Dalai Lama Facts

1. Who is the Dalai Lama? His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, serves as the 14th Dalai
Lama, the spiritual leader of the people of Tibet. He was born on July 6, 1935
to a peasant farming family in northeastern Tibet.
2. What is a Dalai Lama? Each Dalai Lama is a manifestation of the Bodhisattva
(Buddha) of Compassion, who are believed to have postponed their nirvana
and chosen to be rebirthed in the service of humanity. This Dalai Lama is the
74th manifestation of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, the enlightened Buddha
of compassion.
3. How did the Dalai Lama become the Dalai Lama? Gyatso, originally born
Lhamo Donrub, was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama
at age two. In order to confirm his identity, Tibetan monks tested Gyatso by
asking him to identify certain articles of clothing that belonged to the 13th
Dalai Lama. He passed the series of tests, then changed his name, took the
throne at age four and became a monk at age six.
4. What was he like as a kid? At age five, his Holiness was taken to a monastery
in Kumbum, Tibet to begin his monastic training. According to an interview
with National Geographic Kids, his favorite game during this time period was
playing with two white mice who would sneak into his room and distract him
from studying.
5. So whats the big deal about the Dalai Lama? His Holiness won the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1989 for his work in advocating for nonviolent means to
liberate Tibet from China. He shared this award with Mikhail Gorbachev.
6. What does he do for fun? His hobbies include meditating, gardening, and
collecting and repairing watches.
7. What does the Dalai Lama care about? Known for his charisma and charm,
the Dalai Lama is an outspoken international advocate for a variety of issues,
a major one being environmental concern. He writes and speaks extensively
about the need for a caring attitude toward the environment, the intricate
interrelationship between humans and the earth, and the importance of
respect for the earths living things.
8. What else matters to him? Another subject of great importance to the Dalai
Lama is peaceful religious coexistence. He believes the worlds religions
should have harmonious relationships with each other and engage in
meaningful interfaith dialogue.
9. Tell me a fun fact about his Holiness. The Dalai Lama is fascinated by science
and has stated that if he had not become a monk, he would have become an
engineer.
10.Ok, if the Dalai Lama is such an enlightened being, then what is the meaning
of life? When asked on his website what the purpose of life is, the Dalai
Lamas response was, to be happy.