Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet

FREEDOM IN EXILE THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE DALAI LAMA OF TIBET

English Project Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, Patiala

In the Partial Fulfillment for the Requirement of the Project on the Subject of English-II of B.A., L.L.B. (Hons.), Second Semester

Submitted To: Dr. Tanya Mander (Assistant Professor in English)

Submitted by: Group No. XII Jaspreet Chadha (542) Jatin Garg (552) Shaili Kailasia (562) Harendar Neel (572)

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the people who have helped us throughout to complete this project. We are very grateful to our lecturer Dr. Tanya Mander, who lent us continuous support and encouragement throughout the project. It would have been impossible to come up with this project without her advice. We thank the library staff and IT department for their valuable contributions. We also thank the University authorities for giving us the opportunity to work on this project. We also appreciate the continuous support given to us by our friends and boosted our confidence. Sincere regards to those who helped us with this project directly or indirectly, it would have been impossible to come up with such a work without their help. Jaspreet Singh Jatin Garg Shaili Kailasia Harendar Neel

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I Introduction...4 CHAPTER II Claim to Fame (Time and History)..5 CHAPTER III God Made or Self Made..11 CHAPTER IV Place in History of World...15 CHAPTER V Lessons Learnt.20 CHAPTER VI Conclusion...23 Bibliography......24

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

The first thing that comes to the mind of people when they think of Dalai Lama is peace, spirituality and Tibet. Few people have lived more turbulent, more interesting lives than that of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. He went from small child of a poor horse breeder to the god-king of Tibet to an outcast to Nobel Prize winner to the witness of the end of his home nation. Although published in 1990, Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama is still relevant today as when it was published. Nothing much has changed for Tibet and the Dalai Lama since. Describing his life and all that he endeavored in it, the book consists of every single event of his life, starting from his birth, invasion of Tibet and his stay in Dharamsala. The book is in Dalai Lamas voice, although written through an English translator, comes across as tongue in cheek, even about some of the most cherished beliefs in Buddhism. He mentions that as a small child he talked about his past lives and then adds, Or so Im told I said.1 In many speeches when asked if he remembers his past lives, he often responds, I cant even remember what I had for dinner yesterday.2 The Dalai Lama is considered the living spirit of the Tibetan nation Lama's office goes on. The title of Dalai Lama is actually Mongolian and Buddhism developed and the Tibetan people. At times of great turmoil, the continuity of the Dalai in India, but Tibet has taken these influences and given it a uniquely Tibetan flavor. The history of Tibet is intertwined with the history of the Dalai Lama's previous lives. This book is the Dalai Lamas memoirs, but also a history of Tibet and an overview of Buddhism. It talks about the Dalai Lama as a person, his upbringing, education and life in general, the culture of Tibet and of Buddhism.

