14th Dalai Lama

Spiritual leader of Tibet and head of Tibetan Buddhism since 1940.

Chronology: 1935-07-06 – Present

Origins & Early Life

The 14th Dalai Lama (born Lhamo Thondup, 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso) is the current Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served as the resident spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet before 1959, and subsequently led the Tibetan government in exile represented by the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamshala, India. A belief central to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as well as the institution of the Dalai Lama is that the reincarnated person is a living Bodhisattva, specifically an emanation of Avalokiteśvara (in Sanskrit) or Chenrezig (in Tibetan), the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The Mongolic word dalai means ocean.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The 14th Dalai Lama is also known to Tibetans as Gyalwa Rinpoche ("The Precious Jewel-like Buddha-Master"), Kundun ("The Presence"), and Yizhin Norbu ("The Wish-Fulfilling Gem"). His devotees, as well as much of the Western world, often call him His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is the leader and a monk of the newest Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th Dalai Lama was born to a farming family in Taktser (Hongya village), in the traditional Tibetan...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Source: Wikipedia