His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, 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, in northeastern Tibet. At the age of two he was named Lhamo Dhondup. After an extensive search for the reincarnation of Thubten Gyatso – the 13th Dalai Lama – Lhamo Dhondup was found and recognized as the 14th reincarnation in the Dalai Lama lineage.
The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet.
Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have chosen to take rebirth in order to serve and protect all sentient beings.
His Holiness believes that all beings share the same fundamental wish; we all want happiness and do not want suffering. To fulfil this wish, he is committed to the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline.
​
He also emphasises and promotes religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions. He believes that despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for adherents of all religious traditions to respect the other traditions and their values.