Gyatso Tenzin, The Autobiography of his Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet Freedom in Exile, Abacus, London, 2009, p.13. 2 Ibid, p.13.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet CHAPTER II CLAIM TO FAME (TIME AND HISTORY) Tenzin Gyatso, 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 Tenzin Gyatso 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 that he 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. Tenzin Gyatso family said that there was a connection between his unusual behaviors with his wild personality. One day a group of travelers 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 boys house in the search for Dalai Lama. They took out some of their personal belongings; some of them belonged to Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso easily chose the stuff that originally belonged to his successor and insisted that the stuff was his all the way. He is easily one of the worlds most respected and more importantly, the most loved politician and spiritual leader. He was only 2 years old when he was recognized as the future Dalai Lama, in fact, the 14th Dalai Lama, only 6-years-old when he began his monastery education. And today, when he has turned 75 in age, he lives in Dharamsala at his monastery, a home away from home not just for his holiness but also for the Tibetan people in exile for decades now. The Dalai
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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet Lama is a very high reincarnated lama in Tibet. A lama simply means religious teacher, like the word guru in India, and a reincarnated lama is a lama that is considered so advanced in his wisdom and spiritual realizations as to be able to choose his next rebirth, which means every time a Dalai Lama dies, he gives some clues about how to find his next body, and after a couple of years they find, test and recognize a small child that is then believed to be the continuation of the dead master. There are many different Buddhist masters in Tibet that continue their work from life to life in this way, not only the Dalai Lama, although he is the most famous and also the most important one. Spiritually he is also considered a manifestation of the Bodhisattva (enlightened being) of compassion, which is kind of a personification of enlightened compassion. This Bodhisattva of compassion, Chenrezig in Tibetan, is also seen as a protector of Tibet and all the Tibetans, so the Dalai Lama is held in extremely high esteem by most of the Tibetans. Formally he is not like a pope of Tibetan Buddhism, because his position isn't formalized in that way, and he also doesn't have any formal power whatsoever to decide how Buddhism should be interpreted in Tibet or how things should be done. Because he is held in such high esteem, almost everyone still tend to listen to his advice and often act as he suggests, although not like blind obedience. Tibetan Buddhism is not centralized, so there are many different schools or traditions, usually fully respecting each other but using different methods, rituals and philosophical explanations. The Dalai Lama belongs to one of the four main traditions, the Gelug, but formally he isn't the head even of his own tradition. The political position, and the title Dalai Lama - Dalai is actually a Mongolian word meaning ocean, comes from the Mongolians in the 16th century, when the Mongolian ruler, Altan Khan, gave him, the third Dalai Lama - the first and second where recognized posthumously, the title and made him his spiritual guru and protector, in exchange for his own promise to protect Tibet politically. The Great Fifth Dalai Lama (17th century) united Tibet with the help of the Mongolian ruler Gushri Khan, and was thereby made the political ruler of the central parts of Tibet. Tibet was still a much decentralized country, with a great part of the population thinly spread out in vast
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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet areas as nomads, and with extremely few people involved in the administration of the vast country. From the Great Fifth until the early days of the present Dalai Lama, the Dalai Lamas were formally the political rulers of Tibet. We need to stress the word formally, because many Dalai Lamas died young (some say they were murdered, maybe by the Chinese), and other Dalai Lamas were utterly uninterested in power and politics. Actually, only one more Dalai Lama can be said to have wielded considerable political power over the Tibetans, namely the Thirteenth (died 1933). During his years as a ruler he tried to modernize Tibet, make the legal system more humane, start an English school to give Tibetans the opportunity to learn from other cultures, and so on, but some old, conservative lamas made it difficult for him to do all the changes he wanted.

When the Maoist army invaded Tibet in 1950-51, the present Dalai Lama was only 15 years old, but in a vain attempt to save the country he was still given the political power, which he retained until he was forced to flee into exile in India in 1959. In the exile Tibetan society, the Dalai Lama is still the political leader, although he has initiated numerous reforms to democratize the exile government, which means the Tibetans now in free elections can elect a parliament (since 1961) and nowadays also a prime minister through direct election (since 2001). The Dalai Lama is still seen as the symbol and representative of the Tibetans, so he has not been able to retire fully from his political role, although more and more of the legal and executive power now lies with the democratically elected politicians. If he will someday be able to return to Tibet, he has clearly stated he wants to return to a non-political life as a monk, and make sure the Tibetans can choose their own leaders democratically. As a spiritual master he is all but unmatched, and he is generally considered one of the most learned and most highly realized Buddhist masters alive today. His books range from the easiest popular advice for non-Buddhists and non-specialist, to profound spiritual teachings on the most subtle and advanced subjects in Buddhist philosophy. Almost everyone who meets him is also struck by his kindness, compassion, wisdom, humor and open heart. The political leader Dalai Lama might be a marginal figure of a small country in the world, but the spiritual master Dalai Lama has the stature of a once-in-a-century master.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet The greatness of Dalai Lama cannot be questioned. He is respected throughout the world which is evident from the Noble Peace Prize he was reckoned with in 1989. But all through this, he has been fighting for Tibet. The Chinese government has made sure to subjugate his influence not only in Tibet but in whole world. The strained relations that China has had with India were because of the refuge India provided to this man and his followers in 1959. As Dalai Lama, he mentions: I have two main reasons for writing this autobiography. Firstly, an increasing number of people have shown an interest in learning something about the Dalai Lama. Secondly, there are a number of historical events about which I wish to set the record straight3 As mentioned by him on the very first page of the book, the book tells us about the various historical moments with in depth detail not only from Dalai Lamas point of view but from worlds perspective as well. The autobiography is not only a narration of various important historical events but also the personal growth of Dalai Lama as an individual. It contains his various teachings, religious and spiritual messages, and vivid accounts of Tibetan culture and Buddhism. The book opens with his memories from childhood. Though he doesnt remember much of his childhood, he has given a vivid account of it as told to him by his parents and teachers. He has given a vivid description of his discovery as Lama and how he reached Lhasa. Then he talks about his education he received from his monk teachers. Tenzin Gyatso started his monastic education when he was six years old. He was preached by Yongdzin Ling Rinpoche and Yongdzin Trijang Rinpoche. He studied Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine and logic. At the age of eleven, the young Dalai Lama met Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, who taught him about the outside world. He was awarded the Geshe Lharampa Degree (Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy) at the age of 25. After Chinas invasion of Tibet, in 1949, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was called upon to take charge as the Head of the State and Government. In 1954, he went to Beijing to hold peace talks with Mao Tse -Tung and other Chinese leaders, including Chou En-Lai and Deng Xiaoping.
3

