Tenzin Gyatso (born 6 July 1935) is the fourteenth and
current Dalai Lama. As such, he is normally referred to in Western media simply as "the Dalai
Lama". Contrary to a Western misconception, he does not have spiritual authority over all Buddhists as the Pope has over Roman
Catholics. In fact, he is a practising member of the Gelug sect of Buddhism. However, he is influential as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the world's most famous Buddhist monk and
leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India.
He was the fifth of sixteen children of a farming family in the village of Taktser or
Tengtser of the Tibetan province of Amdo and was originally named
Lhamo Döndrub (Tibetan: ལ; Wylie: Lha-mo Don-'grub).[1] His first language was the Amdo dialect of Tibetan.[2] He was proclaimed the tulku (rebirth) of the thirteenth Dalai Lama at the age of two.
On 17 November 1950, at the age of fifteen, he was
enthroned as Tibet's Head of State and therefore became Tibet's most important political
ruler one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on
7 October1950.
In 1954 he went to Beijing to talk with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC.[3] He was also elected as the vice chairman of China's
National People's Congress in 1954.
After the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959 the Dalai
Lama fled to India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) and in seeking to
preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of
refugees who accompanied him.[4]
He is a charismatic figure[1][5] and noted public
speaker. The Dalai Lama is the first Dalai Lama to travel to the West. There, he has
helped to spread Buddhism and to promote the concepts of universal responsibility,
secular ethics, and religious harmony.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989,[1][6]
Honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.[7]
Early life and background
Birthplace in Takster, Amdo
Tenzin Gyatso was born to a farming family as Lhamo Döndrub or Lhamo Thondup in the far northeastern Amdo province — now part of Qinghai province — in the village of Taktser, a small
and poor settlement that stood on a hill overlooking a broad valley. His parents, Choekyong and Diki Tsering, were moderately
wealthy farmers among about twenty other families making a precarious living off the land raising barley, buckwheat, and potatoes.
His parents had sixteen children and Tenzin Gyatso is the fifth eldest of the nine who survived childhood. The eldest child
was his sister Tsering Dolma, who was eighteen years older than he. His eldest brother, Thupten Jigme Norbu, has been recognised as the rebirth of the high lama, Takser Rinpoche. His sister Jetsun
Pema went on to depict their mother in the 1997 film Seven Years in
Tibet. His other elder brothers are Gyalo Thondup and Lobsang Samden.
When Tenzin Gyatso was about two years old a search party was sent out to find the new incarnation of the Dalai Lama.[1] Among other omens, the head on the embalmed body of the thirteenth Dalai Lama (originally facing south) had mysteriously turned to face the
northeast, indicating the direction in which the next Dalai Lama would be found. Shortly afterwards, the Regent Reting Rinpoche had a vision indicating Amdo (as the place to search) and a one-story house with distinctive guttering and
tiling. After extensive searching, they found that Thondup's house resembled that in Reting's vision. They thus presented Thondup
with various relics and toys — some had belonged to the previous Dalai Lama while others had not. It was reported that Thondup
correctly identified all items owned by the previous Dalai Lama, exclaiming "It's mine! It's mine!"[8][9]
Thondup was recognised as the rebirth of the Dalai Lama and renamed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso
("Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom").
Tibetan Buddhists normally refer to him as Yeshe Norbu ("Wish-Fulfilling Gem")
or just Kundun ("the Presence"). In the West he is often called by followers "His Holiness the Dalai Lama", which is the
style that the Dalai Lama himself uses on his website.
The Dalai Lama began his monastic education at the age of six. At age eleven he met Heinrich
Harrer after spying him in Lhasa through his telescope. Harrer effectively became the young Dalai Lama's tutor, teaching
him about the outside world. The two remained friends until Harrer's death in 2006. At age twenty-five he sat for his final
examination in Lhasa's Jokhang Temple during the annual Monlam
(prayer) Festival in 1959. He passed with honors and was awarded the Lharampa degree, the highest-level geshe degree (roughly equivalent to a doctorate in Buddhist
philosophy).[1][10]
Life as the Dalai Lama
As well as being one of the most influential spiritual leaders of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama by tradition is also
Tibet's Head of State and most important political ruler. From 1939 at the age of four he
was taken by lamas in a procession to Lhasa where he officially was given a ceremony recognizing
him as the reborn spiritual leader of Tibet. His childhood was spent between the Potala
and Norbulingka, his summer residence. At the age of fifteen, faced with possible conflict
with the People's Republic of China, on 17 November 1950, Tenzin Gyatso was
enthroned as the temporal leader of Tibet; however, he was only able to govern for a brief time. In October of that year an army
of the People's Republic of China entered the territory controlled by the Tibetan administration, easily breaking through the
Tibetan defenders.
