Dalai Lama’s unjust exile from his birth place encouraged him to become the world’s spiritual leader
Lharmo Thondup, the youngest of eight children, was born in a poor secluded area in Tibet. An ordinary boy who lived in a simple area, none of them had any qualities that showed one day they would become the leader of their country and one of the most impressive world peace supporters-unless the unusual incident that happened suddenly right after the child was born.
His father had been sick for long when Larmo Thondup was born, and on one morning he mysteriously recovered. His family noticed that the baby insisted to sit at the end of the table. When he grew up, he carried a small bag and said, “I will go to Lhasa!” the place where the seat of the Great Dalai Lama, the most honorable political and religious leader among the Buddhist in Tibet. Lharmo Thondup’s family said that there was a connection between his unusual behaviors with his wild personality.
One day a group of traveler stopped by at their house and asked permission to stay overnight, the 2 year-old-boy immediately went to see the servant who was travelling with the group and said enthusiastically, “Sera Lama!” The boy could see what could not be seen by others: the servant was actually a holy priest, or lama, who came from the prestigious Sera temple. He was wearing a disguise as a part of what is now known as a recruiter team.
The Buddhist believed that Dalai Lama was a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, with spiritual source that led back to Siddharta, the true Buddha and the founder of the religion. The 13th Dalai Lama had just passed away, and this group was following a lead from a prophet to head to a little boy’s house in the search for Dalai Lama. They took out some of their personal stuffs; some of them belonged to Dalai Lama. Lharmo Thondup easily chose the stuff that was originally belonged to his successor, he insisted, “It’s mine! It’s mine!”
The boy was prepared to become the 14th Dalai Lama, left his family and spent the next 20 years to learn to be a priest and finally, the leader of his people. It was a well protected life, spent his time with another tutors and priests, and lived exclusively inside the temple. A strict protocol that made him exiled from many people.
When Dalai Lama was 15 years old, the neighboring troops, the Chinese Communist, attacked Tibetan border. The Tibetans realized that their 8.500 troops could not prevent 80.000 Chinese troops from entering their country. Soon afterwards, Dalai Lama was visited by his brother, who was also a priest. He reported that the temple was taken over by the Chinese who were trying to indoctrinate the priests with their propagandas. He was personally asked to visit Dalai Lama and, if he did not succeed to persuade Dalai Lama to accept the Chinese regulations, he had to assassinate Dalai Lama.
In the middle of this chaotic situation, the 15 year old boy was officially crowned as Dalai Lama, as a ruler of Tibet. When Chinese troops entered the country, there were many reports about their violence committed by them. The troops began taking over properties and belongings, divided them among the Chinese troops. Worse was the brutality experienced by regular farmers, even though the Chinese hatred was on the country’s religious symbol. On their attempt to disregard Buddha, the Chinese forced the priests and priestess to call off their oaths to live celibate and kill small animals. Some were forced to kill another people, and most of them were arrested in a concentration camp. Eventually, all religions were banned from Tibet.
Young Dalai Lama sent representatives to England and United States to ask them to interfere and defend Tibet. Both came back with no results, indicating that they acknowledged Chinese had taken control of Tibet. Without a major power support from the world, Dalai Lama sent a team to China to negotiate peace and justice to live together side by side. Later he heard that the team had surrendered themselves.
Knowing that the agreement would result in weapon fight, Dalai Lama realized he had no other choice but to turn himself in. He went to China and spent months to meet some of Chinese government members, including Mao Tse-tung, to defend his country’s independence. However Dalai Lama was young and naïve, so the Chinese gave him false hopes and lies.
When he returned to Tibet, the situation did not become better. Chinese troops destroyed every rebellion symbols, burned down villages with their airplanes and punished people who did not obey them by giving them middle age punishment such as crucifying. When Dalai Lama was invited into a celebration in China but not allowed to bring his guards, assassination seemed inevitable. The great leader managed to escape the country by disguising himself as a troop. Two day journey to India, on foot and riding donkeys, brought Dalai Lama and his companions through snow storm, suffered dysentery during the journey.