Ibid , p.1

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet Dalai Lama paid a visit to India in 1956, for the celebration of Buddha Jayanti. During the visit, he met the then Prime Minister Nehru and held talks with him, regarding the deteriorating conditions in Tibet. Dalai Lama had to seek exile in India in 1959, when Chinese military repressed the Tibetan national uprising. Since then, he has been residing at Dharamsala, in the northern part of India. He also set up the Government of Tibet in Exile in Dharamsala, which is known as Little Lhasa. His Holiness the Dalai Lama appealed to the United Nations during his exile in India, seeking justice for Tibet. As a result, the United Nations General Assembly passed three resolutions on the question of Tibet - in 1959, 1961 and 1965. In 1963, Dalai Lama promulgated a draft constitution for Tibet, under the name The Charter of Tibetans in Exile, which assures a democratic form of government for Tibet. The draft constitution was based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and comprised of freedom of speech, belief, assembly and movement. With the aim of preserving the Tibetan identity and its rich heritage, Dalai Lama has established educational, cultural and religious institutions in the last two decades. His Holiness the Dalai Lama continued to take initiatives and find a solution for the Tibetan issues. In 1987, he proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan at the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. This plan required the designation of Tibet as a zone of peace and called for restoration of fundamental rights and democratic freedoms to Tibetans. Apart from this, the Peace Plan called for the end of Chinas use of Tibet, for the production of nuclear weapons and the disposal of nuclear waste. The plan also called for urging earnest negotiations on the future of Tibet and relations between the Tibetan and Chinese people. In June 1988, Dalai Lama proposed a plan similar to the Five-Point Peace Plan, when he was addressing the members of the European Parliament, in Strasbourg. The Plan aimed at reestablishing Tibets own identity and restoring the fundamental rights of the Tibetans, while accommodating Chinas own interests. He put emphasis on the fact that Tibetans must be the ultimate deciding authority on who shall govern them. This plan was, however, rejected by the Tibetan Government in Exile, in 1991.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet In 1992, the Dalai Lama again introduced a set of policies for the constitution of a free Tibet. He proposed that an interim government should be set up as soon as Tibet became free. He further pronounced that a constitutional assembly should be appointed, to adopt Tibets democratic constitution and give it a shape. Dalai Lama proclaimed that then he would assign all his historical and political power to the Interim President and would lead the life of a normal citizen. His efforts to solve Tibets problems continue till date.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet CHAPTER III GOD MADE OR SELF MADE "To me Dalai Lama is a title that signifies the office I hold. I myself am just a human being, and incidentally a Tibetan, who chooses to be a Buddhist monk."4 Some people consider the Dalai Lama one of the most influential people in the entire world. Starting in a small one-story house in rural Tibet, as a very young boy the Dalai Lama spoke only a broken Chinese dialect with his family. He made a great change in himself after it was discovered, at age 2 that he was destined to become the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. The Dalai Lama is said to be the country's supreme ruler and renowned spiritual leader, greatly admired by the people of Tibet. Tenzin Gyatso was hardly two years old, when he was identified as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama. He was to be the next God of Tibetan Buddhists and this proclamation of his was certainly God Made. The journey since that day has not been easy for this God. Over the passage of time he has justified the title given to him by his people and it would be unfair to label his glory as gift of God. As said by himself, his really journey as Dalai Lama began when he led Tibetan government to exile in India. Negotiating talks with the various leaders from time to time, instead of waging war against the Chinese, his Five Point Peace Plan for liberation of Tibet and his subjects have rightly earned him The Noble Peace prize in 1989. His peaceful policies have earned him recognition all over the world and sympathy for Tibet. He is regarded one of the best modern world leaders and holds a lot of respect not only in the eyes of Tibetans but of whole world. Dalai Lamas life can be easily divided into two halves. One, when he was in Tibet and a spiritual and religious leader. From his earliest youth, the Dalai Lama was recognized as exceptional. Certain signs, considered auspicious, were noted on the day of his birth, in the village of Taktser, Tibet. And soon, high lamas and government ministers were led by premonitions, divinations, and clues left by the previously deceased Dalai Lama, to the home of the precocious two-year-old boy named Lhamo Dhondrub.