The People's Liberation Army stopped short of the old border between Tibet
and Xikang and demanded negotiations. The Dalai Lama sent a delegation to Beijing, and, although he rejected [citation needed] the subsequent Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of
Tibet, he did try to work with the Chinese government. In September 1954 the Dalai Lama and the 10th Panchen Lama went to Beijing to attend the first session of the first National People's Congress, meeting Mao Zedong.[11] However, during 1959, there was a major uprising among the
Tibetan population. In the tense political environment that ensued, the Dalai Lama and his entourage began to suspect that China
was planning to kill him. Consequently, he fled to Dharamsala, India, on March 17 of that year, entering India on March 31 during the Tibetan uprising.
Exile in India
The Dalai Lama met with the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, to urge India to pressure China into giving Tibet an autonomous government when
relations with China were not proving successful. Nehru did not want to increase tensions between
China and India, so he encouraged the Dalai Lama to work on the Seventeen Point Agreement Tibet had with China.
Eventually, in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet and set up the government of
Tibet in Exile in Dharamsala, India, which is often
referred to as "Little Lhasa".
After the founding of the exiled government he rehabilitated the ~80,000 Tibetan refugees who followed him into exile in
agricultural settlements.[1] He created
a Tibetan educational system in order to teach the Tibetan children what he believed to be traditional language, history, religion, and culture. The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts was established[1] in 1959 and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies[1] became the primary university for Tibetans in India. He supported
the refounding of 200 monasteries and nunneries in an attempt to preserve Tibetan Buddhist teachings and the Tibetan way of
life.
The Dalai Lama appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet. This appeal
resulted in three resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 1959, 1961, and 1965.[1] These resolutions required China to respect the human rights of
Tibetans and their desire for self-determination. In 1963 he promulgated a democratic constitution which is based upon the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A Tibetan parliament-in-exile is elected by the Tibetan refugees scattered all over
the world, and the Tibetan Government in Exile is likewise elected by the
Tibetan parliament.
At the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1987 in Washington, D.C., he proposed a
Five-Point Peace Plan regarding the future status of Tibet. The plan called for Tibet to become a
"zone of peace" and for the end of movement by ethnic Han Chinese into Tibet. It also called for "respect for fundamental human rights and democratic
freedoms" and "the end of China's use of Tibet for nuclear weapons production, testing,
and disposal". Finally, it urged "earnest negotiations" on the future of Tibet.
He proposed a similar plan at Strasbourg on 15 June
1988. He expanded on the Five-Point Peace Plan and proposed the creation of a self-governing
democratic Tibet, "in association with the People's Republic of China". This plan was rejected
by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in 1991. In October 1991, he expressed his wish to return to Tibet to try to form a mutual
assessment on the situation with the Chinese local government. At this time he feared that a violent uprising would take place
and wished to avoid it. The Dalai Lama has indicated that he wishes to return to Tibet only if the People's Republic of China
sets no preconditions for the return, which they have refused to do.[12][13]
He celebrated his seventieth birthday on 6 July 2005. About
10,000 Tibetan refugees, monks and foreign tourists gathered outside his home. Patriarch
Alexius II of the Russian Orthodox Church said, "I confess that the
Russian Orthodox Church highly appreciates the good relations it has with the
followers of Buddhism and hopes for their further development". President Chen Shui-bian
of Taiwan attended an evening celebrating the Dalai Lama's birthday that was entitled "Traveling
with Love and Wisdom for 70 Years" at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in
Taipei. The President invited him to return to Taiwan for a third trip in 2005. His previous
trips were in 2001, and 1997.[14]
Teaching activity
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a Dzogchen practitioner and he gives teachings on this issue,
and has expounded many teachings in his numerous publications. He has also given many public initiations in the Kalachakra.
