Protests around the world, interrupting the Olympics’ ritual passing of the torch from country to country, have succeeded in putting the spotlight on Tibet. Now China is giving a mixed message, saying it wants to open a dialogue with Tibet’s spiritual leader while continuing to criticize his actions.
Because it is geographically the highest region on Earth, Tibet is often called the “Root of the World.” The non-violent struggle of the Tibetan people is led by their religious and government leader-in-exile, the Dalai Lama. “Dalai Lama” means “Ocean of Wisdom” in Tibetan. All holders of this title are assumed to be the earthly reincarnation of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion and the patron saint of Tibet. Based on the Buddhist belief in reincarnation – the idea that all human souls are born, die and are reborn, in a continuous cycle of life-death-rebirth — bodhisatvas are those souls which have achieved enlightenment but choose to remain on this wheel of life, in order to help others find it. Reincarnated souls who are recognized by signs in early childhood are called “tulkus” and these are found everywhere in Tibet. The most famous tulku is the Dalai Lama, and he is both the religious leader of Tibet and its state ruler.
The current Dalai Lama is the 14th in this line, born to a farming family in 1935 and recognized at the age of 2. He was given the name Lhamo Dhondrub and brought to live in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet at the age of 4, where he was raised and educated in a Buddhist monastery. Upon taking office, his name was changed and he became His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso. When China invaded Tibet in 1950, he was called upon to assume full political ledership of Tibet as well. In 1954, his Holiness went to Beijing for peace talks with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders. Five years later, when the Chinese army brutally suppressed a Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa, the Dalai Lama, along with thousands of his supporters, was forced to escape to Dharamsala, India, where he has been governing in exile ever since. As China annexed Tibet in 1959 and refuses to recognize it as an independent political entity, the Dalai Lama has become a spokesperson for the freedom of this nation and its people, repeatedly appealing to the UN to take action.
The Dalai Lama has always advocated non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He is also the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concerns for global environmental problems. He has traveled extensively, met leaders from around the world, written over 72 books and received over 84 awards in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion. He describes himself as “a simple Buddhist monk.”
This article was published Tuesday, April 29, 2008.
