beijing to talk peace with Mao Tse-tung and other Chinese
leaders, including Chou En-lai and Deng Xiaoping. In 1956, while visiting India
to attend the 2500th Buddha Jayanti Anniversary, he had a series of meetings
with Prime Minister Nehru and Premier Chou about deteriorating conditions in
Tibet.
His efforts to bring about a peaceful
solution to Sino-Tibetan conflict were thwarted by Bejing's ruthless policy in
Eastern Tibet, which ignited a popular uprising and resistance. This resistance
movement spread to other parts of the country. On 10 March 1959 the capital of
Tibet, Lhasa, exploded with the largest demonstration in Tibetan history,
calling on China to leave Tibet and reaffirming Tibet's independence. The
Tibetan National Uprising was brutally crushed by the Chinese army. His Holiness
escaped to India where he was given political asylum. Some 80,000 Tibetan
refugees followed His Holiness into exile. Today, there are more than 120,000
Tibetan in exile. Since 1960, he has resided in Dharamsala, India, known as
"Little Lhasa," the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-exile.
In the early years of exile, His
Holiness appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet, resulting in
three resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 1959, 1961, and 1965,
calling on China to respect the human rights of Tibetans and their desire for
self-determination. With the newly constituted Tibetan Government-in-exile, His
Holiness saw that his immediate and urgent task was to save the both the Tibetan
exiles and their culture alike. Tibetan refugees were rehabilitated in
agricultural settlements. Economic development was promoted and the creation of
a Tibetan educational system was established to raise refugee children with full
knowledge of their language, history, religion and culture. The Tibetan
Institute of Performing Arts was established in 1959, while the Central
Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies became a university for Tibetans in India.
Over 200 monasteries have been re-established to preserve the vast corpus of
Tibetan Buddhist teachings, the essence of the Tibetan way of life.
In 1963, His Holiness promulgated a
democratic constitution, based on Buddhist principles and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights as a model for a future free Tibet. Today, members
of the Tibetan parliament are elected directly by the people. The members of the
Tibetan Cabinet are elected by the parliament, making the Cabinet answerable to
the Parliament. His Holiness has continuously emphasized the need to further
democratise the Tibetan administration and has publicly declared that once Tibet
regains her independence he will not hold political office.
In Washington, D.C., at the
Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1987, he proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan
as a first step toward resolving the future status of Tibet. This plan calls for
the designation of Tibet as a zone of peace, an end to the massive transfer of
ethnic Chinese into Tibet, restoration of fundamental human rights and
democratic freedoms, and the abandonment of China's use of Tibet for nuclear
weapons production and the dumping of nuclear waste, as well as urging
"earnest negotiations" on the future of Tibet.
In Strasbourg, France, on 15 June
1988, he elaborated the Five-Point Peace Plan and proposed the creation of a
self-governing democratic Tibet, "in association with the People's Republic
of China."
On 2 September 1991, the Tibetan
Government-in-exile declared the Strasbourg Proposal invalid because of the
closed and negative attitude of the present Chinese leadership towards the ideas
expressed in the proposal.
On 9 October 1991, during an address
at Yale University in the United States, His Holiness said that he wanted to
visit Tibet to personally assess the political situation. He said, "I am
extremely anxious that, in this explosive situation, violence may break out. I
want to do what I can to prevent this.... My visit would be a new opportunity to
promote understanding and create a basis for a negotiated solution."
Contact with West and East
Since 1967, His Holiness
initiated a series of journeys which have taken him to some 46 nations. In
autumn of 1991, he visited the Baltic States at the invitation of Lithuanian
President Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania and became the first foreign leader
to address the Lithuanian Parliament. His Holiness met with the late Pope Paul
VI at the Vatican in 1973. At a press conference in Rome in 1980, he outlined
his hopes for the meeting with John Paul II: "We live in a period of great
crisis, a period of troubling world developments. It is not possible to find
peace in the soul without security and harmony between peoples. For this reason,
I look forward with faith and hope to my meeting with the Holy Father; to an
exchange of ideas and feelings, and to his suggestions, so as to open the door
to a progressive pacification between peoples." His Holiness met Pope John
Paul II at the Vatican in 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988 and 1990. In 1981, His Holiness
talked with Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie, and with other leaders
of the Anglican Church in London. He also met with leaders of the Roman Catholic
and Jewish communities and spoke at an interfaith service held in his honor by
the World Congress of Faiths: "I always believe that it is much better to
have a variety of religions, a variety of philosophies, rather than one single
religion or philosophy. This is necessary because of the different mental
dispositions of each human being. Each religion has certain unique ideas or
techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one's own faith."
Recognition and Awards
Since his first visit to the west
in the early 1973, a number of western universities and institutions have
conferred Peace Awards and honorary Doctorate Degrees in recognition of His
Holiness' distinguished writings in Buddhist philosophy and for his leadership
in the solution of international conflicts, human rights issues and global
environmental problems. In presenting the Raoul Wallenberg Congressional Human
Rights Award in 1989, U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos said, "His Holiness the
Dalai Lama's courageous struggle has distinguished him as a leading proponent of
human rights and world peace. His ongoing efforts to end the suffering of the
Tibetan people through peaceful negotiations and reconciliation have required
enormous courage and sacrifice."
The 1989 Nobel Peace Prize
The Norwegian Nobel Committee's
decision to award the 1989 Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama won
worldwide praise and applause, with exception of China. The CommitteeÕs
citation read, "The Committee wants to emphasize the fact that the Dalai
Lama in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently has opposed the
use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon
tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural
heritage of his people."
On 10 December 1989, His Holiness
accepted the prize on the behalf of oppressed everywhere and all those who
struggle for freedom and work for world peace and the people of Tibet. In his
remarks he said, "The prize reaffirms our conviction that with truth,
courage and determination as our weapons, Tibet will be liberated. Our struggle
must remain nonviolent and free of hatred."
He also had a message of
encouragement for the student-led democracy movement in China. "In China
the popular movement for democracy was crushed by brutal force in June this
year. But I do not believe the demonstrations were in vain, because the spirit
of freedom was rekindled among the Chinese people and China cannot escape the
impact of this spirit of freedom sweeping in many parts of the world. The brave
students and their supporters showed the Chinese leadership and the world the
human face of that great nations."
A Simple Buddhist monk
His Holiness often says, "I
am just a simple Buddhist monk - no more, nor less."
His Holiness follows the life of
Buddhist monk. Living in a small cottage in Dharamsala, he rises at 4 A.M. to
meditate, pursues an ongoing schedule of administrative meetings, private
audiences and religious teachings and ceremonies. He concludes each day with
further prayer before retiring. In explaining his greatest sources of
inspiration, he often cites a favorite verse, found in the writings of the
renowned eighth century Buddhist saint Shantideva:
For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.
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