Dalai Lama - life path, quotes and sayings. Dalai Lama. Biography 14 Dalai Lamas last xiv
In our world, in a huge flow of information, almost everyone could hear about the Dalai Lama, about his teachings and philosophy of life. Who is this person whose statements are quoted all over the world?
The 14th Dalai Lama (Ngagwang Lovzang Tenjin Gyamtsho) is the Buddhist spiritual leader of the peoples of Mongolia, Tibet, Kalmykia, Buryatia and other regions. For a long time he headed the Tibetan government, which was in exile. The life of the Dalai Lama was filled with difficult trials and difficulties.
Childhood and youth
The future Dalai Lama XIV was born in 1935 in a family of poor peasants in one of the northeastern provinces of Tibet. The birth name was Lhamo Thondup. Later, in his autobiography, he wrote about the significance of his simple origin in understanding the feelings and thoughts of poor Tibetans. At the age of two, Lhamo Thondup was recognized by the monks as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama, and at the age of four, he, along with a large caravan, arrived in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa.
The Dalai Lama's training in monastic disciplines lasted from six to twenty-five years. Brilliantly passed exams for scholars-monks, allowed the Dalai Lama to receive the high title of Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy.
Rule of Tibet
The enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama took place in 1940 in Lhasa. Tibet in those years was an independent state. But already in 1949, the Chinese government declared that Tibet was part of the People's Republic of China and sent troops to the east of the state. Trying to resist the occupation, in 1950 the fifteen-year-old Dalai Lama became the head of the Tibetan state and government. This angered the Chinese authorities. After military clashes between the poorly armed Tibetans and the Chinese army, lengthy negotiations began. The result was the signing of the Sino-Tibetan Agreement, under which Tibet became part of China. However, the resistance of the Tibetans did not stop. After the suppression of a massive anti-Chinese uprising in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet for India. And since then, he has led the Tibetan government-in-exile.
Activities of the Dalai Lama
While in India, the Dalai Lama did not stop his activities to restore freedom and independence to Tibet. With this question, he addressed the United Nations, the US Congress in order to draw attention to the problems of the Tibetans. Thanks to the active work of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan language was preserved. In India, a whole system of teaching language and culture was organized for refugees from Tibet, institutes of Tibetan studies and Tibetan arts were opened. His plan to create a "zone of peace" in Tibet received in 1989 a well-deserved high appraisal of society - the Dalai Lama XIV became a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. To date, he has more than eighty different awards, honorary awards and academic degrees. Many of his books have been published worldwide.
The teachings of the Dalai Lama are recognized by many institutions and universities as the basis for peaceful solutions to domestic and international conflicts, resolving human rights issues. His works are based on the importance of universal human values and the ability to achieve harmony between people with different faiths. Many philosophical statements of the Dalai Lama, his instructions for life are well studied and often quoted by philosophers.
Before the Dalai Lama XIV, none of his predecessors traveled outside. Today the Buddhist leader is a figure of international importance. He actively travels, meets with many political leaders, famous scientists. He speaks to various peoples, takes part in interfaith services. His trips and meetings are planned several months in advance. The help of the Dalai Lama XIV to the Tibetan people in preserving their identity, religion and culture has not dried up to this day.
Hello, dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!
The key figure and personification of Tibetan Buddhism can rightfully be considered the Dalai Lama. For hundreds of years, Avalokiteshvara, one of the most revered deities of Buddhists, has been embodied in the face of a Lama, each time being reborn as a spiritual teacher.
This article is a biography of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama - our contemporary, another envoy to serve for the good of the world. Today, this good-natured old man in big glasses, with a sparkling sense of humor, smiles, speaking with his speeches in different parts and corners of the world, and his truthful statements are parsed into quotes all over the world.
However, there were many ups and downs on his life path, and we will briefly tell the whole story of the great man, help to find out where he comes from, how the lamas understood that he was the chosen one, what hardships and hardships the newly-made Teacher had to face, and what helped to sow the seeds of reconciliation on our planet.
Family and childhood
In 1909, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama visited the village of Taktser in northeastern Tibet and, amazed by the beauty of the local landscapes, said that he would like to visit here again. In 1933 he died. But the wish of the deceased was destined to come true.
In these hilly places, in the village rising above the valley, life was not rich. Twenty families living here were engaged in agriculture - they grew potatoes, oats, wheat.
Two years later, on July 6, 1935, a son was born to some poor peasant couple. It was their ninth child of sixteen, but only seven were destined to survive. So, later the boy had four brothers and two sisters.
He was named Lhamo Thondul, which in Tibetan means the goddess who fulfills dreams. A child with a female name, having matured, treated this circumstance with humor.
In these parts, the gender of the child does not affect the choice of name.
The birth of Lhamo did not foreshadow the appearance of a great man in the family. His two older brothers were tulkus - reincarnated lamas, and to imagine that there will be three in a simple family of "incarnates" is simply incredible. But still there was a good omen when the baby was born - his father was healed of a serious illness.
He now remembers his parents with warmth. Although the father was rather hot-tempered, the 14th Dalai Lama remembers them as the kindest souls of people. In one of his autobiographical books, he pays tribute to his simple origin, because thanks to this he was able to understand the life of poor immigrants from Tibet, which means to sympathize with them and try with all his might to save them from suffering.
Meanwhile, a special detachment led by the regent went in search of the reincarnated Dalai Lama. The visions of the elder lama and many signs helped in this. Soon the search party went to the Kumbum monastery, and then saw a house on the roof of which a juniper tree grew - here the future Dalai Lama was located.
To make sure that the baby is really a rebirth, he is given a special check. In particular, from the items offered, he must unmistakably choose the items of his predecessor.
"My! My!" the three-year-old boy said, grabbing his predecessor's personal effects and glasses among a number of other things. He chose all the necessary items, and the search party had no doubts at all. So the baby became the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.
