Dalai Lama is an expression used in the religious sphere, to define the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, his name means "ocean of wisdom. " In Tibetan Buddhism and in the Bon religion, the term Dalai Lama is used to refer to the teacher who has achieved partial or total dominion, at death, over the form of his reincarnation and the idea of the place of his new birth. From childhood, the Dalai Lamas receive a preparation that covers all aspects of the Buddhist life, for them this figure is very characteristic since it symbolizes the totality of the teachings of Buddhism.
Tibetan Buddhists consider that after the death of a Dalai Lama, his consciousness takes about 49 days, at the most, to reincarnate into a child who, from birth, shows signs of his particular character, thus becoming the new Dalai Lama. From their childhood they receive a careful teaching, in order that they can learn everything related to the life of a Buddhist. They learn to meditate, following a difficult time of study and practice. When they come of age, they are already knowledgeable about all aspects of their tradition.
The Dalai Lama must demonstrate the essence and attitude that a Buddhist should represent. Throughout history, there have been 14 Dalai Lamas, the latest and current is called Tenzin Gyatso.
Tenzi Gyatzo was born on June 6, 1935 in northwest Tibet, into a peasant family in a small village called Taktser. When he was just 2 years old, and following the Tibetan tradition, he was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor, that is, he would be the new Dalai Lama.
When he turned 15 years old, he was assigned the political responsibility of being the new head of state. In those days, Tibet was being threatened by China, who wanted to invade and subdue the Buddhist Tibetans. Many were the efforts in order to reach a good understanding, however it was not enough and Beijing continued with its claims.
Tibet carried out numerous popular rebellions in order to achieve its independence, the Dalai Lama had to be politically exiled in India. Since 1960, the Dalai Lama has been in charge of preserving Tibetan culture, maintaining a tough battle for the reconstruction of the institutions of the Tibetan state.
In 1989, the Dalai Lama won a Nobel Peace Prize, for being considered a defender of ideological plurality and harmony among all.
