77 Facts About The Dalai Lama

The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, who lives as a refugee in India.

The Dalai Lama is considered to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be incarnations of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

The Dalai Lama was an important figure of the Geluk tradition, which was politically and numerically dominant in Central Tibet, but his religious authority went beyond sectarian boundaries.

The Dalai Lama has worked to overcome sectarian and other divisions in the exiled community and has become a symbol of Tibetan nationhood for Tibetans both in Tibet and in exile.

Dalai Lama is known in Tibetan as the Rgyal-ba Rin-po-che or simply as the Rgyal-ba.

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The Dalai Lama established the method by which later Dalai Lama incarnations would be discovered through visions at the "oracle lake", Lhamo Lhatso.

The Dalai Lama made himself known as the tulku of Gendun Gyatso and was formally recognised and enthroned at Drepung in 1546.

The Dalai Lama studied Buddhist philosophy extensively and in 1405, ordained by Narthang's abbot, he took the name of Gendun Drup.

The Dalai Lama rose to become Abbot of Drepung, the greatest Gelugpa monastery, outside Lhasa.

The Dalai Lama was based there, as its Abbot, from its founding in 1447 until his death.

The Dalai Lama's mortal remains were interred in a bejewelled silver stupa at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, which survived the Cultural Revolution and can still be seen.

The Dalai Lama was then 8, but until his 12th year his father took him on his teachings and retreats, training him in all the family Nyingma lineages.

The Dalai Lama was accorded all the loyalty and devotion that Gendun Drup had earned and the Gelug school remained as united as ever.

The Dalai Lama stayed in Kongpo and Dagpo and became known all over Tibet.

The Dalai Lama spent his winters in Lhasa, writing commentaries and the rest of the year travelling and teaching many thousands of monks and lay people.

The Dalai Lama was made abbot of Tashilhunpo and stayed there teaching in Tsang for 9 months.

The Dalai Lama attracted many students and disciples 'from Kashmir to China' as well as major patrons and disciples such as Gongma Nangso Donyopa of Droda who built a monastery at Zhekar Dzong in his honour and invited him to name it and be its spiritual guide.

The Dalai Lama died in meditation at Drepung in 1542 at 67 and his reliquary stupa was constructed at Khyomorlung.

Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso was born in Tolung, near Lhasa, as predicted by his predecessor.

The Dalai Lama's influence grew so quickly that soon the monks at Sera Monastery made him their Abbot and his mediation was being sought to prevent fighting between political power factions.

The Dalai Lama then instituted a custom whereby on the last day of Monlam, all the monks would work on strengthening the flood defences.

The Dalai Lama promised them he would be incarnated next in Mongolia, as a Mongolian.

Fourth Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso was a Mongolian, the great-grandson of Altan Khan who was a descendant of Kublai Khan and King of the Tumed Mongols who had already been converted to Buddhism by the Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso.

The Dalai Lama studied at Drepung and became its abbot but being a non-Tibetan he met with opposition from some Tibetans, especially the Karma Kagyu who felt their position was threatened by these emerging events; there were several attempts to remove him from power.

Yonten Gyatso died at the age of 27 under suspicious circumstances and his chief attendant Sonam Rapten went on to discover the 5th Dalai Lama, became his chagdzo or manager and after 1642 he went on to be his regent, the Desi.

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However, in 1618 Sonam Rabten, the former attendant of the 4th Dalai Lama who had become the Ganden Phodrang treasurer, secretly identified the child, who had been born to the noble Zahor family at Tagtse castle, south of Lhasa.

The Dalai Lama died on the way, in 1634 but his vassal Choghtu Khong Tayiji, continued to advance against the Gelugpas, even having his own son Arslan killed after Arslan changed sides, submitted to the Dalai Lama and become a Gelugpa monk.

The Dalai Lama attacked Choghtu Khong Tayiji at Kokonor in 1637 and defeated and killed him, thus eliminating the Tsangpa and the Karmapa's main Mongol patron and protector.

At an enthronement ceremony in Shigatse he conferred full sovereignty over Tibet on the Fifth Dalai Lama, unified for the first time since the collapse of the Tibetan Empire exactly eight centuries earlier.

However, Gushi Khan's other eight sons had settled in Amdo but fought amongst themselves over territory so the Fifth Dalai Lama sent governors to rule them in 1656 and 1659, thereby bringing Amdo and thus the whole of Greater Tibet under his personal rule and Gelugpa control.

The Qing were aware the Dalai Lama had extraordinary influence with the Mongols and saw relations with the Dalai Lama as a means to facilitate submission of the Khalka Mongols, traditional patrons of the Karma Kagyu sect.

The 5th Dalai Lama wanted to use the golden seal of authority right away.

Tibetan historian Nyima Gyaincain points out that based on the texts written on golden sheets, Dalai Lama was only a subordinate of the Emperor of China.

The Dalai Lama criticised the words carved on this gift as being faultily translated into Tibetan, writing that "The Tibetan version of the inscription of the seal was translated by a Mongol translator but was not a good translation".

Until 1674, the Fifth Dalai Lama had mediated in Dzungar Mongol affairs whenever they required him to do so, and the Kangxi Emperor, who had succeeded the Shunzhi Emperor in 1661, would accept and confirm his decisions automatically.

Time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, who reigned from 1642 to 1682 and founded the government known as the Ganden Phodrang, was a period of rich cultural development.

The Dalai Lama taught and travelled extensively, reshaped the politics of Central Asia, unified Tibet, conceived and constructed the Potala Palace and is remembered for establishing systems of national medical care and education.

The Dalai Lama pretended the Dalai Lama was in retreat and ruled on his behalf, secretly selecting the 6th Dalai Lama and presenting him as someone else.