Ibid , Foreword.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet In keeping with Tibetan tradition and disguising themselves as merchants, members of the search party tested the child by asking him to identify personal belongings of the deceased 13th Dalai Lama and answer a series of questions. In addition to his successful responses, the child gave even further information and offered a tray of cookies to his guests, convincing officials they had indeed found the next successor to the Lion Throne, a position earned through rebirth rather than inheritance. The delegation took the boy and his family on the two-month journey through the Himalayas to the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa. Their destination was the magnificent Potala Palace. Another two months later, the child took his novice monk vows, not uncommon in the old and deeply devout Tibetan society where at least one child from each family became a monk or nun. Before reaching the age of five, however, this youngster was installed, pending reaching the age of maturity, as the 14th Dalai Lama, political and spiritual leader of Tibet. His name was now Tenzin Gyatso, or Ocean of Wisdom. His journey from his village Taktser to Potala Palace was certainly the gift of God to him and his family. His family was very poor, and could not have imagined giving their child a proper three time meals in a day and this young child of two years of age was taking them to the comforts of palace. Indeed, it was the blessings of God or the 13th Dalai Lama himself that Tenzin Gyatso became as famous as he is now. At age six, Tenzin Gyatso began an 18-year course of studies with primary emphasis on the highly complex and sophisticated system of Tibetan Buddhist metaphysical inquiry and meditation. The child spent his winter months at the Potala Palace, and each summer traveled two miles west to enjoy country life at Norbulingka, or Jewel Park. Here, he taught himself to disassemble and reconstruct the few mechanical items available to him on the roof of the world, a region practically untouched by modern society. He was also deeply interested in geography and Western civilization, virtually unknown subjects in isolated Tibet. These interests became unexpectedly useful in his adult life. On January 1, 1950, Radio Peking announced the intention of the People's Liberation Army to liberate Tibet along with Taiwan and Hainan. Communist Chinese troops had already begun to

