His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan People. He was born on 6th July, 1935, in Taktser - a small village in northeastern Tibet - and recognised at the age of two as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama.
The title, Dalai Lama, means 'Ocean of Wisdom'; and Tibetan tradition holds that each Dalai Lama is an incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.
His Holiness was established as head of State and Government in 1950 following the invasion by China. In 1959, increasing tensions resulted in him leaving his country with some 80,000 Tibetan refugees and setting up the Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala, India. Then, as now, he has worked tirelessly to try to resolve the differences between the two countries by peaceful means. At the same time his political and spiritual leadership has enabled Tibetan people to keep their religious faith, language, way of life and cultural traditions intact.
His Holiness has been a world leader in religious tolerance and his lectures and discussions with the heads of other religious traditions has taken him to some 46 countries. "Each religion has certain unique ideas or techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one's own faith".
In 1989, His Holiness accepted the Nobel Peace Prize "on behalf of oppressed people everywhere and all those who struggle for freedom and worl for world peace and the people of Tibet".
"As long as space endures.
As long as sentient beings remain.
May I too live to dispel the miseries of the world"
His Holiness has published extensively, his clear and gentle writings bringing penetrating insights that speak to people of all faiths. A selection of these texts are offered by Garuda Trading.
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