Dalai Lama turns 87: Lesser known facts about his Holiness; who was the first Dalai Lama?

Known as Gyalwa Rinpoche to the Tibetan people, the 14th Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935, in a small village in the remote Amdo region of Tibet. The spiritual leader is the global face of the Tibetan exile movement.

Pic courtesy: Reuters

The world is celebrating the Dalai Lama's 87th birthday today. Known as Gyalwa Rinpoche to the Tibetan people, the 14th Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935, in a small village in the remote Amdo region of Tibet. As per the Tibetan calendar, his birthday falls in the Wood-Pig Year, 5th month, 5th day. The globe-trotting Tibetan spiritual leader, the global face of the Tibetan exile movement is known for his vision, his belief in love and compassion and his fondness for India.

Compassion naturally gives rise to tolerance and forgiveness. It allows us to appreciate that even someone we think of as an enemy is a human being with a right to be happy. Your enemy can be your best teacher because he or she teaches the possibility of unconditional compassion. — Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) July 5, 2022

The first Dalai Lama

Gedun Drupa is considered to have been the first Dalai Lama. He was reportedly born in a cow shed in the Tsang region of central Tibet and his parents belonged to a nomadic tribe. In 1411, when he was around 20 years, it's believed he took the vows of a bhikṣu (monk) from the abbot of Narthang Monastery. He founded the Tashi Lhunpo at Shigatse, and he died at the age of 83-84 while meditating. 

The 14th Dalai Lama: 5 interesting facts

1) The 14th Dalai Lama is the longest-reigning and longest-living among all his predecessors

2) The Dalai Lama has some interesting hobbies -gardening and repairing old watches, apart from meditation. He is known to have a keen interest in science.

3) According to reports, the 14th Dalai Lama, when he was young,  and his family were held by a Chinese warlord for ransom. The Tibetan government paid the money and then he and his family reached Lhasa. At the age of six, he became a monk.

4) When the Dalai Lama was young, he became close friends with Austrian mountaineer and explorer Heinrich Harrer, whose book 'Seven Years In Tibet' is inspired by this friendship.

5) Interestingly, the 14th Dalai Lama's family, despite hailing from Tibet, didn't speak the Tibetan language. They spoke a Chinese dialect that existed in the western provinces of China.

The 14th Dalai Lama and his India connection

The Buddhist scholar, known for his simplicity and typical jovial style and for whom Mahatma Gandhi is the most influential leader of the 20th century for his idea of non-violence, believes India is the only country with the potential to combine its ancient knowledge with modern education. Talking to a congregation of Tibetans, who organised the long-life offering ceremony of His Holiness last month, the spiritual leader said, "I'm in my eighties now, but I'm determined that even when I`m in nineties or past one hundred, I will strive to work for Tibet. I'm in good health and my brain is clear, so I intend to live for at least the next 25 years. The sun will shine once more on Tibet. Freedom will recover."

In 1959, the occupying Chinese troops suppressed the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa and forced the Dalai Lama and over 80,000 Tibetans into exile in India and neighbouring countries.  On reaching India after a three-week-long treacherous journey, the Dalai Lama first took up residence for about a year in Mussoorie in Uttarakhand. On March 10, 1960, just before moving to Dharamsala, which also serves as the headquarters of the exiled Tibetan establishment, the Dalai Lama said: "For those of us in exile, I said that our priority must be resettlement and the continuity of our cultural traditions. We, Tibetans, would eventually prevail in regaining freedom for Tibet."

Currently, India is home to around 100,000 Tibetans and the government-in-exile, which has never won recognition from any country.

(With IANS inputs)