"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. "

A Man of Peace Faces Chinese Tyranny

The current and 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, comes from a lineage of leaders dating back to 1391. Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama is one of the incarnations of Avalokitesvara, which is the bodhisattva of compassion. He is often given the title "His Holiness" before his name. "Dalai" means "ocean" in Mongolian and "Lama" is the Sanskirt work for "guru" or "teacher." The Dalai Lama describes himself as "a simple Buddhist monk."

After the Dalai Lama has died, his monks sent out on search for a reincarnation of his soul in a small child. Using possessions of the previous Dalai Lama, the monks look for the child to be familiar with the items as a sign of the reincarnation. The search typically requires a few years. He is then taken to Lhasa and trained by other Lamas.

The 14th Dalai Lama was born the spiritual leader of Tibet on July 6, 1935 to a farming family in northeastern Tibet. He began monastic education at the age of six. At the age of 23 he took his final examination at the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, during the Monlam (prayer) Festival in 1959; he passed with honours and was awarded the Geshe Lharampa degree, which is equivalent to a doctorate of Buddhist philosophy.

He was called upon to assume full political power of Tibet in 1949 after the Chinese invasion. In 1959, he was forced to escape into exile after the uprising in Lhasa by Chinese troops. Until the exile, the Dalai Lama resided in during the winter at the Potala Palace and spent summers at the Norbulingka palace and park. Since, he has lived in Dharamsala in Northern India where the Central Tibetan Administration also resides.

In 1987, the Dalai Lama proposed the Five Point Peace Plan for Tibet as steps towards a peaceful solution to a threatened Tibet. He hoped Tibet would become a sacred place; a zone of peace in Asia. However, China has failed to respond to the various proposals for peace.

Zhang Qingli, the party chief of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has accused the Dalai Lama of engaging in activities unrelated to religion, saying he is an unworthy religious leader and "unworthy of the title" of Dalai Lama. Zhang said "I still can't figure out how he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. What peace has he brought to the world?" The party chief also labeled the Dalai Lama as a double dealer, saying his so-called "middle way" was in fact thinly disguised independence. In the Dalai Lama's "middle way" he seeks a "greater Tibet" which would enjoy more autonomy than Hong Kong and Macao, said Zhang. As soon as the Dalai Lama abandons his separatist ideas, the door to talks is always open, Zhang said.

Previously, the chairman of the Tibetan government, Champa Phuntsok, described the Dalai Lama as "a politician in Buddhist robes and Italian shoes."

As a man with visions for world peace, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle to liberate Tibet. Even in the face of Chinese aggression, he advocates non-violence. He is the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for the environment. He has travelled to over 60 countries and met with heads of state, people of different religions, and many well-known scientists.