In February 2007 the Dalai Lama was named Presidential Distinguished
Professor at Emory University,[15] the first time that the leader of the Tibetan exile community has accepted a
university appointment. The appointment is in part an expansion of a program begun in 1998 called the Emory–Tibet Partnership. As
Presidential Distinguished Professor, he will:[15]
- provide opportunities for university community members to attend his annual teachings,
- make periodic visits to Emory to participate in programs, and
- continue the Emory–Tibet Partnership practice of providing private teaching sessions with students and faculty during Emory's
study-abroad program in Dharamsala.
Foreign relations
H.H. the Dalai Lama & Bishop
Desmond Tutu, 2004. Photo by Carey Linde.
Since 1967 the Dalai Lama has initiated a series of tours in 46 nations. He has frequently engaged on religious dialogue. He
met with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1973. He met
with Pope John Paul II in 1980 and also later in 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 2003. In
1990 he met in Dharamsala with a delegation of Jewish teachers for an extensive interfaith dialogue.[16] He has since visited Israel three times and met in 2006 with the Chief Rabbi of
Israel. In 2006 he met privately with Pope Benedict XVI. He has also met the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the late Dr. Robert
Runcie, and with other leaders of the Anglican Church in London. He has also met with senior Eastern Orthodox Church, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Sikh officials.
Social and political stances
Tibetan independence movement
The Dalai Lama at an interfaith gathering in Berlin, 2003
Following the invasion the Dalai Lama had little choice but to work with the 1951 Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of
Tibet with the People's Republic of China. His brothers moved to Kalimpong in India
and, with the help of the Indian and American governments, organized pro-independence literature and the smuggling of weapons
into Tibet. Armed struggles broke out in Amdo and Kham in 1956 and later spread to Central Tibet. However, the movement was a
failure and forced to retreat to Nepal or go underground. Following normalisation of relations
between the United States and the People's Republic of China, American support was cut off
in the early 1970s. The Dalai Lama then began to formulate his policy towards a peaceful solution in which he would be reinstated
in a democratic autonomous Tibet.
Social stances
The Dalai Lama endorsed the founding of the Dalai Lama Foundation in order to promote peace and ethics worldwide. The Dalai
Lama is not operationally involved with this foundation, though he suggests some overall direction and his office is routinely
briefed on its activities.[17] He has also stated his
belief that modern scientific findings take precedence over ancient religions.[18][19]
Homosexuality
He is reported to have said regarding homosexuality, "If the two people have taken no
vows [of chastity], and neither is harmed, why should it not be acceptable?" He has repeatedly affirmed his belief that gays and
lesbians should be accepted by society, although he has also stated that for Buddhists homosexual behaviour is considered sexual
misconduct, meaning that homosexual sex is acceptable for society in general but not in Buddhism or for Buddhists.[20] As he explains in his book Beyond Dogma:
"homosexuality, whether it is between men or between women, is not improper in itself. What is improper is the use of organs
already defined as inappropriate for sexual contact." However, more recently (1997) he has said that the basis of this teaching
was unknown to him and that he has "willingness to consider the possibility that some of the teachings may be specific to a
particular cultural and historic context."
Abortion
The Dalai Lama is generally opposed to abortion,[21] although he has taken a nuanced position, as he explained to the
New York Times:
| “ |
Of course, abortion, from a Buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative,
generally speaking. But it depends on the circumstances. If the unborn child will be retarded or if the birth will create serious problems for the parent, these are cases where there can
be an exception. I think abortion should be approved or disapproved according to each circumstance. |
” |
Environment
He has also expressed his concern for environmental problems:
| “ |
On the global level, I think the ecology problem is very serious. I hear about some
states taking it very seriously. That's wonderful! So this blue planet is our only home, if something goes wrong at the present
generation, then the future generations really face a lot of problems, and those problems will be beyond human control; so that's
very serious. Ecology should be part of our daily life. |
” |
In recent years he has been campaigning for wildlife conservation, including a
religious ruling against wearing tiger and leopard skins as garments.[24][25]
Economics
In 1996 he described himself as half-Marxist, half-Buddhist:
| “ |
Of all the modern economic theories, the economic system of Marxism is founded on
moral principles, while capitalism is concerned only with gain and profitability. Marxism is concerned with the distribution of
wealth on an equal basis and the equitable utilization of the means of production. It is also concerned with the fate of the
working classes — that is the majority — as well as with the fate of those who are underprivileged and in need, and Marxism cares
about the victims of minority-imposed exploitation. For those reasons the system appeals to me, and it seems fair … The failure
of the regime in the Soviet Union was, for me not the failure of Marxism but the failure of totalitarianism. For this reason I
think of myself as half-Marxist, half-Buddhist. |
” |
Criticism
In October 1998 the Dalai Lama's administration acknowledged that it received $1.7 million a year in the 1960s from the U.S.
