It is difficult to narrate
the great works being done by His Holiness the Dalai Lama throughout the world.
The whole accounts can be read from My
Country and My People and Freedom in
Exile.
The young Lhamo Dhondup was born in Taktser, a small
village in Amdo, in Eastern Tibet. His family
members engaged in farming for living. When a search party came to look for the
incarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, the young boy the high lama from Sera
Monastic University was dresses as servant. The small child recognized the real
lama and wanted at all costs to keep the rosary shown to him.
With signs A, K and M seen
by the Regent Reting Rinpoche in the Lhamo Lhatso were interpreted as T for
Taktser, A for Amdo and M for the nearby monastery. Reting also saw a house
with blue roofs. The search party then proceeded to test the boy by offering
several similar items such as two canes, two pairs of glasses, two bells, etc. Some
of the items belonged to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso. The child
spontaneously chose each object that belonged to the Great Thirteenth.
After confirming him as the real reincarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama,
the whole family was brought to the Potala in Lhasa, Tibet's
capital, and the boy was given the name Tenzin Gyatso. He was introduced to
Buddhist philosophy and studied under many great teachers, scholars and
dialecticians.
The senior tutor was Ling Rinpoche and the junior tutor was Trijang
Rinpoche. Only during the first visit to Norbu Linka, the summer palace of the Dalai
Lamas, the young Dalai Lama was
allowed to see his mother.
When the Chinese occupation
threatened to take all of Tibet, the young the Dalai Lama, at a early age of sixteen,
had to shoulder the responsibility. A few years later, he passed the
examination of Geshe Lharampa or Doctor of Philosophy, successfully.
However, the marching of boots of the Red Army approached and despite many
attempts to initiate dialogues, the Chinese army attacked and occupied all of
Tibet. This triggered uprising in Lhasa during which thousands of Tibetans were killed under the Chinese crackdown. When the uprising was
crushed down, the Dalai Lama dressed as a soldier escaped into exile on March 17, 1959 to India.
Once in India, the Indian government offered humanitarian
assistance to the His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan refugees to settle
down. The Tibetan Government-in-Exile was formed in Dharamsala, a small town in
Himachal Pradesh in North India.
Since then His Holiness has been consistently fighting for the rights of
Tibetan people through non-violent way. This method has attained huge supports around
the world and eventually in 1989 His Holiness was conferred the Nobel Peace
Prize, which Tibetan leader received on behalf of the six million Tibetan
people and also on behalf of Mahatma Gandhi.
Today, His Holiness is one of the most respected figures
in the world, whose constant efforts to promote dialogue between nations,
between various religions traditions and between the modern science and Buddhist
philosophy. Many universities conferred honourary degrees and send invitations
to lectures, give teachings and initiations in Buddhism. Tibetans and people
around the world prays for his health and long life.