The 14th Dalai Lama
His Holiness
18 x 24 inches • oil on wood panel • artist Steve Simon
Biography
About the Painting
Selected Quote
Overview
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born on July 6, 1935, in northeastern Tibet. The Dalai Lama is a title bestowed upon the Tibetan spiritual leader. He is believed to be the manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. In 1950, when China invaded Tibet, His Holiness also became the political leader of Tibet. Nine years later, the Chinese brutally suppressed a Tibetan uprising and His Holiness was forced to escape. He has since been living in exile in Dharamsala, India. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent opposition to China’s forceful occupation and for his “Buddhist peace philosophy on reverence for all living things and the idea of universal responsibility that embraces both man and nature.”
The 14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama Biography
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born on July 6, 1935, in northeastern Tibet. The Dalai Lama is a title bestowed upon the Tibetan spiritual leader. At the age of two, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. He is believed to be the manifestation of the Bodhisattva (a person on the path to Buddhahood) of Compassion.
When the Dalai Lama was four, he was sent on a three-month journey to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. He spent his childhood in the Potala Palace and the summer residence of Norbulingka. He lived a mostly isolated life and was taught by a succession of tutors.
In 1950, China invaded Tibet. In addition to his spiritual leadership role, His Holiness became the political leader of Tibet at the tender age of 15. In the following year, the Tibetan government was pressured and forced into accepting an agreement that incorporated Tibet into the People’s Republic of China. The remainder of the decade was marked by high tension between these adversaries and in 1959 the Chinese brutally suppressed a Tibetan uprising. His Holiness, fearing for his life, was forced to escape. He has since been living in exile in Dharamsala, India.
The Dalai Lama’s escape from the Tibetan capital of Lhasa to India where he eventually set up the Government of Tibet in Exile in Dharamsala
In the years since his exile, he has traveled to over 65 countries bringing awareness to the plight of Tibetans. He has authored or co-authored at least 110 books and made countless public appearances, discussing issues concerning economics, the environment, interfaith dialogue, women’s rights, sexuality, nonviolence, and Buddhist teachings.
Since the mid-1980s, His Holiness has fostered dialogue between Buddhist monks and notable scientists in the fields of cosmology, neurobiology, psychology, and quantum physics. These cooperative efforts have yielded fascinating insights, especially in terms of mindfulness and the achievement of personal peace.
The 14th Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent opposition to China’s forceful occupation and for his “Buddhist peace philosophy on reverence for all living things and the idea of universal responsibility that embraces both man and nature.”
Now in his eighties, the Dalai Lama continues his tireless campaign of peace through compassion.
About the Painting
The portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama presents the charismatic leader with a disposition of mindfulness, joy, and gratitude. His contagious smile, a hallmark of his uniquely humble nature, is complemented with the Namaskara Mudra, a gesture of prayer, greetings, devotion, and adoration.
For over 60 years, the Dalai Lama’s fate and that of the Tibetan people have been tragically linked with the Chinese. In March of 1959, the Dalai Lama was 23 years old. The occupying Chinese had just crushed an uprising and it became clear that the nation’s young spiritual and political leader would be held accountable. It was not clear to the Dalai Lama whether the best course of action was to stay and reason with the belligerent Chinese or to attempt a risky escape from the residence of Norbulingka where he was holed up.
One day with tensions reaching a breaking point between the Chinese forces and Tibetan defenders in the area surrounding the residence, the Dalai Lama sought counsel from an oracle. Recalling the interaction with the oracle, the Dalai Lama wrote in his autobiography, “He shouted, ‘Go! Go! Tonight!’ The medium, still in his trance… wrote down, quite clearly and explicitly, the route that I should take out of Norbulingka, down to the last Tibetan town on the Indian border.”
His Holiness then spoke with other advisors and it was agreed that the risky escape was the only realistic option. Recalling the night of his departure, the Dalai Lama wrote, “At nightfall, I went for the last time to the shrine dedicated to Mahakala, my personal protector divinity…I went forward and presented a kata, a length of white silk, to the divinity. This is the traditional Tibetan gesture on departure and signifies not only propitiation but also implies the intention of return.” He then read from the Buddha’s sutras, “stopping at the one which talks for the need to develop confidence and courage.”
The Dalai Lama presents a kata to the Mahakala, oil on panel by Steve Simon
The Dalai Lama Quote
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