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet infiltrate Tibet. On October 25, China announced that troops were in the process of defeating imperialist oppression; there were concrete goals for turning the strategically located country into a less primitive possession of China. Tenzin Gyatso was only 15 years old, three years younger than the accepted age for ascending the throne as Dalai Lama. But the Chinese were at hand and Tibet needed a ruler. So, in November, 1950, Tenzin Gyatso was officially installed as the youngest Dalai Lama in history. Throughout the next nine years, he studied intensively for his Doctor of Divinity degree, or Geshe Lharampa, while working to keep peace between the Tibetan people and the Chinese army. At the age of 24, the Dalai Lama sat for his final examinations in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy at the Jokhang Temple, in Lhasa. Eighty scholars relentlessly questioned the young man, all day and well into the night, as approximately 20,000 monks watched and listened. In the end, Tibet's most respected intellectuals agreed that this young Dalai Lama's abilities were most unusual, even phenomenal. This was early March, 1959. Within ten days, tensions between Chinese invaders and native Tibetans were to reach a crisis in the capital city. In a massive gathering at Jewel Park, on March 10, Chinese military police angrily insisted that the Dalai Lama turn himself over to their "protection," while thousands of Tibetans surrounded the summer residence in support of His Holiness. It was decided by Tibetan ministers that the Dalai Lama's life was in danger and the young leader could best serve his people by fleeing Tibet until the unrest settled. Shortly after his secret departure by horseback, the Chinese released bombs on the summer palace and machine-gunned citizens who were there to support His Holiness. With the Dalai Lama gone, communist invaders dissolved the Tibetan Administration and began a ruthless campaign to demolish monasteries, destroy ancient works of art and literature, and severely oppress the people by restricting their opportunities, destroying cultural monuments, and imposing lengthy imprisonments under horrendous conditions. The Dalai Lama, who has never encouraged violent retaliation, immediately established a government-in-exile. To date, well over one million of the total population of six million Tibetans has died as a direct result of Chinese domination. In addition, Tibet's natural resources are being abused and depleted.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet On April 20, 1959, the Dalai Lama was welcomed in Mussoorie by the government of India. It had become evident that the period of exile would become prolonged; the former British hill station at Dharamsala was selected for a Tibetan headquarters. Within six months, Tibetan refugee camps overflowed in India and surrounding countries. The Dalai Lama and his administration proceeded to oversee the needs of eighty-five thousand homeless Tibetans worldwide, and to monitor developments within Tibet. He was a young man, still learning the nuances of Buddhism and was totally unaware of his duties. He felt the title conferred on him a huge responsibility and wanted to break away from the shackles that bounded him. But his real journey as a leader set off when he fled Tibet. He was totally unaware of his own potentials and led by instincts he was the last hope of his followers. His vast followers, who were more often awestruck by his presence, cast their eyes downward, fell to the ground and wept. They could not look directly in his eyes out of respect. The Dalai Lama realized the magnitude of his position, and has led them for more than 50 years now into exile. His people call him His Holiness and he have never let them down. His fame, though initiated by God a one point of time, has culminated to his own individual greatness. It would be unfair to his greatness to label him as god-gifted as he has channelized those gifts in a far better way to the best of his abilities.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet CHAPTER IV PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF WORLD Dalai Lama insists, "I am a simple Buddhist monk, nothing more."5 He is a good deal more, not only a world scholar and teacher of Buddhism, but to devout Tibetans the reincarnation of a being who is so enlightened that he could ascend to the highest spiritual state but instead, to serve his people, has returned again and again to take rebirth. In the person of Tenzin Gyatso, Tibetans believe, the Dalai Lama has come to them for the fourteenth time. Among world leaders, there is no one like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, religious and political leader of Tibet and winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. He was hailed his predecessor's incarnation at the age of two, and was enthroned in 1940. Brought up from an unusual childhood, he became head of the state of Tibet at age 16, and was later forced into exile by the Chinese government. Traditionally, the role of the Dalai Lama is the spiritual guide and leader of Tibet, creating a symbol of security and peace. Dalai Lama's are rarely ever politically involved in Tibet. His holiness fulfilled this traditional role up until 1949, when he assumed full power, as the threat of a Chinese invasion became evident. Despite all the hardship he had to endure he does not give up his fight for freedom and treats all sentiment beings with love and compassion. Through his fight for freedom, he has proven himself to be the spiritual and political leader whom the people of Tibet love. The Dalai Lama is a revolutionary because of the peace and love he spreads along his journey towards a Tibet free from China's communist grasp. The Dalai Lama fights a fierce battle with China, without weapons and without hate. He fights his battles with words giving speeches around the world while sharing messages of harmony and compassion. He does not believe violence would help anything. The Dalai Lama is now known around the globe for being a messenger of peace and love. He has dedicated his life to working towards a free Tibet, away from the communist Chinese grasp. It is not accurate to describe the Dalai Lama as a god-king, as so many Western journalists do. Buddhism does not have the concept of a creator deity, as in Judeo-Christian belief. Other high5

Ibid, p.176

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet ranking Tibetan monks are also regarded as reincarnations, but the Dalai Lama is considered a more highly evolved being, an embodiment of the spirit of compassion. Though venerated by his people, he is modest and unpretentious, wearing the same unadorned robes as other Buddhist monks. Ever cheerful, with an abundant fund of humor, his interviews are punctuated with frequent chuckles, and his smooth, round bespectacled face is often lighted up with a smile. He radiates the kindness he preaches, and his love for people is most evident. When Chinese invaded Tibet, they shut down monasteries and openly beat Monks and Nuns on the street. The Tibetan National Assembly called together an urgent meeting, a month after the first attack from the Chinese. In this session, a then sixteen year old Dalai Lama was implored to take on the title and total command of Head of State, and abandon his home in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, and settle close to Tibet's shared border with India in Dromo, in order to remain safe. His traditional role of spiritual leader was drastically lengthened as he became the political leader of Tibet on November 17, 1950. "I could not refuse my responsibilities. I had to shoulder them, put my boyhood behind me and immediately prepare myself to lead my country". 6 The Dalai Lama made this statement referring to when his country had just been invaded in 1950. This statement shows the strong, fearless and compassionate leader Tibet was fortunate to be in possession of. The Dalai Lama appointed Prime Ministers and sent delegations of help and protection to the United States and the United Nations. He wrote many letters to other countries such as America and Britain asking for support and recognition of Tibet as an individual country, but was many times responded with diplomatic letters and often direct rejection. He stood up to the authorities who were oppressing his people and at the young age that he was, held his ground and asserted his people against a country that is much stronger than his own. Many feared for his life but His Holiness said that he would stand by his people no matter what. In 1959, The Dalai Lama was forced into exile, but he did not end his fight for the liberation of his people. About 100,000 people followed him into exile and he established a democratically based alternative government at Dharamsala in India, aptly known as little Lhasa. It has cultural and educational institutions and serves as a capital-in-exile for 140,000 Tibetan refugees.
6