His native village was controlled by China, and the Tibetan government had long negotiations with local authorities to allow him to leave the borders of his small homeland. Finally, in July 1939, Tenzin said goodbye to his parents, and a long caravan took him to Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Republic.
The three-month journey was finally over, but it was not easy for the boy - he, four years old, was torn away from his family, he was very bored, as he himself writes in his memoirs.
On February 22, 1940, Tenzin was officially enthroned in a solemn ceremony. But then I had to study for almost twenty years to get the status of a doctor of Buddhist philosophy - Geshe Lharamba. At the age of six, the Dalai Lama began teaching the sciences according to the traditional system.
He wandered from the Portal to Nor-bu Ling - between his residences, winter and summer. In the meantime, studies did not stop for a day under the strict guidance of two mentors. Each other was succeeded by lessons on the art and culture of Tibet, logic, medicine, metaphysics, philosophical sciences and other disciplines.
By the age of twenty-four, Lama had reached the heights of learning, which he proved in the preliminary examinations at the three main Tibetan universities. In 1959, the main monastery of the capital took the final exams from the Dalai Lama.
In the morning, afternoon and evening, he showed knowledge in the field of various sciences to thousands of scholar-monks, answered questions, took part in disputes, which eventually brought him the degree of Geshe-lharamba.
The Difficulties of the Young Lama
In 1950, the young student was given all the political powers to govern the country. Meanwhile, Tibet is going through hard times - communist China is advancing on its territory and intends to subjugate the local people. A fifteen-year-old boy became the full ruler of six million people who were threatened by a terrible war.
Gathering all his will into a fist, the Dalai Lama sent his delegations to the West, to America and Great Britain, hoping to count on their help, because the Chinese army far outnumbered their own.
But the call for help went unheeded. A year later, Tibet became part of the People's Republic of China.
Being an opponent of violence in any of its manifestations, throughout the fifties the Dalai Lama tried to peacefully coexist with the conquerors. In 1954, negotiations were held with the ruling elite of China, headed by Mao Zedong, but this did not lead to visible results.
The soldiers of the Chinese side continued to persecute the Tibetan part of the population, and as a result, this resulted in a mass uprising of the latter, which was supported by the Tibetans in many territories. The rebellion was brutally suppressed by opponents.
On March 17, 1959, under the cover of night, the Dalai Lama, along with his associates, was forced to flee to India in hiding. The Indian government gave him and thousands of Tibetans political asylum in the northern town of Dharamsala, where Master lives to this day.
Gradually, Tibetan culture was revived on Indian soil: the educational system was recreated by the Lama and his associates, and the main institutions were opened. The entire Tibetan government-in-exile is located here.
While in the homeland of Tibetan Buddhism there were only grains of former temples, monuments, masterpieces of literature, the Indian city became a "little Lhasa".
spiritual activity
After the sad events and the expulsion of the Tibetans from their native expanses, the Dalai Lama did not give up trying to protect his people. He again turned to the West, and this time he waited for a helping hand - before 1965, three UN resolutions were signed that promised protection to the Tibetans.
During this same period, the "Charter of Tibetans in Exile" was drawn up, a draft constitution that advocated democracy and freedom.
As then, in the sixties of the last century, so now the Dalai Lama speaks not for the complete independence of Tibet from China, but for autonomy within this country. He sincerely wishes to sow peace throughout the world and even suggested creating a special zone for this - a zone of ahimsa, non-violence, peace, joy and kindness.
He would like to make such a zone first in Tibet, disarming it, returning it to its roots - the harmony of man and nature - and then expanding the borders, spreading the area of peaceful existence throughout the planet.
For such good intentions and real actions for the reign of peace in Tibet, the Dalai Lama XIV was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1989.
Subsequently, he did not abandon his spiritual mission, he spread his ideas throughout the world, including the Western world, for which he deservedly received many awards, the list of which is even difficult to enumerate.
For many years, this great man traveled the world, visited dozens of countries on six continents, met with many political figures, representatives of the scientific world, participated in interreligious dialogues, wrote more than seventy books, autobiographical and philosophical treatises, delivered important lectures.
Many of the largest universities on the planet gave him a Ph.D., and Canada granted him citizenship.
Tenzin Gyatso was the first Dalai Lama to become a prominent figure on an international scale.
He was also many timesin Russia: three times - back in the times of the Soviet Union, twice - during the transition period (1991 and 1992), and then - three times in modern times. He visited the capital and the "originally Buddhist" republics of our homeland.
Despite the fact that the 82-year-old spiritual leader resigned his political powers in 2011, he continues to sow virtue and fight for peace. His sincere smile, supported by a clear kind look, gives millions faith in light, a peaceful sky and a prosperous future.
Conclusion
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The 14th Dalai Lama, Agwan Lobsan Tenzin Gyatso was born on July 6, 1935 in the small village of Taktser in northeastern Tibet and received the name Lhamo Dhondrub. The birthplace of the future Dalai Lama XIV1) is located on a hill above a wide valley in the northeastern Tibetan province of Amdo. Although the village was considered poor, his family belonged to the category of moderately prosperous farmers.
His parents were Choykyon Tsering (father) and Sonam Tsomo (mother), her name was later changed to Diki Tsering 2) . Lhamo Dhondrub was the fifth of nine children in the family. The eldest of the children was Tsering Drolma, Lhamo Dhondrub was eighteen years her junior. The elder brother, Thupten Zhigmed Norbu, was later recognized as the reincarnation of the high lama Taktser Rinpoche.
However, despite the fact that the family of the future Dalai Lama did not live in poverty, in his autobiography "My land and my people" he writes:
“Had I been born into a rich aristocratic family, I would not have been able to imbue the feelings and aspirations of the poorest Tibetans. But due to my simple origin, I can understand them, anticipate their thoughts, and that is why I have so much compassion for them, and have always tried to do everything to ease their lot."
