Dalai Lama is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or “Yellow Hat” school of Tibetan Buddhism. It was formed in 1391 and 14 people have so far held this position. The current Dalai Lama was born on 6 July 1935 and was made a letter before turning four. In 2023, Dalai Lama apologised after footage showed him asking a boy if he wanted to suck his tongue. Does Dalai Lama have kids? Who are Dalai Lama’s children? Let’s find out more below.
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Dalai Lama Biography
The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, who lives as a refugee in India. His personage has always been a symbol of the unification of the state of Tibet, where he has represented Buddhist values and traditions.
The Dalai Lama played an important role in the Geluk tradition, which was politically and numerically dominant in Central Tibet, but his religious authority went beyond sectarian boundaries. While he had no formal or institutional role in any of the religious traditions, which were headed by their own high lamas, he was a unifying symbol of the Tibetan state, representing Buddhist values and traditions above any specific school.
From 1642 until 1705 and from 1750 to the 1950s, the Dalai Lamas or their regents headed the Tibetan government in Lhasa, which governed all or most of the Tibetan Plateau with varying degrees of autonomy. This Tibetan government enjoyed the patronage and protection of firstly Mongol kings of the Khoshut and Dzungar Khanates and then of the emperors of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty.
However, the legitimacy of the treaty and declared the independence of Tibet was rejected by both the Republic of China and the current People’s Republic of China. Nonetheless, the Dalai Lamas headed the Tibetan government until 1951. In the Battle of Chamdo with the People’s Republic of China, the 14th Dalai Lama was formally enthroned on November 17, 1950.
In 1959, fearing for his life in the wake of a revolt in Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India, from where he led a government in exile. With the aim of launching guerrilla operations against the Chinese, the Central Intelligence Agency funded the Dalai Lama’s administration with US$1.7 million a year in the 1960s. His original goal was full independence for Tibet, but by the late 1980s, he was seeking high-level autonomy instead. He continued to seek greater autonomy from China, but Dolma Gyari, the deputy speaker of the parliament-in-exile, stated: “If the middle path fails in the short term, we will be forced to opt for complete independence or self-determination as per the UN charter.”
In 2014 and 2016, he stated that Tibet wants to be part of China but China should let Tibet preserve its culture and script. In 2018, he stated that “Europe belongs to the Europeans” and that Europe has a moral obligation to aid refugees whose lives are in peril. Further he stated that Europe should receive, help and educate refugees but ultimately they should return to develop their home countries.
The Dalai Lama has worked tirelessly to overcome sectarian and other divisions in the exiled community and has become a symbol of Tibetan nationhood for Tibetans both in Tibet and in exile. He is not only a spiritual leader, but also a political figure, advocating for the rights of the Tibetan people and their culture. Despite being in exile for many years, the Dalai Lama continues to inspire and guide people around the world with his teachings of compassion, peace, and non-violence.
Dalai Lama children: Does Dalai Lama have kids?
The Dalai Lama has no children and is also not married. There are no records to this effect.