http://avxhome.se/blogs/crazy-slim

96

icon

Born to a peasant family in a small
village called Taktser in northeastern
Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai
Lama, was recognised at the age
of two as the reincarnation of his
predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama.
Far from smooth sailing, Tenzin’s life
journey mirrors the connotation of his
family name Gyatso, derived from the
Tibetan word for “ocean” – turbulent
yet embracing.
With 80,000 Tibetan refugees
in tow, Tenzin escaped to India,
attaining political asylum in March
1959, following brutal suppression
by the Chinese government. The
most pressing task was to save these
Tibetan exiles and their local culture.
So Tenzin founded 53 large-scale
agricultural settlements for Tibetan
refugees to live on and oversaw the
creation of an autonomous Tibetan
school system to raise and educate
refugee children with the knowledge
of their distinct language, history
and religion.

A Life

of Service

sowing the seeds for mankind

Tenzin’s humanitarian efforts have

exceeded the realms of his homeland.

His long-standing engagement with

multiple dimensions of science and

with people far beyond his own

religious traditions has made him an

iconic global voice for universal ethics

and peace. Over the last half-decade,

he has initiated a series of visits to

some 46 nations and meetings with

world leaders. In 2012, he received the

prestigious Templeton Prize, worth

US$1.7 million, for his work linking

science and the wider questions of

faith and religion – swiftly donating

the full amount to Save the Children in

India and the Mind and Life Institute.

Dalai Lamas are believed to be

the reincarnation of Avalokitesvara,

an important Buddhist deity and the

personification of compassion. They

are also enlightened beings who

have postponed their own afterlife

and chosen rebirth so as to benefit

humanity. True to this destiny, Tenzin

Gyatso was the recipient of the widely

respected Nobel Prize for Peace

in 1989, casting him in the same

light as Mother Teresa, who won

the honour a decade before him. In

addition to his consistent advocating

of peaceful solutions in the course of

liberating his people, the Dalai Lama

remains a revered humanitarian who

passionately promotes welfare and

the advancement of social reforms

throughout the world. ag

Did^ Yo

u Know?

His Holiness,

the 14th Dalai

Lama, founded the Dalai

Lama Trust in 2009. Among a

number of charitable activities,

the trust supports the development

of leadership and educational

opportunities for young Tibetans,

on top of other initiatives that

encourage a sense of universal

responsibility in the

global community.

PHOTO DAN HERRICK/ZUMA/CORBIS