In 1909, the previous Dalai Lama, XIII, on a pilgrimage to holy places, visited the village of Taktser. He noted the beauty of this place and said that he would like to return here again. In 1937, after his death, a special group of lamas 3) arrived in the village of Taktser in search of a new incarnation. After traditional tests, two-year-old Lhamo Dhondrup was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor.
Identified as the Dalai Lama, Lhamo Dhondrup received a new name - Zhetsun Champel Ngagwang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso 4) .
The province of Amdo, where the village of Taktser was located, was under Chinese control. Therefore, in order for Lhamo Dhondrub to go to Lhasa, his future residence, lengthy negotiations were required between the Tibetan government and the local administration. Finally, in October 1939, he left his homeland, and on February 22, 1940, he was enthroned in the capital of Tibet.
From the age of six to twenty-five, the Dalai Lama undergoes traditional Tibetan training. The curriculum, as a rule, includes "five big sciences" - logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine, Buddhist philosophy - and "five small" - poetry, music, drama, astrology and literature.
The tradition implies preliminary examinations, which the Dalai Lama passed at the age of twenty-four at the three main monastic universities in Tibet: Drepung, Sera and Ganden. Finally, during the annual Monlam prayer festival in the winter of 1959, Tenzin Gyatso, in the presence of 20,000 scholar monks, passed his final examinations, receiving the highest degree of Geshe Lharamba (Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy).
At the same time, while still in the process of learning, the Dalai Lama, who was only 15 years old at that time, at the request of the emergency session of the National Assembly of Tibet, assumed political powers, heading the government and the state. The reason for this was the entry into Tibet of the People's Liberation Army of China on November 17, 1950.
After the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese Communists, the Dalai Lama spent nine years trying to peacefully resolve the situation through negotiations with the Chinese authorities. So, in 1954, he visited Beijing to hold peace talks with Chinese leaders - Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. In 1956, visiting India to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of the birth of Buddha, the 14th Dalai Lama met with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. The topic of the meeting was to discuss the aggravation of the situation in Tibet.
However, the efforts of the 14th Dalai Lama to peacefully resolve the Tibetan-Chinese conflict collapsed due to Beijing's tough policy in eastern Tibet, which led to popular unrest. The resistance movement quickly spread to other regions of Tibet. On March 10, 1959, an extremely large-scale popular uprising broke out in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. The main demand of the Tibetans was the complete liberation of their country and the declaration of independence. However, the uprising, as they say, was drowned in blood - it was brutally suppressed by the Chinese army. The Dalai Lama fled Lhasa on the night of March 17, 1959 5). About a hundred thousand Tibetans followed him into exile. Since then, March 10 has been a day of mourning in the Tibetan calendar, and on this day, Tibetans and their friends all over the world celebrate memorial evenings.
Having received political asylum in India, since 1960 the Dalai Lama has been living in the Indian town of Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), which is now called "little Lhasa". The headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile is located there.
In the first years of his life in exile, the Dalai Lama repeatedly turned to the UN, asking for assistance in resolving the Tibetan issue. As a result of his political activism, the UN General Assembly adopted three resolutions (in 1959, 1961 and 1965) that called on China to respect human rights in Tibet and the Tibetans' aspirations for self-determination.
A new Tibetan government was formed in exile. The 14th Dalai Lama, who headed it, first of all set himself the task of the survival of the Tibetans and the salvation of their culture. To this end, settlements for refugees were founded, the main occupation of which was agriculture. Thanks to prosperous economic development and the establishment of an education system, new generations of Tibetan children who grew up in exile are well aware of their language, history, religion and culture. In 1959, the Tibetan Institute of Dramatic Arts (TIPA) and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetology, an institution of higher education for Tibetans living in India, were established. Over 200 monasteries were re-established in exile to preserve the vast collection of Tibetan Buddhist teachings - the foundation of the Tibetan way of life.
In 1963, the Dalai Lama promulgated a democratic constitution based on the principles of Buddhism along with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The constitution, as conceived by its creators, is a model for the future of free Tibet. Today, the Tibetan parliament, the kashag, is formed on the basis of elections. The Dalai Lama in his speeches constantly emphasizes the need for democratic reforms in the Tibetan administration, stating that after the resolution of the Tibetan issue, he will not hold any political post. 6)
On September 21, 1987, at the US Congressional Human Rights Conference, the Dalai Lama put forward the "Five Point Peace Plan" 7) as the first step towards establishing a zone of peace in Tibet.
In response to this, the Chinese leadership launched a campaign to vilify the 14th Dalai Lama and accused him of widening the gap between the Chinese and Tibetan peoples. Outraged Tibetans staged a major demonstration in Lhasa on 27 September. To avoid further deterioration of relations, on December 17 of the same year, the Tibetan administration sent a memorandum to the Chinese government explaining the ideas and efforts of the 14th Dalai Lama in resolving the problem of Tibet.
On June 15, 1988, in Strasbourg, the Dalai Lama proposed an expanded version of the "Five Point Plan", which implies democratic self-government in Tibet "in cooperation with the People's Republic of China." He stated that he was ready to abandon the idea of Tibet's independence and would like to see it as a single political entity, whose foreign policy and defense would be dealt with by China.
However, on September 2, 1991, the Tibetan government-in-exile declared the Strasbourg proposal invalid due to the closeness and negative attitude of the Chinese leadership towards the proposals put forward in Strasbourg.
On October 9, 1991, in his speech at Yale University in the United States, the 14th Dalai Lama expressed his desire to visit Tibet and personally assess the current political situation. “I am very worried that this explosive situation could lead to outbreaks of violence. I want to do everything in my power to prevent this. … My visit would be a new opportunity to reach understanding and create a basis for a negotiated solution.”
