Exploring Buddhism: Assessing Beliefs and the Role of the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is the head monk of the Tibetan Buddhism and traditionally has been responsible for the governing of Tibet. Dalai Lama has the meaning of Ocean of Wisdom. This meaning did not come about until the third reincarnation in 1578. The Dalai Lama had control until the Chinese government took control in 1959. Before 1959, he resided in Potala Palace Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Over time there was been 14 Dalai Lamas.

According to the Buddhist belief, the current Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of a past Dalai Lama who wanted to be reborn again to continue the important work that still needed to be completed. A person who decides to be reborn again is known as tulku. It is believed that the first Dalai Lama went by the name of Gedun Drub. He lived from 1391-1474. The second goes by the name of Gendun Gyatso.

The current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso. His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. His Holiness was born in a small village called Taktser in northeaster Tibet. He was born to a peasant family but was recognized at the age of two. In Tibetan tradition, he was reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama. At the age of 6, he began to seek knowledge. In 1950, at the age of 16, Tenzin Gyatso was requested to assume political power as the Head of State and Government when Tibet was being threatened by China. He completed the Geshe Lharampa Degree which is known as the Doctorate of Buddhist Philopshy by the age of 25.

In 1954, he traveled to Peking to conference with Mao Tse-Tung and other Chinese leaders. In 1956, he visited India and while in India he attended the 2500th Buddha Jayanti. He was able to meet with Prime Minister Nehru and Premier Chou about the conditions in Tibet. Sometime later, he was forced into exile. In 1960, he moved to Dharamsala known as “Little Lhasa” the seat of the Tibetan Government in Exile. His Holiness began to appeal to the United Nations on what was happening in Tibet. They were able to come up with three resolutions adopted by the General Assembly.

In 1963, His Holiness began a draft constitution for Tibet which assured a democratic form of government. He also set up education, cultural and religion institutions. This change impacted greatly towards the preservation of the Tibetan identity and heritage. He has given many teachings, for example the Kalachakra Initiation.

Tenzin Gyatso continued to look for new ways to resolve the Tibetan issues. During the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1987 he proposed a Five-Point peace plan as the first step towards resolving Tibet issues. This plan requested for the designation of Tibet as a zone of peace and end to the massive transfer of ethnic Chinese. It also consisted of the restoration of fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms, the abandonment of China’s use Tibet for nuclear weapons production and the dumping of nuclear waste. Also, the urging of “earnest negotiations” on the future of Tibet and relations between the Tibetan and Chinese people.

The Dalai Lama represents traditional teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. One important and familiar teaching is Dharma. Dharma can be separated into two, the Hinayana and the Mahayana. The Hinayana consists of the shravakas and the pratyekabuddhas. Each are different from one another in the relative inferiority and superiority of their faculties and results. Besides that, their paths are very similar. Those who follow these two beliefs take up the sake of their own emancipation as they feel the urgency to first free themselves as quickly as possible from the cycle of existence. The main cause of bondage in samsara is grasping at a self, the main cause of gaining freedom of liberation is the wisdom that realizes the meaning selflessness. Shravakas and pratyekabuddhas focus on other paths as well. For example, moral conduct, meditative concentration which help extinguish all their passions, greed, hatred, and ignorance.

Even though Hinayanist do not engage in their path intending to obtain Buddhahood, their path is a means for ultimately leading people to the stage of Buddhahood. The Hinayana path is solely an obstacle to enlightenment because the Saddharmapundarika sutra and other text teach that they are only methods for achieving Buddhahood. The Buddha’s demonstrations of the path are meant to lead sentient beings to Buddhahood.

Despite the Dalai Lama no longer in control of Tibet, His Holiness devotes his life to the people of China. The Dalai Lama has a person website where his speeches and teachings are posted for those who are curious about him and his life. He has committed his life to society.

His Holiness first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, and self-discipline. He believes all human beings are the same. Each and every person wants to succeed at happiness and rid of suffering. One does not need a religion to know the important of human values. His Holiness refers to human values as “secular ethics”. He has made a promise to share these values with everyone who he encounters to spread the importance of happiness.

His second commitment was the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions. His Holiness believes every religion has the potential to create a good human being. Every religion should respect one another, as well recognize the differences in each religion. The values and traditions are all different but human beings are not. His Holiness’ is a Tibetan and will forever carry the name of the Dalai Lama. He is committed to continuously work to preserve and improve Tibet’s Buddhist culture. This culture is solely of peace, happiness and non-violence.

In my opinion the Dalai Lama plays a very important role in the lives of Chinese people. Despite losing his position, he still continues to write books on happiness, joy, his contributions. He wants to be able to talk and get through to his society. While doing my research, many different topics he spoke about comforted me. For example, “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” This quote can be interpreted many ways. But I believe, you cannot just say you are happy, it takes time, patience, understanding, forgiving, many different actions to be one with yourself. His Holiness, believes all people are good and can reach happiness.

In the Dalai Lama’s book, The Art of Happiness, he says “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” I believe the Dalai Lama is exploring a different kind of emotion. Many people today, are so focused on revenge and hatred so they do not believe they need love. Ultimately, love and compassion are what makes humanity, it is what makes a good human being. The world cannot go on if it did not exist, violence cannot build a society, it can only knock it down.

Lastly, this quote from his book The Art of Happiness helps to sum up how he felt about humanity and the goodness of people. “Although you may not always be able to avoid difficult situations, you can modify the extent to which you can suffer by how you choose to respond to the situation.” Many times, people feel you always need a reaction to negatively but in all actuality, if you respond to a negative situation with a positive you will lessen the load. You cant suffer from a situation, if your put a positive outlook on it.

To conclude, the Dalai Lama is plays a very important role in the Buddhist religion but also in the lives of many others. People from many different religions seek happiness, joy, compassion, and the positivity His Holiness shares with the world. He has dedicated his life to creating good humans and world peace.