Dalai Lama in China
The current Dalai Lama is the paramount spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born Tenzin Gyatso in 1935 in eastern Tibet. When he was two years old, other Tibetan lamas gave the child a series of tests that proved to them he was the new, fourteenth reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
In 1950, China invaded Tibet as part of Chairman Mao’s policy of consolidating Chinese territory under Communist rule.The American CIA briefly supported a Tibetan independence movement but then abandoned the project as other regions in Asia took precedence. After China tried to enforce Communist, atheist values in Tibet, the Dalai Lama recognized he was in danger and fled to northern India, where many Tibetan refugees had established a community in Dharamsala. Since that time, the Dalai Lama has been considered the leader of the Tibetan community in exile.
The Dalai Lama has traveled around the world preaching the values of compassion, as embodied by the ideals of dissolution of one’s individual ego and replacing that with selflessness and wisdom. He does not formally espouse Tibetan independence, unlike many other Tibetans in exile, but prefers to use the term “autonomy” to describe his hopes for Tibetan self-government as a part of China. He has said that he does not believe China would grant Tibet full independence, and that seeking such a state could lead to outright war. Thus far, the Chinese government has refused to negotiate with the Dalai Lama on the future of Tibet.
The Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
In general, most Chinese do not understand the Western fascination with the Dalai Lama, although recent trends in literature show a growing interest in Tibetan Buddhism. Images of the Dalai Lama used to be officially banned and anyone caught with one could be arrested. However, as China becomes more secure in its relations with the West and less fearful that an outsidepower will try to use Tibet as a means to overthrow the Communist Party, images of the Dalai Lama have resurfaced, generally in outer provinces where ethnic Tibetans live and where Tibetan Buddhism is practiced. For example, the New York Times has reported that Inner Mongolian motorcyclists like to dangle pictures of the Dalai Lama from their bikes, a practice which has not resulted in prosecution.
In 1950, China invaded Tibet as part of Chairman Mao’s policy of consolidating Chinese territory under Communist rule.The American CIA briefly supported a Tibetan independence movement but then abandoned the project as other regions in Asia took precedence. After China tried to enforce Communist, atheist values in Tibet, the Dalai Lama recognized he was in danger and fled to northern India, where many Tibetan refugees had established a community in Dharamsala. Since that time, the Dalai Lama has been considered the leader of the Tibetan community in exile.
The Dalai Lama has traveled around the world preaching the values of compassion, as embodied by the ideals of dissolution of one’s individual ego and replacing that with selflessness and wisdom. He does not formally espouse Tibetan independence, unlike many other Tibetans in exile, but prefers to use the term “autonomy” to describe his hopes for Tibetan self-government as a part of China. He has said that he does not believe China would grant Tibet full independence, and that seeking such a state could lead to outright war. Thus far, the Chinese government has refused to negotiate with the Dalai Lama on the future of Tibet.
The Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
In general, most Chinese do not understand the Western fascination with the Dalai Lama, although recent trends in literature show a growing interest in Tibetan Buddhism. Images of the Dalai Lama used to be officially banned and anyone caught with one could be arrested. However, as China becomes more secure in its relations with the West and less fearful that an outsidepower will try to use Tibet as a means to overthrow the Communist Party, images of the Dalai Lama have resurfaced, generally in outer provinces where ethnic Tibetans live and where Tibetan Buddhism is practiced. For example, the New York Times has reported that Inner Mongolian motorcyclists like to dangle pictures of the Dalai Lama from their bikes, a practice which has not resulted in prosecution.
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