Since 1967, the 14th Dalai Lama has been continuously traveling around the world, having visited about fifty states so far. In particular, he has already visited Russia seven times: three times during the Soviet period - in 1979, 1982 and 1986; later, in 1991 and 1992, he visited the Buddhist republics: Buryatia and the Aginsky Autonomous Okrug, Tuva and Kalmykia. In 1994, he again visited Moscow and even spoke in the State Duma, and in 1996 visited Moscow on his way to Mongolia. However, due to the strengthening of the Russian-Chinese partnership from 2001 to 2004, Russia refused him an entry visa. In November 2004, after a ten-year hiatus, the Dalai Lama was allowed to visit Kalmykia for a brief pastoral visit. The denial of visas has continued ever since.
While active in politics, the Dalai Lama does not lose sight of interfaith dialogue. He met with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1973, and in 1980, 1982, 1990, 1996 and 1999 with Pope John Paul II.
In 1981 the leader of the Tibetan people spoke with Bishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie and other leaders of the Anglican Church in London. In addition, in different years there were meetings with representatives of Islam and Judaism. Following his speech at the Congress of World Religions, an interfaith service was held in his honor.
At the same time, he takes a clear position regarding Christian missionaries in Asian countries. So, in an interview with the German television company ARD, he said:
"It is wrong to remove people from their cultural heritage. It is better and safer to stay in your own tradition. I was recently in Mongolia (the same thing I heard is happening in Tibet) and met Christian missionaries. I told them to their faces: "This is a Buddhist country not a place for conversion. "Here in the West, in my lectures, I always tell people: you have a Judeo-Christian tradition. It's better to stay in it."
However, this statement looks more than ambiguous against the background of the mass enthusiasm for the East and the total conversion to Buddhism of people who grew up, one way or another, within the framework of this very Judeo-Christian culture. Moreover, it is Tibetan Buddhism in its various varieties that is most popular in the West.
Ambiguous in comparison with this is another of his statements: “I always believe that it is much better if we have a wide variety of religions, a wide variety of philosophies than one religion or philosophy. This is necessary due to the fact that people have different mental inclinations "Each religion has its own unique ideas and methods. By studying them, we will enrich our own faith." Why shouldn't the Mongols and Tibetans learn Christian ideas and methods when Europeans and Americans are so eager to learn Buddhism?
Since 1973, when the 14th Dalai Lama first visited Western countries, he has consistently received awards and honorary degrees in recognition of his brilliant work on Buddhist philosophy and active promotion of interfaith dialogue, international conflict resolution, human rights violations and pollution. environment.
Here are just a few: the Philippine Magseiseya Prize (known as the "Asia Nobel Prize"); Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize (New York, USA); Dr. Leopold Lukas Prize (Germany); "Memorial Prize" (Daniel Mitterrand Foundation, France); Peacekeeping Leadership Award (Nuclear Age Foundation, USA); Peace and Unification Award (National Peace Conference, New Delhi, India); First Prize of the Sartorius Foundation (Germany); Raoul Wallenberg Prize (Congressional Human Rights Meeting).
On December 10, 1989, the Dalai Lama XIV received the Nobel Peace Prize, and he did this "on behalf of all who are persecuted, all who fight for freedom and work for world peace, and also on behalf of the Tibetan people. This award, said the Dalai Lama, "confirms our conviction that with the weapons of truth, courage and determination, Tibet will achieve liberation. Our struggle must be non-violent and free from hatred."
The decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award the Peace Prize to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama evoked the approval of the entire world community, with the exception of China, of course. The Committee emphasized that "The Dalai Lama, in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet, has steadfastly opposed the use of violence. He calls for a peaceful solution based on tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people."
From now on, December 10 is one of the holidays of the Tibetan calendar. On this day, festive events are held in Dharamsala, as well as in Tibetan diasporas around the world (and in Russia too). They, as a rule, include speeches by political and public figures, Buddhist rituals, watching films on the Tibetan problem.
His Holiness also sent words of support to the student-led democracy movement in China: international human rights organizations, from several hundred to several thousand Chinese students - ed.) But I do not think that the protest demonstrations have not borne fruit, because the spirit of freedom has again burst into the hearts of the Chinese people, and China will not be able to resist this spirit of freedom that has swept over today many parts of the world. Courageous students and their supporters showed the Chinese leadership and the whole world the face of true humanism inherent in this great nation."
The pastoral work of the 14th Dalai Lama is fairly well known. It can only be mentioned that for all his extensive and intense political activity, the 14th Dalai Lama leads the life of a Buddhist monk. In Dharamsala, he wakes up at 4 am, meditates, recites prayers and maintains a rigid schedule of official meetings, audiences, religious teachings and ceremonies. He ends each day with a prayer.
The Dalai Lama, in addition to his political and social activities, is also the author of a number of books on Buddhism and the fate of the Tibetan people. Among them are My Land and My People (1962); "Buddhism of Tibet" (1991); "Freedom in Exile" (1992); "Ethics for the New Millennium" (2001); Compassionate Life (2004); "Open Heart" (2004); "The Gelug and Kagyu Mahamudra Tradition" (2005) and others.
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1) The Institute of the Dalai Lamas first appeared in Tibet at the end of the 14th century. The title "Dalai Lama" itself was received by the third in a series of reincarnations, Sonam Gyatso, from the Tumeto-Mongolian Altan Khan. Being invited to the court of the latter in 1588, Sonam Gyatso gave the Khan traditional instructions, after which he converted to Buddhism and generously rewarded Sonam Gyatso. From Altan Khan, he received the title of "Dalai Lama". In Mongolian, the word "dalai" means "ocean", indicating the breadth and depth of the Dalai Lama's knowledge. Altan Khan, in turn, received the title "Religious King, Brahma, Heir of the Gods." It is curious that the next, 4th Dalai Lama was the great-grandson of Altan Khan. The first two Dalai Lamas were recognized as such retroactively, like the previous reincarnations of Sonam Gyatso. The first was called Gendun Dubpa (1391-1474). He was a student of Tsongkhapa (the founder of the reformist Gelugpa school that became dominant in Tibet as a result of the accession to the throne of the Dalai Lama), and founded the huge monastery of Tashilhunpo. The second Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso, founded Choykorgyel monastery near Lhasa. There is a lake near the monastery, which is traditionally used to search for the reincarnations of the Dalai Lama. The fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682), with the help of the Mongol Khan Gushri in 1642, gained complete political and spiritual power over the country. From that moment on, the Dalai Lamas are the absolute masters of Tibet.