India gave them political custody, and the journey was a traumatic moment for them. Dalai Lama then discovered that he earned a freedom which he never realized. In exile, he could expose about the Chinese invasion without the fear of being punished. He was able to release himself from strict protocols that had surrounded him since he was a child. This made him possible to build a close relationship with every class of people, especially with the Tibetan refugees, with their courageous story when they faced the Chinese violence. Dalai Lama persuaded the Indian government to give custody for these refugees, give them fund for their home and education.
New access with new people and opinion made Dalai Lama grew more mature. Made angry by Chinese totalized approach and the respect for his people’s demand, Dalai Lama established Tibetan government in refuge and changed its structure with modern democracy. Different from the previous regulation, parliament members were chosen by the Tibetan people on the refuge, and Dalai Lama announced that once Tibet earned their independence back, he would no longer in charge of the political power, and only in charge of the religion.
Ever since the frightened teen had authority, Dalai Lama had become a mature politician. He visited 46 countries to raise consideration for his country’s condition-a significant change from a restrained childhood inside the temple. After his first failure in earning the English and United States supports, he successfully persuaded the United States to agree on the resolution that demanded China to honor Tibetan right to decide their own fate. He also proposed a plan to re-establish internal regulations and civil rights, with consideration that this had to be done in peace.
Tight diplomacy schedules did not stop Dalai Lama in discussing and writing the philosophy of Buddha, gathering people from different faiths and countries. His teachings influenced his political view by encouraging people to develop peace and forgiveness within their heart. He also gave advice about the wisdom within tragedy. In The Dalai Lama’s Book of Wisdom, he wrote: “Because tragic experience(s) make you more realistic, you will become closer to
reality. The power of investigation can make you stronger and increase your self confidence and faith. Unfortunate events can be a source of power from within.”
Although there was always fear caused by the Chinese regulation, peace negotiation had always been Dalai Lama’s political and religious philosophies. When he received Peace Nobel in 1989, the award not only acknowledged his efforts in fighting for Tibet, but also as an award for his efforts in spreading peace and reconciliation worldwide, between countries in the world and neighboring countries. In his acceptance speech, he said, “With truth, courage, and will as our weapon, Tibet will be free.” However, his true message was all of us can do it.
Lharmo Thondup, the youngest of eight children, was born in a poor secluded area in Tibet. An ordinary boy who lived in a simple area, none of them had any qualities that showed one day they would become the leader of their country and one of the most impressive world peace supporters-unless the unusual incident that happened suddenly right after the child was born.
His father had been sick for long when Larmo Thondup was born, and on one morning he mysteriously recovered. His family noticed that the baby insisted to sit at the end of the table. When he grew up, he carried a small bag and said, “I will go to Lhasa!” the place where the seat of the Great Dalai Lama, the most honorable political and religious leader among the Buddhist in Tibet. Lharmo Thondup’s family said that there was a connection between his unusual behaviors with his wild personality.
One day a group of traveler stopped by at their house and asked permission to stay overnight, the 2 year-old-boy immediately went to see the servant who was travelling with the group and said enthusiastically, “Sera Lama!” The boy could see what could not be seen by others: the servant was actually a holy priest, or lama, who came from the prestigious Sera temple. He was wearing a disguise as a part of what is now known as a recruiter team.
The Buddhist believed that Dalai Lama was a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, with spiritual source that led back to Siddharta, the true Buddha and the founder of the religion. The 13th Dalai Lama had just passed away, and this group was following a lead from a prophet to head to a little boy’s house in the search for Dalai Lama. They took out some of their personal stuffs; some of them belonged to Dalai Lama. Lharmo Thondup easily chose the stuff that was originally belonged to his successor, he insisted, “It’s mine! It’s mine!”The boy was prepared to become the 14th Dalai Lama, left his family and spent the next 20 years to learn to be a priest and finally, the leader of his people. It was a well protected life, spent his time with another tutors and priests, and lived exclusively inside the temple. A strict protocol that made him exiled from many people.
When Dalai Lama was 15 years old, the neighboring troops, the Chinese Communist, attacked Tibetan border. The Tibetans realized that their 8.500 troops could not prevent 80.000 Chinese troops from entering their country. Soon afterwards, Dalai Lama was visited by his brother, who was also a priest. He reported that the temple was taken over by the Chinese who were trying to indoctrinate the priests with their propagandas. He was personally asked to visit Dalai Lama and, if he did not succeed to persuade Dalai Lama to accept the Chinese regulations, he had to assassinate Dalai Lama.
