New Delhi: Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, is celebrating his 87th birthday today. He is a Buddhist monk and patron saint of Tibet. He holds the Geshe Lharampa degree, equivalent to the highest doctorate in Buddhist philosophy.
The philosophy of the 14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama considers himself a simple Buddhist Monk. He feels that the Dalai Lama as a temporal ruler is a man-made institution, but being a monk is who he actually is. There are certain commitments that he has made. Firstly, as a human being, he is concerned with encouraging people to be happy and go for mental peace rather than mere physical comfort.
Secondly, as a Buddhist monk, he believes in spreading harmony among the world’s religious traditions, despite the philosophical differences between them. He respects and propagates the idea that human beings observe several religions and several aspects of the truth.
Thirdly, as a Tibetan and the Dalai Lama, he is focused on preserving the Tibetan language and culture, the heritage Tibetans received from the masters of India’s Nalanda University. He also speaks up for the protection of Tibet’s natural environment.
He also believes in reviving awareness of the value of ancient Indian knowledge among Indian youth. The Dalai Lama thinks that ancient knowledge looked upon from a secular and academic perspective, can be combined with modern education.
Life of the 14th Dalai Lama
Born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small townlet located in Taktser, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous 13th Dalai Lama, at the age of 2. In 1950, after China’s invasion of Tibet, he took up full political responsibilities for the people of Tibet. In 1959, Dalai Lama and his government were sent to exile by the Chinese troops. Since then he is living in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
After the democratisation of the Tibetan administration, he took retirement from his political responsibilities on 14 March 2011. Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet.
Quotes by Dalai Lama
- “Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.”
- “Although you may not always be able to avoid difficult situations, you can modify the extent to which you can suffer by how you choose to respond to the situation.”
- “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
- “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”
- “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others, and if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
Birthday wishes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the 14th Dalai Lama a happy birthday and conveyed his prayers for his long life and good health.
Conveyed 87th birthday greetings to His Holiness the @DalaiLama over phone earlier today. We pray for his long life and good health.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2022
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) of the Tibetan government-in-exile organised an event in Dharamshala for the 87th birthday of the Dalai Lama. The event was virtually attended by Jairam Thakur, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister also tweeted to greet Dalai Lama.
सत्य, प्रेम, मानवता व सदाचार का संदेश देने वाले महान संत एवं आध्यात्मिक धर्मगुरु आदरणीय दलाई लामा जी को जन्मदिन की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ।
आपका आशीष हम सबको सदैव मिलता रहे।
आप स्वस्थ और दीर्घायु रहें, यही कामना करता हूँ। pic.twitter.com/TdjrbTu6Na
— Jairam Thakur (@jairamthakurbjp) July 6, 2022