According to Buddhist tradition, the Dalai Lamas are the earthly incarnations of Avalokiteshvara (Tib. Chenrezig), the Bodhisattva of Compassion; they are reborn again and again to serve people.
2) A few years ago, the publishing house "Sofia" published a book by Dicky Tsaring about the Dalai Lama "My son".
3) The search for a new reincarnation is a complex multi-stage procedure. As a rule, it includes, in addition to prayers and reading the sacred sutras, divination with the observation of the sacred lake (see above). In the course of observation, on the basis of signs that are understandable only to experienced priests, the most probable geographical direction of the appearance of reincarnation is established, as well as the most probable signs of the Zodiac under which the boy was born - the successor of the deceased. Lamas also visit incognito families where there are particularly outstanding boys of the right age. Selected candidates are offered to identify items from a set of items that belonged to the previous incarnation. When two-year-old Lhamo Dhondrup was shown various relics and toys of the previous Dalai Lama, he said: "This is mine, this is mine!").
However, the 14th Dalai Lama himself believes that not all incarnations of the Dalai Lamas were genuine. He is sure that he is the incarnation of the 5th Dalai Lama, since in childhood he had a lot of vivid dreams associated with this person.
4) Some of the possible translations of these epithets: "Saint", "Tender Glory", "Great Merciful", "Defender of the Faith", "Ocean of Wisdom". The Tibetans also call it Yeshe Norbu - "The All-Fulfilling Jewel" or simply Kundun - "Presence". In the West, the Dalai Lama is most commonly referred to as "His Holiness".
5) The CIA assisted the 14th Dalai Lama in escaping. In addition, the US government has provided financial support to the Tibetan government and various initiatives for many years. Thus, from 1956 to 1972, the US administration directly supported the Tibetan rebel movement and the XIV Dalai Lama, which was mediated by his brother. From declassified documents of the US State Department, it became known that in 1964 the Dalai Lama received a subsidy of 180 thousand US dollars. In the 1960s, up to 1.7 million dollars were allocated annually to support the armed Tibetan formations, whose number in 1962 exceeded ten thousand people.
Later, after the normalization of relations with the PRC, American support for the Tibetan liberation movement began to be carried out indirectly, through pro-Tibetan organizations: the International Campaign for Tibet, the Social and Resource Development Fund, the Tibet Information Network, the Tibet Institute, and others.
However, with significant financial support from the United States, it did not have any political influence on the situation and allowed events to develop uncontrollably. As a result of this attitude, the Tibetan liberation movement collapsed, and the Americans actually recognized Chinese sovereignty over Tibet.
6) Thus, in 2001, the Dalai Lama announced that if the Tibetan people had elected political power, the institution of the Dalai Lama might lose its relevance. He will be happy to then half retire and let the Dalai Lama institution die with him. However, in 2005, in an interview with the Hindustan Times, the 14th Dalai Lama clarified his position: "If I die within the next few months or before we return to Tibet, then a new Dalai Lama will come." By "return to Tibet" is meant, if not the acquisition of independence by Tibet, then at least the status of autonomy within China. The 14th Dalai Lama fulfilled his promise by stepping down as head of the Tibetan government-in-exile in 2002. The position is now held by Prime Minister Samdong Rinpoche.
7) "Five Point Peace Plan":
1) Making all of Tibet a zone of peace;
2) China's abandonment of the population transfer policy, which threatens the very existence of the Tibetans as a nation;
3) Respect for fundamental rights and democratic freedoms for Tibetans;
4) Restoration and protection of the nature of Tibet and China's refusal to use the territory of Tibet for the production of nuclear weapons and as a dumping ground for nuclear waste;
5) Holding open negotiations on the future status of Tibet and on relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.
Holy Leader traditions of Tibetan Buddhism,
Gelug schools, Mahayana, Lamaism
Place of Birth: taktser village,
in the northeast of Tibet in the province of Amdo.
Primary place of business and residence a:
North India city Dharmsala
The combination of the Dalai Lama, means "supreme", "ocean of wisdom." He is the highest lama in the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It so happened historically that the Dalai Lamas are the heads of the Tibetan government, whose residence was in Lhasa, in the Potala Palace.
It is believed that the Dalai Lamas are the embodiment of the bodhisattva of compassion Avaloketishvara and are consciously reincarnated, from life to life. That is, for the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama who lived 500 years ago and the current one, in fact, is one and the same person.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso was born on July 6, 1935 (the Year of the Pig Tree according to the Tibetan calendar) in a small village called Taktser in the Dokham region of northeastern Tibet. His father Choikyon Tsering and mother Sonam Tsomo (her name was later changed to Diki Tsering) were simple peasants. At birth, he was given the name Lhamo Dhondrup. In his autobiography, My Land and My People, His Holiness writes: “Had I been born into a wealthy aristocratic family, I would not have been able to imbue the feelings and aspirations of the poorest Tibetans. But thanks to my simple origin, I can understand them, anticipate their thoughts, and that is why I have so much compassion for them and have always tried to do everything to make their lot easier.”
