H.H. THE D ALAÏ LAMA

is Holiness the Dalaï-lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born Lhamo Dhondrub on the 6 July 1935 into a poor farming family in the province of Amdo in north-eastern Tibet. Of his fifteen brothers and sisters, six survived. At the age of two, he was recognised as fourteenth in the lineage of Dalaï-lamas, the precedent having died in 1933. The title « Dalaï-lama» means «ocean of wisdom», and those who bear it are considered to be manifestations of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara ( Tchènrézi in tibetan). Accompanied by his family the young Dalaï-lama went to live in Lhassa, where he received a comprehensive religious and spiritual training. He was officially enthroned on the 22 February 1940. In 1959, he passed his final exam in Lhassa during the annual prayer festival of Mönlam . He succeeded brilliantly, and was awarded the highest grade – geshe – which is approximately equivalent to a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy. Tenzin Gyatso is the first Dalaï-lama to have fully embraced modern technology, and has shown a lively interest in science.

Prior to the 1950s, Tibet was governed as a religious state, where the Dalaï-lama exercised a power that was both spiritual and secular. Each Tibetan feels themselves to be deeply and viscerally linked to the Dalaï-lama, who embodies Tibet in all its spiritual and natural signification. Until the nomination of a Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1942, this function appeared to be superfluous, as Tibet was isolated from the rest of the world. On the 7 October 1950, the Chinese army crossed the frontier into Tibet. Under military domination, and a partisan of non-violence, the Dalaï-lama believed that an agreement of cohabitation, guaranteeing Tibetan autonomy, could be signed with China. In this hope, he went to Pekin in 1954, in order to negotiate a peace with Mao Ze Dong.

In March 1959, Chinese occupational troops brutally crushed a popular uprising. His position and his life being in danger, the Dalaï-lama fled to India, where the government accorded him the right to take up residence in Dharamsala, in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Several thousand Tibetans followed him into exile. Several thousand others, who remained in Tibet, were killed or tortured by the Chinese forces of occupation. The monasteries were systematically destroyed, and a veritable cultural genocide was programmed and installed.

In 1963, the Dalaï-lama presented a project for a democratic constitution for his country and, in 1992, he undertook to renounce all historic and political authority as soon as Tibet became once more independent.

The Dalaï-lama has always stated that, as long as he was in charge of Tibetan affairs, he would pursue a policy of non-violence. According to him, any solution based on the use of force is, by definition, temporary. «External disarmament comes from an internal disarmament. The only guarantee of peace is within oneself.» His unconditional engagement in favour of peace has been recognised by the international community, which awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

The Dalaï-lama finds simple and touching words in order to speak about human nature. His mastery of the mysteries and complexities of Buddhist thought is such that, in the eyes of his disciples, he does more than teach the dharma: he incarnates it. For him, Buddhism is neither a dogma nor a religion, but a way of life based on peace, joy and wisdom. He insists on the universal responsibility and the interdependence of individuals and of nations in the fulfillment of the essential kindness in human nature. For years, the Dalaï-lama has journeyed tirelessly, in order to teach peace and to dispense wisdom and joy.

His Holiness often says, "I am just a simple Buddhist monk - no more, nor less." In explaining his greatest sources of inspiration, he often cites a favourite verse, found in the writings of the renowned eighth century Buddhist saint Shantideva:

His Holiness the 14th Dalaï-lama

For as long as space endures And for as long as living beings remain, Until then may I too abide To dispel the misery of the world.