Ibid, p. 181.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet In 2011, the Dalai Lama was listed by the Watkins Review as the second most spiritually influential person in the world.7 His appeal is variously ascribed to his charismatic personality, international fascination with Buddhism, his Universalist values, international sympathy for the Tibetans, and western Sinophobia.8 In the 1990s, many films were released by the American film industry about Tibet, including biopic of the Dalai Lama.9 This is attributed to both the Dalai Lama's 1989 Nobel Peace Prize as well as to the euphoria following the Fall of Communism. The most notable films, Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet (both released in 1997), portrayed an idyllic pre-1950 Tibet, with a smiling, soft-spoken Dalai Lama at the helm a Dalai Lama sworn to non-violence: portrayals the Chinese government decried as historical. One South African official publicly criticized the Dalai Lama's politics and lamented a taboo on criticism of him, saying "To say anything against the Dalai Lama is, in some quarters, equivalent to trying to shoot Bambi". 10 Critics of the news and entertainment media coverage of the controversy charge that feudal Tibet was not as benevolent as popularly portrayed. The penal code before 1913 included forms of judicial mutilation and capital punishment to enforce a social system controversially described as both slavery and serfdom. In response, the Dalai Lama agreed many of old Tibet's practices needed reform. His predecessor had banned extreme punishments and the death penalty. And he had started some reforms like removal of debt inheritance during the early years of his government under the People's Republic of China in 1951. The Dalai Lama has been successful in gaining Western sympathy for himself and the cause of greater Tibetan autonomy or independence, including vocal support from numerous Hollywood celebrities, most notably the actors Richard Gere and Steven Seagal, as well as lawmakers from several major countries. The Dalai Lama has received numerous awards over his spiritual and political career. He was a laureate for community leadership in 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Awards, Asia's version of Nobel Prize.11 On 22 June 2006, he became one of only five people ever to be recognised
7

Retrieved from, http://www.zeenews.com/news697877.html, at 12:13 on April 5, 2011. Sinophobia or anti-Chinese sentiment is the fear of or dislike of China, its people, or its culture. 9 Retrieved from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinophobia, at 18:19 on April 5, 2011. 10 Retrieved from, http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71627?oid=123068&sn= Detail, at 18:56 on April 7, 2011. 11 Retrieved from, http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationDalaiLam.htm, at 11:12 on April 8, 2011.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet with Honorary Citizenship by the Governor General of Canada.12 On 28 May 2005, he received the Christmas Humphreys Award from the Buddhist Society in the United Kingdom.13 After the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Dalai Lama the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.14 The Committee officially gave the prize to the Dalai Lama for "the struggle of the liberation of Tibet and the efforts for a peaceful resolution"15 although the President of the Committee also said that the prize was intended to put pressure on China, who was reportedly infuriated that the award was given to a separatist. In May 2007, Chhime Rigzing, a senior spokesman for his office, stated that the Dalai Lama was moving into retirement, but in 2008 the Dalai Lama himself ruled out such a move, saying "There is no question of retirement."16 Rigzing stated that the political leadership will be transferred over a period of time but he will inevitably continue to be the spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama announced he would like the Tibetan Parliament in Exile to have more responsibility over the Central Tibetan administration. In response to the 2008 Tibetan unrest, on 18 March 2008 the Dalai Lama threatened to step down, which would be a first for a Dalai Lama. Aides later clarified that this threat was predicated on a further escalation of violence, and that he did not presently have the intention of leaving his political or spiritual offices. In the ensuing months, he held meetings aimed at discussing the future institution of the Dalai Lama, including "a conclave, like in the Catholic Church, a woman as my successor, no Dalai Lama anymore, or perhaps even two"17, referring to the possibility of having both his approved successor and China's approved successor both claiming the title. He has clarified that his goal is to relinquish all temporal power and to no longer play a pronounced spiritual role and have a simpler monastic life. In a speech given on 10 March 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama stated that he will propose changes to the constitution of the Tibetan government in exile which will remove the Dalai Lama's role as
Retrieved from, http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CTVNewsAt11/20060622/dalai_citizen_060622/, on 13:14 on April 8, 2011. 13 Retrieved from, http://www.tv.com/dalai-lama/person/413265/trivia.html, at 17:47 on April 8, 2011. 14 Retrieved from, http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1989/, at 16:17 on April 9, 2011. 15 Retrieved from, http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1989/, at 19:01 on April 9, 2011. 16 Retrieved from, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Tibetan-Parliament-panel-submits-its-report/775535/, at 14:02 on April 13, 2011. 17 Retrieved from, http://www.tibetcustom.com/article.php/2011042623261774, at 14:31 on April 13, 2011.
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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet head of state, replacing him with an elected leader.18 If accepted by the Tibetan parliament in exile, this will constitute the Dalai Lama's retirement from his formal political role, although he will retain his position as a religious dignitary. He formally submitted his resignation as political leader to the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile in Dharamsala, India, on 14 March 2011.19