In 1909, the Dalai Lama XIII, during a pilgrimage to places associated with Zhe Tszonghava, visited the village of Taktser. He noted the beauty of this place and said that he would like to return there again. In 1937, a special group of lamas came to the village of Taktser, looking for a new reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. In his book My Land and My People, the 14th Dalai Lama recalls: “Little children who are reborn usually remember things and people from their previous lives. Some of them can read religious texts, although no one has taught them yet. Everything I said to the lama gave him reason to believe that he had finally found the rebirth he was looking for.” After appropriate tests, the four-year-old Lhamo Dhondrup was recognized as the Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama XIII. The eastern region of Tibet, where the village of Taktser was located, was under the control of China. After lengthy negotiations between the Tibetan government and the local administration, in October 1939 His Holiness left his parents' home and went to Lhasa. The ceremony of His enthronement took place on February 22, 1940.
His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso studied in the traditional system at the Potala and Nor-bu Ling, his winter and summer residences. His Holiness had two official mentors, Yongzin Ling Rinpoche and Yongzin Trichang Rinpoche. His training program included the “five major” and “five minor sciences.” The “five major sciences” are logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine, and Buddhist philosophy. The Five Lesser Sciences are poetry, music and drama, astrology and literature. At the age of 24, His Holiness took the preliminary examinations for the degree of Doctor of Divinity at three major monastic universities: Drepung (founded in 1416), Sera (1419), Gan-den (1409). He took his final exams at the Jokhang, the first Buddhist temple in Tibet, founded in 641. The exams were traditionally timed to coincide with the annual New Year's Monlam, the largest prayer holiday. On the morning of the examination day, He took examinations in logic by thirty scholars. In the afternoon, His Holiness engaged in a philosophical debate with fifteen scholars. In the evening, thirty-five scholars examined Him on questions of monastic discipline and metaphysics. His Holiness passed his exams brilliantly in the presence of 20,000 scholar monks and received the title of Doctor of Divinity (Geshe Lharamba).
In 1949, Tibetan-Chinese relations sharply deteriorated. The Chinese government insisted that Tibet was part of China. Expressing the views of his people, the Dalai Lama wrote: “From 1912 until the fateful year 1950, Tibet was de facto a state independent of any other power, and our status to this day remains the same as in 1912.” In 1950, Chinese troops entered Eastern Tibet, which further complicated the situation. On October 26, 1950, the Indian Foreign Ministry sent the following note to Beijing: “Now that the Chinese government has undertaken an invasion of Tibet, it is hardly possible to combine peace negotiations with these events, and, naturally, part of the Tibetans will fear that these negotiations will be held under pressure. In the current state of affairs, the invasion of Chinese troops into Tibet cannot be considered otherwise than as a depressing event that is not consistent with the interests of China itself in establishing peace in the region. That's what the Indian government thinks."
In 1956, an emergency session of the Tibetan National Assembly asked His Holiness, then 16 years old, to assume full spiritual and temporal power. Driven by the Buddhist idea of non-violence, He devoted himself to the struggle for peace, the prosperity of Buddhism and the well-being of the Tibetan people. In his book “My land and my people”, the XIV Dalai Lama writes: “I am a staunch follower of the teaching of non-violence, which was first preached by the Buddha, whose wisdom is absolute and undeniable. This teaching was practiced by the outstanding public figure of India, Saint Mahatma Gandhi. I strongly objected to any attempt to regain our freedom with weapons.” In 1954, His Holiness visited China at the invitation of the Chinese government. In 1956, He visited India to take part in the celebrations of the 2500th anniversary of the birth of the Buddha, where He met with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Prime Minister Jou En-lai to discuss the situation in Eastern Tibet. .
The Dalai Lama leaves Tibet On March 10, 1959, armed clashes took place in Lhasa between units of the Chinese army and the local population. To avoid bloodshed. His Holiness, who always proceeded from the concept of non-violence, was forced to leave Lhasa. The government and people of India have hospitably received the Dalai Lama and seventy-eight thousand of His spiritual followers. Since 1960, His Holiness has been living in India, in the city of Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh). This city is often referred to as "Little Lhasa". His Holiness did and is doing everything possible to preserve the treasures of the Tibetan civilization in India, which was almost completely destroyed in Tibet between 1955 and 1979: 99% of the monasteries were completely destroyed, countless works of Buddhist art and literary monuments were destroyed, for a long time under Religion itself was forbidden.
Unlike his predecessors, His Holiness traveled extensively in the countries of the East and West. He visited 41 countries, met with politicians, clergy, cultural figures, and businessmen. Wherever He spoke, He spoke about His confidence in the unity of mankind, about the sense of responsibility of each person for the fate of the whole world. In 1973, the Dalai Lama met with Pope Paul VI, several times with Pope John Paul II.
Ever since the seventies, when the Dalai Lama XIV began to travel to the countries of the West for the first time, the glory of an outstanding scientist and fighter for peace has been attached to Him. His Holiness has published 17 of his books, including works on Buddhist philosophy and autobiographical essays, speeches and articles. Many universities around the world have awarded Him an honorary Doctorate for His work on Buddhist philosophy.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama attracts the attention of the whole world with his modesty and devotion to the idea of non-violence. He has always advocated mutual understanding between peoples and followers of different religions of the world. In his famous speech “Universal Responsibility and Mercy” (1973), He said: “The need for simple relationships between people is becoming more and more necessary ... Today the world has become closer and more dependent on everyone. National problems cannot be solved entirely by one country. Thus, if there is no sense of personal responsibility for all, there is a threat to our survival. In essence, responsibility for all is the ability to feel the suffering of other people in the same way that you feel your own suffering. It should be understood that our enemies are also driven by the idea of seeking happiness. All living beings want the same thing that we want.” More than once, His efforts in the struggle for freedom and peace were noted with special awards.
Video
Sunrise/Sunset: Dalai Lama XIV
“Sunrise/Sunset: Dalai Lama XIV”, which tells about one day in the life of the Dalai Lama and raises universal problems. For the first time, a film by a Russian documentary filmmaker is nominated for an Oscar by the American National Film Academy and is released in Russian distribution. “Often people call me the living Buddha, or Divine King, to which I always reply that this is nonsense. I am just a Buddhist monk. So, after watching this film, you will understand that behind all this is a real ordinary person, nothing special. Just an ordinary Buddhist monk” (14th Dalai Lama)
Bibliography in Russian
Dalai Lama XIV. My land and my people. - 1962.