In the middle of this chaotic situation, the 15 year old boy was officially crowned as Dalai Lama, as a ruler of Tibet. When Chinese troops entered the country, there were many reports about their violence committed by them. The troops began taking over properties and belongings, divided them among the Chinese troops. Worse was the brutality experienced by regular farmers, even though the Chinese hatred was on the country’s religious symbol. On their attempt to disregard Buddha, the Chinese forced the priests and priestess to call off their oaths to live celibate and kill small animals. Some were forced to kill another people, and most of them were arrested in a concentration camp. Eventually, all religions were banned from Tibet.
Young Dalai Lama sent representatives to England and United States to ask them to interfere and defend Tibet. Both came back with no results, indicating that they acknowledged Chinese had taken control of Tibet. Without a major power support from the world, Dalai Lama sent a team to China to negotiate peace and justice to live together side by side. Later he heard that the team had surrendered themselves.
Knowing that the agreement would result in weapon fight, Dalai Lama realized he had no other choice but to turn himself in. He went to China and spent months to meet some of Chinese government members, including Mao Tse-tung, to defend his country’s independence. However Dalai Lama was young and naïve, so the Chinese gave him false hopes and lies.
When he returned to Tibet, the situation did not become better. Chinese troops destroyed every rebellion symbols, burned down villages with their airplanes and punished people who did not obey them by giving them middle age punishment such as crucifying. When Dalai Lama was invited into a celebration in China but not allowed to bring his guards, assassination seemed inevitable. The great leader managed to escape the country by disguising himself as a troop. Two day journey to India, on foot and riding donkeys, brought Dalai Lama and his companions through snow storm, suffered dysentery during the journey.
India gave them political custody, and the journey was a traumatic moment for them. Dalai Lama then discovered that he earned a freedom which he never realized. In exile, he could expose about the Chinese invasion without the fear of being punished. He was able to release himself from strict protocols that had surrounded him since he was a child. This made him possible to build a close relationship with every class of people, especially with the Tibetan refugees, with their courageous story when they faced the Chinese violence. Dalai Lama persuaded the Indian government to give custody for these refugees, give them fund for their home and education.
New access with new people and opinion made Dalai Lama grew more mature. Made angry by Chinese totalized approach and the respect for his people’s demand, Dalai Lama established Tibetan government in refuge and changed its structure with modern democracy. Different from the previous regulation, parliament members were chosen by the Tibetan people on the refuge, and Dalai Lama announced that once Tibet earned their independence back, he would no longer in charge of the political power, and only in charge of the religion.
Ever since the frightened teen had authority, Dalai Lama had become a mature politician. He visited 46 countries to raise consideration for his country’s condition-a significant change from a restrained childhood inside the temple. After his first failure in earning the English and United States supports, he successfully persuaded the United States to agree on the resolution that demanded China to honor Tibetan right to decide their own fate. He also proposed a plan to re-establish internal regulations and civil rights, with consideration that this had to be done in peace.
Tight diplomacy schedules did not stop Dalai Lama in discussing and writing the philosophy of Buddha, gathering people from different faiths and countries. His teachings influenced his political view by encouraging people to develop peace and forgiveness within their heart. He also gave advice about the wisdom within tragedy. In The Dalai Lama’s Book of Wisdom, he wrote: “Because tragic experience(s) make you more realistic, you will become closer to
reality. The power of investigation can make you stronger and increase your self confidence and faith. Unfortunate events can be a source of power from within.”
Although there was always fear caused by the Chinese regulation, peace negotiation had always been Dalai Lama’s political and religious philosophies. When he received Peace Nobel in 1989, the award not only acknowledged his efforts in fighting for Tibet, but also as an award for his efforts in spreading peace and reconciliation worldwide, between countries in the world and neighboring countries. In his acceptance speech, he said, “With truth, courage, and will as our weapon, Tibet will be free.” However, his true message was all of us can do it.
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