Government through the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and also trained a
resistance movement in Colorado (USA).[28] When asked by CIA officer John Kenneth Knaus in 1995 whether the organization did a good or bad
thing in providing its support, the Dalai Lama replied that though it helped the morale of those resisting the Chinese,
"thousands of lives were lost in the resistance" and further, that "the U.S. Government had involved itself in his country's
affairs not to help Tibet but only as a Cold War tactic to challenge the Chinese".[29]
British journalist Christopher Hitchens criticised the Dalai Lama in 1998,
questioned his alleged support for India's nuclear weapons
testing, his statements about sexual misconduct, his suppression of Shugden worship, as
well as his meeting Shoko Asahara, whose cult Aum
Shinrikyo released sarin nerve gas in the Tokyo subway
system.[30]
There has also been criticism that feudal Tibet was not as benevolent as the Dalai Lama had
portrayed. Critics have suggested that in addition to serfdom there were conditions that
effectively constituted slavery.[31] Also, the penal code included forms of corporal punishment, in addition to capital
punishment.[26] In response, the Dalai Lama has
since condemned many of Tibet's feudal practices and has added that he was willing to institute reforms before the Chinese
invaded in 1951.[32]
There have been criticisms of his comments in regards to "sexual misconduct" from gay
rights activists.[33] This generally reduces to
the assertion that "Sexual misconduct for men and women consists of oral and anal sex".[34]
On 27 May, 2007 a ceremony was held to convert 100,000 Dalits
in Mumbai, India. The Dalai Lama was not able to attend, but did send a letter of encouragement.[35]
International influence
The Dalai Lama receiving his Congressional Gold Medal from President Bush. At middle is
Robert
Byrd.
The Dalai Lama has been successful in gaining Western sympathy for Tibetan self-determination, including vocal support from
numerous Hollywood celebrities, most notably the actors Richard Gere and Steven Seagal, as well as lawmakers from several major countries.[36]
The Dalai Lama has on occasion been denounced by the Chinese government as a supporter of Tibetan independence. Over time, he
has developed a public position stating that he is not in favour of Tibetan independence[37] and would not
object to a status in which Tibet has internal autonomy while the PRC manages some aspects of Tibet's defence and foreign affairs.[32] In his 'Middle Way Approach', he laid down that the Chinese government can take
care of foreign affairs and defence, and that Tibet should be managed by an elected body.[38]
On 18 April 2005 TIME
Magazine placed the Dalai Lama on its list of the world's 100 most influential people.[39]
On 22 June 2006 the Parliament of Canada voted unanimously to make The Dalai Lama an honorary citizen of Canada.[40][41] This marks the third
time in history that the Government of Canada has bestowed this honour, the others
being Raoul Wallenberg posthumously in 1985 and Nelson
Mandela in 2001.
In September 2006 the United States Congress voted to award the Dalai Lama the
Congressional Gold Medal,[42] the highest award which may be bestowed by the Legislative Branch of the United States government;
the actual ceremony and awarding of the medal took place on 17 October 2007. The Chinese Government has reacted angrily to the award, which it merely refers to as "the extremely wrong
arrangements". Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said: "It seriously violates the norm of
international relations and seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people and interfered with China's internal
affairs."[43] The Dalai Lama brushed off China's
criticism, telling news reports that such things "always happen".
In June 2007 the Dalai Lama made an Australian tour, delivering public talks in Perth, Bendigo, Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney,
Canberra and Brisbane.