Dalai Lama XIV. Freedom in exile. - 1992.
Dalai Lama XIV. Politics of kindness. Collection. - 1996.
Dalai Lama XIV. The art of being happy. - 1999., co-authored with Dr. Howard K. Cutler
Dalai Lama XIV. Ethics for the new millennium. - 2001.
Dalai Lama XIV. Harvard Lectures. - 2003.
Dalai Lama XIV. Compassionate life. The path to a life full of meaning. - 2003/2004.
Dalai Lama XIV. Open heart. - 2004.
Dalai Lama XIV. Good heart. Conversations with the Dalai Lama about the teachings of Jesus. - 2006.
Dalai Lama XIV.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born on July 6, 1935 into a peasant family in the small village of Taktser in northeastern Tibet and received the name Lhamo Dhondrub.
In 1909, the 13th Dalai Lama, making a pilgrimage to holy places, visited the village of Taktser. He noted the beauty of this place and said that he would like to return here again. In 1937, after the death of the 13th Dalai Lama, a special group of lamas arrived in the village of Taktser, looking for his new incarnation. After appropriate tests, the two-year-old Lhamo Dhondrup was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor.
The Dalai Lamas are the incarnations on earth of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion; they are born here to serve the people. Recognized by the Dalai Lama, Lhamo Dhondrub received a new name - Jetsun Jampel Ngawang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso. Among the possible translations of these numerous epithets: "Saint", "Tender Glory", "Great Merciful", "Defender of the Faith", "Ocean of Wisdom". The Tibetans usually call it Yeshe Norbu - "The All-Fulfilling Jewel" or simply Kundun - "Presence".
Enthronement. 1940
13th Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama was enthroned on February 22, 1940 in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. After the Chinese communists invaded Tibet in 1949-50s, he attempted peaceful coexistence with the Chinese authorities for nine years. Without enlisting the support of Beijing, he was forced to leave Lhasa on the night of March 17, 1959, to find refuge in India.
The Dalai Lama with a search party
Young Dalai Lama.
Photo from Spencer Chapman's The World of the Dalai Lama
Education
The Dalai Lama was trained in the traditional Tibetan system and had two official mentors, Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche. The curriculum included "five big sciences" (logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine, Buddhist philosophy) and "five small" (poetry, music and drama, astrology and literature).
The Dalai Lama began his studies at the age of six and completed his studies at the age of twenty-five, receiving the highest degree of Geshe Lharamba (Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy). At twenty-four, he passed the preliminary examinations at the three main monastic universities in Tibet: Drepung, Sera and Ganden. The final examinations were held at the main temple in Lhasa during the annual Monlam Prayer Festival in the winter of 1959. They were held in the presence of 20,000 learned monks.
The Dalai Lama with his mentors, Ling Rimpoche and Trijang Rimpoche
Country leadership
On November 17, 1950, after the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops entered Tibet, His Holiness, then only 16 years old, was forced to assume political powers, becoming head of state and government.
In 1954 he went to Peking to hold peace talks with Mao Tse-tung and other Chinese leaders, including Chou En-lai and Teng Hsiao-ping. In 1956, visiting India as part of the celebration of the 2500th anniversary of the birth of the Buddha, he held a series of meetings with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Prime Minister Jou En-lai to discuss the aggravation of the situation in Tibet.
His efforts to peacefully resolve the Tibetan-Chinese conflict were thwarted by Beijing's tough policy in eastern Tibet, which led to popular unrest. The resistance movement quickly spread to other parts of Tibet. On March 10, 1959, an uprising broke out in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, on an unprecedented scale. Its participants demanded that China withdraw from Tibet and asserted the independence of their country. The Tibetan popular uprising was brutally suppressed by the Chinese army. His Holiness left Tibet and received political asylum in India. About 80,000 Tibetans followed him into exile. Since 1960, the Dalai Lama has been living in the Indian town of Dharamsala, which is called "little Lhasa". The headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile is located there.
The Dalai Lama and his younger brother are on their way to exile. March, 1959
His Holiness meets the first Tibetan refugee children in Dharamsala.
early sixties
Speech to the first Tibetan refugees of the southern settlements.
Early sixties.
During the first years of his exile, His Holiness repeatedly applied to the United Nations for assistance in resolving the Tibetan issue. As a result, the UN General Assembly adopted three resolutions (in 1959, 1961 and 1965) calling on China to respect human rights in Tibet and the Tibetans' aspirations for self-determination. Having formed the new Tibetan government in exile, His Holiness saw the survival of the Tibetans in exile and the salvation of their culture as a top priority. For this purpose, settlements of Tibetan refugees were founded, and agriculture became the main occupation. Economic development and the creation of an education system contributed to the upbringing of a new generation of Tibetan children who are well aware of their language, history, religion and culture. In 1959, the Tibetan Institute of Dramatic Arts (TIPA) was established, as well as the Central Institute of Advanced Tibetology, an institution of higher education for Tibetans living in India. To preserve the vast collection of Tibetan Buddhist teachings, the foundation of the Tibetan way of life, over 200 monasteries were recreated in exile.
In 1963, His Holiness proclaimed a democratic constitution based on Buddhist principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a model for a future free Tibet. Today, the Tibetan Parliament is formed on the basis of elections. His Holiness has consistently stressed the need for the democratization of the Tibetan administration and has repeatedly stated that once the Tibetan issue is resolved, he will not hold any political office.
In 1987, at the US Congressional Human Rights Conference, the Dalai Lama put forward the "Five Point Peace Plan" as the first step towards establishing a zone of peace in Tibet. The plan called for an end to the massive Chinese migration to Tibet, the restoration of fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms, an end to China's use of Tibet as a site for the production of nuclear weapons and the disposal of nuclear waste, and the commencement of serious negotiations on the future of Tibet.
