HH 14th DALAI LAMA

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan People. He was born on 6th July, 1935, in Taktser - a small village in northeastern Tibet - and recognised at the age of two as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama.

The title, Dalai Lama, means 'Ocean of Wisdom'; and Tibetan tradition holds that each Dalai Lama is an incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.

His Holiness was established as head of State and Government in 1950 following the invasion by China. In 1959, increasing tensions resulted in him leaving his country with some 80,000 Tibetan refugees and setting up the Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala, India. Then, as now, he has worked tirelessly to try to resolve the differences between the two countries by peaceful means. At the same time his political and spiritual leadership has enabled Tibetan people to keep their religious faith, language, way of life and cultural traditions intact.

His Holiness has been a world leader in religious tolerance and his lectures and discussions with the heads of other religious traditions has taken him to some 46 countries. "Each religion has certain unique ideas or techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one's own faith".

In 1989, His Holiness accepted the Nobel Peace Prize "on behalf of oppressed people everywhere and all those who struggle for freedom and worl for world peace and the people of Tibet".

"My message is the practice of compassion, love, and kindness. Compassion can be put into practice if one recognizes the fact that every human being is a member of humanity and the human family regardless of differences in religion, culture, color, and creed. Deep down there is no difference." "We should try never to let our happy frame of mind be disturbed. Whether we are suffering at present or have suffered in the past, there is no reason to be unhappy. If we can remedy it, why be unhappy? And if we cannot, what use is there in being depressed about it? That just adds more unhappiness and does no good at all."
"By developing a sense of respect for others and a concern for their welfare, we reduce our own selfishness, which is the source of all problems, and enhance our sense of kindness which is a natural source of goodness."

"You should respect other religions....the essence of all religions is basically the same: to achieve a true sense of brotherhood, a good heart, respect for others. If we can develop these qualities from within our heart, then I think we can actually achieve true peace.

Above all, we must put others before us and keep others in our mind constantly: the self must be placed last. All our doings and thinkings must be motivated by compassion for others. The way to acquire this kind of outlook is that we must accept the simple fact that whatever we desire is also desired by others. Every being wants happiness, not suffering. If we adopt a self-centered approach to life by which we attempt to use others for our own self-interest, we might be able to gain temporary benefit, but in the long run, we will not succeed in achieving even our personal happiness, and hope for next life is out of question."

HH 14th Dalai Lama