On 25 September 2007 German Chancellor Angela Merkel met,
for "private and informal talks", with the Dalai Lama in the Berlin Chancellery amid protest from China (as it
could cut trade ties with Beijing). China cancelled separate
talks with German officials (including Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries).[44]
Retirement
In May 2007 Chhime Rigzing, a senior spokesman for the Tibetan spiritual leader's
office, stated that the Dalai Lama wants to reduce his political burden as he moves into "retirement".[45]
Rigzing stated "The political leadership will be transferred over a period of time but he will inevitably continue to be the
spiritual leader because as the Dalai Lama, the issue of relinquishing the post does not arise."
The Dalai Lama announced he would like the elected Tibetan parliament-in-exile to have more responsibility over
administration.
On September 1, 2007 China issued new rules controlling the selection of the next Dalai Lama which will virtually prevent his followers from choosing his reincarnation, since any reincarnation must bear the seal of approval by China's cabinet. These
regulations could potentially result in one Dalai Lama approved by the Chinese government, and another Dalai Lama chosen outside
Tibet.[46]
Bibliography
- The Art of Happiness, co-authored with Howard C. Cutler, M.D. ISBN
0-9656682-9-0
- The Art of Happiness at Work, coauthored with Howard C. Cutler, M.D. ISBN
1-59448-054-0
- Ethics for the New Millennium, Riverhead Books, 1999, ISBN 1-57322-883-4
- A Simple Path, ISBN 0-00-713887-3
- , Translated and edited by
Jeffrey Hopkins, ISBN 0-7434-5336-0
- Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama, London: Little, Brown
and Co, 1990 ISBN 0-349-10462-X
- An Open Heart, edited by Nicholas Vreeland. ISBN
0-316-98979-7
- The Gelug/Kagyü Tradition of Mahamudra, coauthored with Alexander Berzin. Ithaca, NY:
Snow Lion Publications, 1997, ISBN 1-55939-072-7
- The Wisdom of Forgiveness: Intimate Conversations and Journeys, coauthored with Victor
Chan, Riverbed Books, 2004, ISBN 1-57322-277-1
- Tibetan Portrait: The Power of Compassion, photographs by Phil Borges with sayings by Tenzin Gyatso. ISBN 0-8478-1957-4
- The Heart of Compassion: A Practical Approach to a Meaningful Life, Twin Lakes,
Wisconsin: Lotus Press, ISBN 0-940985-36-5
- Ancient Wisdom, Modern World: Ethics for the new millenium, Abacus Press, 2000, ISBN
0-349-11443-9
- My Tibet, coauthoured with Galen Rowell, ISBN 0-520-08948-0
- The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, Morgan
Road Books, 2005, ISBN 0-7679-2066-X
- How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships, translated and edited
by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D., Atria Books, 2005, ISBN 0-7432-6968-3
- Der Weg des Herzens. Gewaltlosigkeit und Dialog zwischen den Religionen (The Path of the Heart: Non-violence and the
Dialogue among Religions), coauthored with Eugen Drewermann, Ph.D., Patmos Verlag,
2003, ISBN 3-4916-9078-1
- How to See Yourself As You Really Are, Translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D.
ISBN 0-7432-9045-3
- The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues with the Dalai Lama, edited by Arthur Zajonc, with contributions by
David Finkelstein, George Greenstein, Piet Hut, Tu
Wei-ming, Anton Zeilinger, B. Alan
Wallace and Thupten Jinpa, Oxford University Press, 2004, ISBN 0-195-15994-2
Awards and honors
The Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Tenzin Gyatso in 2006.
The Dalai Lama has received numerous awards over his spiritual and political career.[47]On 22 June 2006
he became one of only four people ever to be recognized with an Honorary
Citizenship by the Canadian House of Commons. On 28 May 2005, he received the Christmas
Humphreys Award from the Buddhist Society in the United Kingdom. Perhaps his
most notable award was the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on 10 December 1989 (see below). Some other notable awards and honors he has
received:
- Honorary Doctorate in chemistry and pharmacy from University of Münster on 20 September, 2007
- Honorary Doctorate from Southern Cross University on 8 June, 2007
- Presidential Distinguished Professorship from Emory University in February 2007.