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Retrieved from, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-25/india/29188435_1_tibetan-parliament-inexile-tibetan-community-tibetan-charter, at 20:45 on April 10, 2011. 19 Retrieved from, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/tibet-exile-govt-accepts-dalai-lamaretirement/articleshow/7787819.cms, at 21:13 on April 10, 2011.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet CHAPTER V LESSONS LEARNT Reading the autobiography, one is enriched with insights not only on Buddhist spirituality and religion but also with Tibet, its life, social customs and the struggle Tenzin Gyaptso went through to achieve what he has today. At 75, he is still optimistic about his return to Tibet and its freedom. A firm believer in non-violence, he chose the weapon of peace to fight the aggression of the Chinese. Though returning to Tibet is still a distant dream, he has won many a hearts by his grace, love and affection towards every other individual. The autobiography comes up with a lesson for life on every second page. Dalai Lama is a man who learned about the nuances of life through its experience and has made sure that every mistake done be never repeated and he has preached that through his teachings time and again. One such experience he remembers very vividly from his childhood. That taught him how to make friends. To quote in his own words, one of the parrots was very friendly with Kenrap. He used to feed him nutsat which bird appeared to enter a state of ecstasy. I very much wanted this kind of friendlinessbut to no avail. So I took to punish it. Of course, thereafter it fled at the sight of me. It taught me how to make friends: not by force but by compassion.20 Growing up with such experiences makes a man high on principles and thought. Dalai Lama is a man of high principles, simple living and has set specific goals for himself. With the closed environment he grew in, Dalai Lama has reached highest ranks of individualistic growth. He often felt lonely and dejected while he was a child. The Buddhist teachings seemed almost impossible for him to learn. He was unaware of his duties as Dalai Lama. He was a totally lost child and to grow up into such a big man can fill anyone with a lot of inspiration. He drew inspirations from every setback and disappointment he faced in life, and he embraced everything with a smile. It takes a lot more than courage to fight for the independence of ones country and eventually leading it into exile. And the fight Dalai Lama has shown against the Chinese aggression with very few sources as his disposal signifies his greatness and capability. Apart from inspirations from his life, the book is also filled with social and spiritual messages. Time and again it gives us important lessons how to live good life. Before reading the book,
20

Supra note 1, p. 38.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet during initial research we came across a quote from Robert A.F. Thurman. He wrote: In this climate of manifold desperations, the Dalai Lama emerges from another civilization, from a higher altitude, as a living example of calm in emergency, patient endurance in agony, humorous intelligence in confusion and dauntless optimism in the face of imminent doom. Through his teachings and writings, he serves and inspires Buddhists worldwide, as well as followers of other faiths.21 No doubts remained in our minds after reading the book. In his book he talks about compassion, love, kindness and respect as the few essentials every human being should have. A person who imbibes these principles will lead a happy and prosperous life. And Dalai Lama is the living example of these principles. When we initially conceived of this book, we envisioned a conventional self-help format in which the Dalai Lama would present a clear and simple solution to all life's problems. By the end of our series of meetings with the book we had given up on that idea. We found that his approach encompassed a much broader and more complex paradigm; incorporating all the nuance, richness, and complexity that life has to offer. Gradually, however, we began to hear the single note he constantly sounded. It is one of hope. His hope is based on the belief that while attaining genuine and lasting happiness is not easy, it nevertheless can be done. Underlying all the Dalai Lama's methods there is a set of basic beliefs that act as a substrate for all his actions: a belief in the fundamental gentleness and goodness of all human beings, a belief in the value of compassion, a belief in a policy of kindness, and a sense of commonality among all living creatures. He gives a sincere glimpse of his own life through this book right from the early days of his life when he craved for all those things that a regular child does, his experience of being revered by his own people, his understanding of the Tibetan Buddhist faith and how and in which terms is it different from other faiths of Buddhism. Being a well read and well travelled person, he offers his frank opinion about the different countries and their political systems.

