Photo Courtesy of Mark Seliger

About His Holiness
the 14th Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk. He is the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the age of two, the child, then named Lhamo Dhondup, was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso.

Not only has the Dalai Lama served as a spiritual teacher to hundreds of thousands of Tibetan Buddhists, he has also guided the Tibetan people as a political leader through the tumultuous times of the communist invasion and occupation of Tibet, and through their journey into life in exile. Due to the Chinese communist invasion of Tibet, the Dalai Lama was forced to escape from Lhasa in 1959 and relocated to Dharamsala, India, along with Namgyal Monastery.

Since 1959, His Holiness has received over 150 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes and accolades in recognition of his tireless work toward the promotion of peace, human values, non-violence, inter-religious harmony, universal responsibility and compassion, climate change, environmental science and science of the mind. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his unwavering commitment to a non-violent resolution with the Chinese government for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems. His Holiness has also authored or co-authored more than 110 books and traveled to more than 67 countries spanning 6 continents.

In the field of science of the mind, His Holiness is a pioneer and has made far reaching contributions toward building a unique relationship between science and Buddhism. He initiated the scientific exploration of compassion.

His Holiness persistently speaks on the importance of an ethical approach to environmental protection. Peace and the survival of life on Earth as we know it are threatened by human activities, which lack a commitment to humanitarian values. He often refers to ignorance, greed, and lack of respect for the Earth’s living things as the cause of the destruction of natural resources. From this perspective, and with a genuine sense of caring for the environment, His Holiness has built a platform for dialogue on the science of climate change and the subject of environmental responsibility. His Holiness is a strong advocate of Environmental Science. He is sincerely concerned about the global impact of climate change and has for decades urged the world to improve the quality of our environment for our future generations.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man who lives what he teaches, and his teachings on universal responsibility, ethics, compassion, environmental issues, and science of the mind have become great inspiration and encouragement to millions of people around the world. He constantly reminds us that we are all taking part in a special journey, so each individual has the moral responsibility to make the ecosystem that is our planet a better place.

His Holiness Dalai Lama Has A Dream

"I have confidence that through education, through
awareness. I think we can develop a sense of the oneness of humanity."
- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama's Blessing

To serve the needs of all people through education and empowerment, the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ithaca, NY and Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India agreed on a plan to build a library and a museum, dedicated to the powerful teachings of non-sectarian Buddhism. This step towards realizing the great visions of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as a gesture of repaying a tiny portion of his compassion was enough for the Abbot and the Executive Council of Namgyal Monastery to receive this plan with genuine appreciation, dedication, and happiness.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave his consent on April 28, 2016 to create The Library, Learning Center and Museum of the 14th Dalai Lama.

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Commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Promote Basic Human Values

Compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline
regardless of nationality, religion or origin

Promote World
Peace

Cultivate compassionate communities and impact social change

Protect the
Environment

Encourage discussions about climate change and global warming to raise awareness of our collective responsibility

Bridge Science & Contemplative Wisdom

Foster intergenerational and multidisciplinary dialogue from diverse perspectives and experiences to leverage insights that inspire action for positive change

Promote Religious
Harmony

Seek understanding through inter-religious dialogue to create good human beings as all religions carry the same message of love

Preserve Tibetan
Culture

Protect its people, language, literature, art forms,architecture, performing arts and environment as Tibetan culture is a culture of compassion, nonviolence, and peace

About His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama