13th dalai lama1/15/2024 ![]() ![]() Lhamo immediately recognized Kewtsang Rinpoche as a monk and even knew from which monastery he came. An older son had already been recognized as the manifestation of a high lama, and the family suspected they had reached a quota for prestigious reincarnations.īut when the disguised search party arrived at the house, its leader, Kewtsang Rinpoche, was confident that this was the right child. For the most part, Lhamo's family took no notice of the child's eccentricities. He would pack bags, pretend to travel on horseback and exclaim, "I'm going to Lhasa". And perhaps most surprisingly, the young Lhamo seemed obsessed with Lhasa, Tibet's traditional and spiritual capital. As a toddler, Lhamo demanded that he take his father's seat at the head of the table and would allow only his mother to handle his bowl. Upon Lhamo's birth, his father made a sudden recovery from a severe illness. His infancy was normal, but he did exhibit some telling signs. 6, 1935, to poor farmers in a struggling town. They disguised themselves as travelers and stayed the night with the family to observe their 3-year-old son, Lhamo Thondup. When the party came across a house with gutters made from juniper, they suspected they were close to their future ruler. Near the monastery was a tiny house with elaborate gutters.įollowing the Regent's vision, a search party departed for Amdo, and decided that the letter "Ka" likely referred to the monastery at Kumbum - a turquoise and gold-roofed structure. ![]() The Regent's vision of the lake was followed by one of a three-story monastery with a roof of turquoise and gold. He interpreted "Ah" as a sign for Amdo, a northeastern province of Tibet. ![]() Soon afterward, the Regent Reting Rinpoche had a vision of the sacred lake Lhamo Lhatso reflecting the Tibetan letters Ah, Ka and Ma. Because the head of Thupten Gyatso's embalmed body had rotated while it lay in state, turning from the south to the northeast, the government suspected that the future ruler would be found in that region of Tibet. General Photographic Agency/ Getty ImagesĪfter the death of the 13th Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government began searching for his reincarnation, using mystical clues as guides. Tibetans also use the name Rgyal-ba Rin-po-che or "Precious Conqueror" to refer to the Dalai Lama. The Mongolian king Altan Khan conferred the title, meaning "Ocean of Wisdom," on the third successor, Sonam Gyatso. Gedun Drupa and his successor Gedun Gyatso were officially abbots during their lifetimes - the title of Dalai Lama was not adopted until the 1570s. He founded the Tashi Lhunpo monastery and wrote books on philosophy. The first Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa, was born in 1391. Until the Tibetan Uprising of 1959, about one quarter of the populace was in religious orders. The Yellow Hats rose to predominance in the 17th century and helped bring about Tibet's unusually large monastic population. They minimized the use of magical rites and imposed celibacy and abstinence from meat and alcohol. The Yellow Hats, who were founded in the late 14th century, restored discipline to monastic life and promoted academic rigor. The Dalai Lama leads the Dge-lugs-pa or Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhists. Maria Stenzel/National Geographic/ Getty Images Tibetan Buddhists believe that the 14th Dalai Lama is the 74th manifestation of Chenrezi in a line that began with a Brahmin boy who lived during the Buddha's lifetime. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who consciously choose to be reborn in order to help others achieve enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhists believe that each Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of his predecessors who, in turn, are the manifestations of Avalokiteshvara, or Chenrezi, the patron saint of Tibet and Bodhisattva of Compassion. Īs a toddler, Tenzin Gyatso was recognized as the incarnation of the Dalai Lama - Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader. But while his celebrity extends beyond traditional bounds to make him as recognizable as any president, pope or author, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, still calls himself a "simple Buddhist monk." He spends 80 percent of his tightly scheduled life following spiritual pursuits, and devotes the other 20 percent to humanitarian issues, religious tolerance and the question of Tibet. He's an author, a teacher and a speaker whose ticket sales would make most pop stars envious. He's his beleaguered country's spokesman, fighting tirelessly for Tibet's autonomy from China. He's a renowned figure of compassion, wisdom and patience. The Dalai Lama possesses an unusual brand of celebrity. ![]()
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