On June 15, 1988, in Strasbourg, he launched an expanded version of the Five Point Plan, proposing democratic self-government in Tibet "in cooperation with the People's Republic of China."
On September 2, 1991, the Tibetan government-in-exile declares the Strasbourg proposal invalid due to the closeness and negative attitude of the Chinese leadership towards the proposals put forward in Strasbourg.
On October 9, 1991, speaking at Yale University in the United States, His Holiness said that he would like to visit Tibet in order to personally assess the current political situation. “I am very worried,” he said, “that this explosive situation may lead to outbreaks of violence. I want to do everything in my power to prevent this. … My visit would be a new opportunity to reach an understanding and lay the groundwork for a negotiated solution.”
Contacts with East and West
Since 1967, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has undertaken a series of travels across all five continents and has traveled to 46 countries to date. His Holiness has already visited Russia seven times: three times during the Soviet period - in 1979, 1982 and 1986; later, in 1991 and 1992, he visited the traditional Buddhist republics: Buryatia and the Aginsky Autonomous Okrug, Tuva and Kalmykia. In 1994 he again visited Moscow, and in 1996 he visited Moscow on the way to Mongolia. In November 2004, after a ten-year hiatus, His Holiness arrived on a brief pastoral visit to the Buddhist Republic of Kalmykia.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tashkent, 1982
Interreligious Dialogue
His Holiness the Dalai Lama met Pope Paul VI in the Vatican in 1973. At a press conference in Rome in 1980, he expressed the hope of meeting John Paul II: “We are living in a period of colossal crisis, a period of events that are shaking the world. It is impossible to find peace of mind if there are no guarantees of security and harmony in relations between peoples. That is why, with faith and hope, I look forward to meeting with the Holy Father in order to exchange ideas and feelings and listen to his judgment on how we can open the door to peace and tranquility in relations between peoples.
The Dalai Lama met with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1980, 1982, 1990, 1996 and 1999. In 1981 His Holiness spoke with Bishop Robert Runci of Canterbury and other Anglican leaders in London. He also met with leaders of the Islamic, Roman Catholic and Jewish churches and spoke at the Congress of World Religions, where an interfaith service was held in his honor.
“I always believe,” he said, “that it is much better if we have a wide variety of religions, a wide variety of philosophies, than one religion or philosophy. This is necessary due to the fact that people have different mental inclinations. Each religion has its own unique ideas and methods. By studying them, we will enrich our own faith.”
Meeting of the Dalai Lama with the Pope.
Recognition and awards
Since 1973, when His Holiness first visited Western countries, many foreign institutions and universities have awarded him awards and honorary degrees in recognition of his brilliant work on Buddhist philosophy and active promotion of interreligious dialogue, resolving international conflicts, and issues related to the violation of human rights. and environmental pollution.
In presenting His Holiness the Raoul Wallenberg Award (Congressional Human Rights Meeting), Congressman Tom Lantos said: “His Holiness the Dalai Lama's courageous struggle shows that he is a leading leader in the fight for human rights and world peace. His inexhaustible desire to end the suffering of the Tibetan people through peaceful negotiations and a policy of reconciliation requires tremendous courage and sacrifice.”
Among the many prizes and awards given to His Holiness for his services to peace and human rights are: the Magseiseya Prize of the Philippines (known as the "Asia Nobel Prize"); Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize (New York, USA); Dr. Leopold Lukas Prize (Germany); “Memorial Prize” (Daniel Mitterrand Foundation, France); Peacekeeping Leadership Award (Nuclear Age Foundation, USA); Peace and Unification Award (National Peace Conference, New Delhi, India) and First Prize of the Sartorius Foundation (Germany).
Recent years awards
Ahimsa Award |
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United States Congressional Gold Medal |
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Presidential Honorary Professorship |
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Honorary Doctorate |
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Honorary Doctorate |
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Honorary Doctorate |
Nobel Peace Prize
The decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award the Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama evoked the approval of the entire world community (with the exception of China). The Committee emphasized that “The Dalai Lama, in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet, has steadfastly opposed the use of violence. He calls for a peaceful solution based on tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.”
In 1989 His Holiness received the Nobel Peace Prize
for proclaiming a non-violent struggle for the freedom of Tibet
On December 10, 1989, His Holiness the Dalai Lama accepted the Nobel Prize on behalf of all those who are persecuted, all who fight for freedom and work for world peace, and on behalf of the Tibetan people. “This award,” His Holiness said, “reaffirms our conviction that with the weapons of truth, courage and determination, Tibet will achieve liberation. Our struggle must be non-violent and free from hate."
His Holiness also sent a message of support to the student-led democracy movement in China: “In June of this year, the people's democratic movement in China was brutally suppressed. But I do not think that the demonstrations of protest have not borne fruit, for the spirit of freedom has once again entered the hearts of the Chinese people, and China will not be able to resist this spirit of freedom that is sweeping many parts of the world today. The courageous students and their supporters showed the Chinese leadership and the whole world the face of true humanism inherent in this great nation.”
simple buddhist monk
His Holiness often says, “I am just a simple Buddhist monk, nothing more, nothing less.” He leads the life of a Buddhist monk. In Dharamsala, he wakes up at 4 am, meditates, recites prayers and maintains a rigid schedule of official meetings, audiences, religious teachings and ceremonies. He ends each day with a prayer. When asked about the source of his inspiration, he often quotes his favorite quatrain from the work of the illustrious Buddhist saint Shantideva:
As long as space lasts
As long as the living live
Let the world and I stay
Suffering to dispel the darkness.
Dark days of Tibet. Tsaparong. Western Tibet
View of the Potala, the Dalai Lama's winter palace from Mount Chakpori