Sixth Dalai Lama was born near Tawang, now in India, and picked out in 1685 but not enthroned until 1697 when the death of the Fifth was announced.

The regent was then murdered by Lhazang or his wife, and, in 1706 with the compliance of the Kangxi Emperor the Sixth Dalai Lama was deposed and arrested by Lhazang who considered him to be an impostor set up by the regent.

The Dalai Lama did recognize him in 1710 after sending a Qing official party to assist Lhazang in 'restoring order'; these were the first Chinese representatives of any sort to officiate in Tibet.

In 1708, in accordance with an indication given by the 6th Dalai Lama when quitting Lhasa a child called Kelzang Gyatso had been born at Lithang in eastern Tibet who was claimed by local Tibetans to be his incarnation.

The Sixth Dalai Lama was taken to Amdo at the age of 8 to be installed in Kumbum Monastery with great pomp and ceremony.

The Dalai Lama played a symbolic role in government, and, being profoundly revered by the Mongols, he exercised much influence with the Qing who now had now taken over Tibet's patronage and protection from them.

The Dalai Lama studied and taught Buddhism there for the next seven years.

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Meanwhile, the Qing had promoted the Fifth Panchen The Dalai Lama to be a rival leader and reinstated the ambans and the Lhasa garrison.

Eighth Dalai Lama, Jamphel Gyatso was born in Tsang in 1758 and died aged 46 having taken little part in Tibetan politics, mostly leaving temporal matters to his regents and the ambans.

The 8th Dalai Lama was approved by the Emperor of China to be exempted from the lot-drawing ceremony of using Chinese Golden Urn.

The 8th Dalai Lama was granted a jade seal of authority and jade sheets of confirmation of authority by the Emperor of China.

The Dalai Lama is credited with the construction of the Norbulingka 'Summer Palace' started by his predecessor in Lhasa and with ordaining some ten thousand monks in his efforts to foster monasticism.

Thubten Jigme Norbu, the elder brother of the 14th Dalai Lama, described these unfortunate events as follows, although there are few, if any, indications that any of the four were said to be 'Chinese-appointed imposters':.

The Dalai Lama was adequately prepared by spiritual exercise and he had faithful cooks.

Finally, from the Buddhist point of view, Mullin says, "Simply stated, these four Dalai Lamas died young because the world did not have enough good karma to deserve their presence".

The Dalai Lama ascribes the probable cause of these early deaths to negligence, foolishness and lack of proper medical knowledge and attention.

Tibetan historian Nyima Gyaincain and Wang Jiawei point out that the 9th Dalai Lama was allowed to use the seal of authority given to the late 8th Dalai Lama by the Emperor of China.

The Dalai Lama passed all the tests and was brought to Lhasa but official recognition was delayed until 1822 when he was enthroned and ordained by the Seventh Panchen Lama.

The 10th Dalai Lama mentioned in his biography that he was allowed to use the golden seal of authority based on the convention set up by the late Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama identified with ordinary people rather than the court officials and often sat on his verandah in the sunshine with the office clerks.

The Tsemonling Regent became mistrusted and was forcibly deposed, there were machinations, plots, beatings and kidnappings of ministers and so forth, resulting at last in the Panchen The Dalai Lama being appointed as interim Regent to keep the peace.

The Dalai Lama was enthroned as ruler of Tibet in 1855, on orders of the Xianfeng Emperor.

The Dalai Lama died after just 11 months, no reason for his sudden and premature death being given in these accounts, Shakabpa and Mullin's histories both being based on untranslated Tibetan chronicles.

The Dalai Lama came to the notice of the search team, was investigated, passed the traditional tests and was recognised as the 12th Dalai Lama in 1858.

The Dalai Lama's minority seems a time of even deeper Lhasan political intrigue and power struggles than his predecessor's.

The Dalai Lama then ruled with "absolute power" for three years, quelling a major rebellion in northern Kham in 1863 and re-establishing Tibetan control over significant Qing-held territory there.

The 13th Dalai Lama assumed ruling power from the monasteries, which previously had great influence on the Regent, in 1895.

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The Dalai Lama expelled the ambans and all Chinese civilians in the country and instituted many measures to modernize Tibet.

On 18 April 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama issued statement that in 1951, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government were pressured into accepting the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet by which it became formally incorporated into the People's Republic of China.

In 2001 the 14th Dalai Lama ceded his partial power over the government to an elected parliament of selected Tibetan exiles.

The Dalai Lama continued to seek greater autonomy from China, but Dolma Gyari, deputy speaker of the parliament-in-exile, stated: "If the middle path fails in the short term, we will be forced to opt for complete independence or self-determination as per the UN charter".

In March 2019, the Dalai Lama spoke out about his successor, saying that after his death he is likely to be reincarnated in India.

The Dalai Lama warned that any Chinese interference in succession should not be considered valid.

The Fifth Dalai Lama began construction of the Potala Palace on this site in 1645, carefully incorporating what was left of his predecessor's palace into its structure.

The Dalai Lama has since lived in exile in McLeod Ganj, in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh in northern India, where the Central Tibetan Administration is established.

Rather, they felt that since the Dalai Lama is a national institution it was up to the people of Tibet to decide whether the Dalai Lama should reincarnate.

In 1995, the Dalai Lama chose to proceed with the selection of the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama without the use of the Golden Urn, while the Chinese government insisted that it must be used.

Consequently, the Dalai Lama has alluded to the possibility of a referendum to determine the 15th Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama has given reference to a possible vote occurring in the future for all Tibetan Buddhists to decide whether they wish to recognize his rebirth.