- Honorary citizenship of Ukraine, during the anniversary of the Nobel Prize on
9 December 2006 in Mc Leod Ganj.
- United States Congressional Gold
Medal on 27 September, 2006[48]
- Key to New York City from Mayor Bloomberg
on 25 September, 2005
- Jaime Brunet Prize for Human Rights on 9 October,
2003
- Hilton Humanitarian Award on 24 September, 2003
- International League for Human Rights Award on
19 September, 2003
- Life Achievement Award from Hadassah Women's Zionist
Organization on 24 November, 1999
- Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award from the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute on 4
June, 1994
- World Security Annual Peace Award from the New York Lawyer's
Alliance on [[27 April, 1994
- Berkeley Medal from University of
California, Berkeley, on 20 April, 1994
- Peace and Unity Awards from the National Peace conference on
23 August, 1991
- Earth Prize from the United Earth and U.N. Environmental
Program on 5 June, 1991
- Advancing Human Liberty from the Freedom House on
17 April, 1991
- Le Prix de la Memoire from the Fondation Danielle Mitterrand
on 4 December, 1989
- Raoul Wallenberg Human Rights Award from the Congressional Rights
Caucus Human Rights on 21 July, 1989
- Key to Los Angeles from Mayor
Bradley in September 1979.
- Key to San Francisco from Mayor Feinstein on September 27, 1979
Nobel Peace Prize
On 10 December 1989 the Dalai Lama was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize,[49] the chairman of the Nobel committee saying that the award was "in part a tribute to the memory of
Mahatma Gandhi". The committee recognized his efforts in "the struggle of the liberation
of Tibet and the efforts for a peaceful resolution instead of using violence".[50] In his acceptance speech he criticised China for using force against student protesters during the
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. He stated however that their effort
was not in vain. His speech focused on the importance of the continued use of non-violence and his desire to maintain a dialogue
with China to try to resolve the situation.[51]
Filmography
Among the films recently made about the 14th Dalai Lama are Kundun and
Seven Years in Tibet (both 1997).
Other recent films include:
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i
- ^ Tibet is My Country: Autobiography of Thubten Jigme Norbu, Brother of
the Dalai Lama as told to Heinrich Harrer, pp. 103, 171. First published in German in 1960. English translation by Edward
Fitzgerald, published 1960. Reprint, with updated new chapter (1986): Wisdom Publications, London. ISBN 0-86171-045-2.
- ^ The Dalai Lama's biography
- ^ Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama (1990). Freedom in Exile: The
Autobiography of the Dalai Lama. HarperCollins.
- ^ Humanity, Not Nationalism from The Tech
website
- ^ Craig, Mary (1997). Kundun: A Biography of the Family of the Dalai Lama.
Counterpoint.
- ^ Dalai Lama Receives Congressional Gold Medal
- ^ Dalai Lama - Speech to the U.N and Images of Tibet. Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
- ^ Cosmic Harmony. Dalai Lama Address to the United Nations.
- ^ Marcello, Patricia Cronin
(2003). The Dalai Lama: A Biography. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313322074.
- ^ Ngapoi recalls the
founding of the TAR, Ngapoi Ngawang Jigmei, China
View, 30 August 2005.
- ^ Global Village News. Dalai Lama Considers Ending Exile & Return To Tibet.
- ^ Interview with The Guardian,
September 5, 2003
- ^ CNN.com.
China keeps up attacks on Dalai Lama.
- ^ a b Dalai Lama named Emory distinguished professor
- ^ Kamenetz,Rodger (1994)The Jew in the Lotus Harper Collins:
1994.
- ^ The Dalai Lama Foundation. Missions and Programs.
- ^ Boston.com. The Buddha of suburbia.
- ^ The Dalai Lama's views on science and religion in an op-ed for The New York Times
- ^ The Buddhist religion and homosexuality at Religioustolerance.org
- ^ Dalai Lama meets Idaho’s religious leaders by Gary Stivers, www.sunvalleyonline.com,
15 September, 2005
- ^ New York Times Interview with the Dalai Lama by Claudia Dreifus
- ^ His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Address to the University at Buffalo
- ^ "Dalai Lama Campaigns to End Wildlife Trade", ENS, 8
April, 2005.
- ^ Justin Huggler. "Reports Fur Flies Over Tiger
Plight", New Zealand Herald, 18 February, 2006.
- ^ a b