Retrieved from, http://ririanproject.com/2007/02/14/10-timeless-lessons-from-dalai-lama, on 19:08 on April 11, 2011.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet

His openness to travelling and meeting people and his strong faith in goodness of people is neatly summed up here, I welcome the opportunity offered to travel to meet and talk with people from different walks of life - some poor, some rich, some well educated, some ill educated, some who are religious, many who are not. So far, I have received only support for my belief that wherever you go people everywhere are basically the same, despite certain superficial differences. They all, like myself, seek happiness: no one wants suffering. Everyone appreciates affection and at the same time has the potential for showing affection to others.22

Few of the quotes, which we do not want to fail to mention from the autobiography, are:

We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection Pain is what you measure pleasure by. I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. Make friends not by force but by compassion. No matter how bad things become, they will eventually get better. In the end, the innate desire of all people for truth, justice and human understanding must triumph over ignorance and despair. So if the Chinese oppressed us, it could only strengthen us. I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest.

Retrieved from, http://www.dalailama.com/messages/transcripts/barkha-dutt-interview-ndtv, at 23:27 on April 20, 2011.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet CHAPTER VI CONCLUSION

Candid, humorous, insightful and often pithy, Dalai Lama shares the story of his life and of his people. Fully accomplishing his stated motivation for the work, he both shares the profoundly interesting details and confessions of his childhood, together with poetic and picturesque memories of Tibetan terrain, flowers, birds and animals, but also sets history straight in sharing as many facts as possible regarding the situation in Tibet since the early 1950s. No authentic future writer of world history can afford to omit the truth about China and Tibet as detailed in this book. Although he doesn't blatantly come right out and say it, Tenzin Gyatso comes across as being baffled as to why he was chosen to be the Dalai Lama. He recounts trying to work a new Tibetan constitution where the Tibetan people or government could impeach a Dalai Lama if he (or she) is incompetent. However, this apparently did not win favor with the Tibetan government in exile. Dalai Lama portrays at ease his interaction with Chau En Lau, Mao, Nehru and other world leaders .This gives readers a great insight of the political equations existed during that period. One can empathize the helplessness of Indian rulers who were touched by Tibetan atrocities yet didnt have courage to do anything substantial for fear of their motherlands security compulsions. Its interesting to observe Nehrus not so revealed behavioral approach, vividly illustrated by Dalai Lama in his shrewd astuteness. Equally interesting is the way Chinese have gone about annexing Tibet. The Dalai Lama also says that if he could, he would change the way people are chosen for their roles as various Rinpoches or Lamas. He does state that he thinks young children should no longer be chosen for their roles, no matter what they say of their previous lives. This could be due to the Dalai Lama's own role in selecting children for these roles, including his younger brother. It was a fascinating revelation, just like the rest of the book.

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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet BIBLIOGRAPHY Book Referred 1. Tenzin, G., The Autobiography of his Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet Freedom in Exile, Abacus, London, 2009. Internet Sources Referred 1. http://www.zeenews.com/news697877.html. 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinophobia. 3. http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71627?oid=123068& sn= Detail. 4. http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationDalaiLam.htm. 5. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CTVNewsAt11/20060622/dalai_citizen_060622/. 6. http://www.tv.com/dalai-lama/person/413265/trivia.html. 7. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1989/. 8. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-25/india/29188435_1_tibetanparliament-in-exile-tibetan-community-tibetan-charter. 9. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/tibet-exile-govt-accepts-dalailama-retirement/articleshow/7787819.cms. 10. http://ririanproject.com/2007/02/14/10-timeless-lessons-from-dalai-lama. 11. http://www.tibetcustom.com/article.php/2011042623261774. 12. http://www.dalailama.com/messages/transcripts/barkha-dutt-interview-ndtv. 13. http://www.dalailama.com/messages/acceptance-speeches/nobel-peace-prize. 14. http://www.dalailama.com/messages/transcripts/10-questions-time-magazine.

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