Dalai Lama Biography and Quotes

Famously Known For

Dalai Lama, Lhamo Thondup is famed for his struggle to liberate Tibet from China for over 50 years.

He is the leader to the Tibetan government in exile and also serves as their spiritual leader. The people of Tibet believe that Lhamo Thondup is a reincarnation of ancestral leaders of their land.

Early Life

Lhamo Thondup was born in Taktser, China in 1935 to a low-income family. His father was Choekyong Tsering, and the mother was Diki Tsering. Dalai Lama grew up in a family of sixteen children and was the fifth of them all. However, only seven of all the children in their family managed to survive into adulthood.

Lhamo was identified as the Dalai Lama while he was at the age of two after religious leaders carried out tests and followed signs given by the 13th Dalai Lama and also visions from some of them.

Personal Life and Career

The 14th Dalai Lama assumed leadership at the age of 15, in 1950. In 1959 during the Tibetan uprising, Lhamo fled to India and has never returned to China to date. He, however, remains vocal on issues affecting Tibetans and on global matters like environment, women’s rights, and sexuality.

Since his exile, Dalai Lama has been in conflict with China because of his attempts to make Tibet a free state with its government. He authorized the CIA to train Tibetan soldiers that would resist invasion by the Chinese. However, the attempt was a total flop as thousands of people lost their lives in the resistance.

As their spiritual leader, Dalai Lama ensures that the Tibetan Buddhism teachings are passed on to generations. He has also published several books and continues to give talks and lectures in universities across the globe.

Quotes by Dalai Lama

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