A brief history of the 14th Dalai Lama

During a semester celebrating the coming of the Dalai Lama, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that His Holiness is a human man with a human life.

That man was born with the name Lhamo Dhondrub on July 6, 1935 in Tibet. He would spend the next 70 years of his life recognized by much of the world as the embodiment of humility and piety.

The title that has come to serve as his name, the Dalai Lama, is Mongolian and Tibetan for "ocean" and "wisdom," respectively.

Every time the Dalai Lama - the ocean of wisdom - passes away, a search for a replacement, lasting a year or more, ensues. His monks search for a child reincarnation of the being in a form that has reached or is able to reach Buddhist enlightenment; the government of the People's Republic of China approves the final choice when the child is found.

In this way, the dynasty of Dalai Lamas is renewed and gets the official stamp of approval.

Dhondrub, at age two, correctly identified relics having belonged to the previous Dalai Lama. The house he and his farmer parents lived in had also been seen in a vision by regent Reting Rinpoche, so the searching monks appeared to have found their man.

He was enthroned at the age of five and renamed the Dalai Lama Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso.

Tenzin Gyatso, for short.

At age 15, Gyatso was head of state for Tibet and was challenged by the Chinese government when the People's Republic of China invaded his Tibetan territory.

Nine years went by. Gyatso spent them attempting to bring peace and ease tension between the conflicting groups, but was forced to retreat after he and his advisers learned of suspected assassination attempts on his life.

He fled into exile to Dharamsala, India, on March 17, 1959. He was 24 years old.

At the age when many American citizens are graduating from higher education or working part-time jobs, Gyatso was meeting with the Prime Minister of India to found the government of Tibet in Exile.

That year, he worked with the United Nations to begin to establish Tibet as a self-governed, free nation.

Five years later, he founded a Tibetan parliament-in-exile, elected by refugees all over the world.

Leading his nation as Dalai Lama, Gyatso has spent the rest of the 21st century struggling for Tibetan rights in exile. In 2005, he planned on returning to his home nation for the day of his 70th birthday, but the People's Republic of China refused to allow him without political conditions.

Today, the Dalai Lama is 71 years old. He has spent almost 50 years away from home.

In 1989 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts liberating Tibet non-violently, and for peacefully spreading his message of kindness and spirituality. Since 1957, he has received almost 20 honorary and official degrees from universities around the world, and a multitude of awards, medals and prizes.

Tenzin Gyatso is the first Dalai Lama to visit America. He will speak as part of UB's Distinguished Speakers Series on Tuesday, Sept. 19th.