“Of the many problems we face today, some are natural calamities and must be accepted and faced with equanimity. Others, however, are of our own making, created by misunderstanding, and can be corrected. One such type arises from the conflict of ideologies, political or religious, when people fight each other for petty ends, losing sight of the basic humanity that binds us all together as a single human family. We must remember that the different religions, ideologies, and political systems of the world are meant for human beings to achieve happiness. We must not lose sight of this fundamental goal and at no time should we place means above ends; the supremacy of humanity over matter and ideology must always be maintained.” - The Dalai Lama

In 1935, a little boy named Lhamo Thondub (meaning wish-fulfilling goddess) was born to a peasant family in Takstar, a small village in Tibet, located high in the Himalayan Mountains. Lhamo had one older sister and three older brothers. His family had a small farm where they grew barley and potatoes and kept horses, yaks, sheep, goats and chicken. The family lived in a typical Tibet house made primarily of stone and mud which were the materials available in the high grasslands where they lived.

Lhamo grew up as an ordinary Tibetan boy. He enjoyed ice skating in the winter and helping his mother around the farm. He would also often make believe that he was going on a trip to Lhasa, the capitol city of Tibet that was a several month journey from his small town of Takstar. His parents thought this was very strange because they were not sure how Lhamo even knew that Lhasa existed.

One day when Lhamo was three years old, several monks and men from the Tibetan Government visited Takstar looking for the reincarnation of the thirteenth Dalai Lama. Led by their visions and dreams, the monks searched for a home with turquoise gutters – just like Lhamo’s house. After spending time with Lhamo they suspected that he was the reincarnation of the thirteenth Dalai Lama because of how he acted and some of the things that he said. To confirm their hopes, the monks tested Lhama by setting several pairs of objects such as eye glasses, canes, and prayer beads in front of him. One of each object had belonged to the thirteenth Dalai Lama and the other had not. Lhamo chose the objects that belonged to the previous Dalai Lama and the monks were convinced that they had found the next Dalai Lama. Lhamo was going to Lhasa after all.

Lhamo and his family packed their bags and embarked on a three-month trek to Lhasa where Lhamo began his studies with other monks in the Potala Palace. He learned about Tibetan art and culture, logic, and meditation in preparation to be the official leader of Tibet on his 21st birthday. Lhamo was taught to strive for compassion and sympathy for all living beings, without exception.

In October 1950, when the Dalai Lama was just fifteen years old, 80,000 soldiers from China invaded Tibet. Thousands of Tibet people were killed because the Tibetan army was no match for the Chinese military. The people of Tibet needed a strong leader to stand up to the Chinese and to bring peace back to their country. So at the age of fifteen, the Dalai Lama found himself the spiritual and political leader of over six million Tibetans.

The Dalai Lama worked for nine long years to find a peaceful solution to the conflict with China, even daring to travel to Peking under Chinese military escort to meet with Chairman Mao Tse-tung. On March 10, 1959, thousands of Tibetans demonstrated in Lhasa, resisting the Chinese occupation and demanding an independent Tibet. The Chinese soldiers retaliated against the protestors and thousands of Tibetans were killed. With the situation in Tibet deteriorating, the Dalai Lama knew he had to flee his country. On March 17, 1959 he dressed as a soldier and snuck out of his palace.

The Dalai Lama traveled for many weeks over the Himalayas – the highest mountains in the world – into India. His parents and siblings went with him, as did many of his teachers and other Tibetan government officials. They made their way to Dharamsala, now known as “Little Lhasa,” where they set up the Tibetan Government in exile. The Dalai Lama continued to nonviolently fight for the rights of his people. He met with the United Nations on several occasions and the United Nations General Assembly adopted three resolutions in 1959, 1961, and 1965 calling on China to respect the human rights of Tibetans and to honor their independence.

The Dalai Lama started over 50 large settlements for Tibetan refugees in India and created a Tibetan school system to teach refugee children Tibetan language, history, religion, and culture. He founded several cultural institutes to preserve 2,000 years of Tibet’s arts and sciences and helped reestablish more than 200 monasteries to keep Buddhist teachings alive.

The Dalai Lama often says “I am just a simple Buddhist monk – no more, no less.” Living in a small cottage in Dharamsala, he rises at 4am each morning to meditate, attend meetings, host private audiences, and conduct religious teachings and ceremonies. He concludes each day with more prayers. The Dalai Lama has worked hard over the years to bring compassion and loving kindness to the world – even to the Chinese government after all they have done to his people. For him, this is the only way to bring peace to Tibet and to the world.

In 1989, on the 30th anniversary of China’s invasion of Tibet, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to find a non-violent solution to the conflict with China. He continues to travel the globe speaking to world leaders about a nonviolent solution to the Chinese occupation of Tibet. He also speaks with ordinary people around the world, spreading his message of peace and urging all people to live their lives with compassion for others and the earth. The Dalai Lama believes that “in today’s world, every nation is heavily interdependent, interconnected. Under these circumstances, destroying your enemy – your neighbor – means destroying yourself in the long run. You need your neighbor.”

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