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Amy Bartel writes: The Dalai Lama of Tibet would have to be my hero because of all the things he has done to help free the Tibetans from the brutal occupation by the Chinese. Since China invaded Tibet back in 1959, when he and many other Tibetans went into exile, the Dalai Lama has been using nonviolent ways to try to bring freedom to his country. I think many people could learn from the Dalai Lama as I have. He will always be my hero, no matter what the outcome. He has done so much for society which has gone almost unnoticed. It's about time people learn about him and hopefully one day there will be a free Tibet.
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FREEDOM HERO:
THE DALAI LAMA
by Jeff Trussell
Much like the Buddhist philosophy he expounds, the Dalai Lama is many
different things to different people. To many Americans, he may only be known as the
Asian guy who is friends with Richard Gere. To most Tibetans, however, he is an
incarnation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara—enlightened beings who have
delayed their own spiritual union with the supreme spirit in order to return
and serve humanity. To the Chinese government, he is the demon rebel, standing between Communist China and the takeover of neighboring Tibet.
In
actuality, he is one of the greatest champions of mankind's precious
right to live one's life according to one's own values and customs. Tenzin Gyatso was born in 1935. He was taken from his parents to an ancient
Buddhist monastery in Tibet where he was groomed for the role of
Dalai Lama, the political and spiritual leader of Tibet. In 1950, the Chinese
government invaded Tibet. Only 15 years old, the Dalai Lama and his aides tried to
cooperate with the Communist invaders, but brutal acts of repression forced
him to flee to Dharamsala, India, in 1959. He has lived in exile ever since. For close to four decades, the Dalai Lama has traveled the world seeking
help
from the international political community to end the destruction of
Tibet's culture by the occupying forces of China. This destruction, which
has been likened to the Jewish Holocaust of W.W. II, has resulted in
the
razing of more than 6,000 temples and the deaths of at least one million Tibetans.
The Dalai Lama's activism has enlisted the support of groups as diverse
as
Amnesty International and Hollywood celebrities such as Harrison Ford. In
1989, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Prize for his commitment in furthering the
causes of nonviolence and human rights.
After more than 50 years of hostile occupation by the Chinese, many aspects of Tibetan culture have been irretrievably lost. However, the work of the Dalai Lama has created a climate of hope in the high mountain country. Limited numbers of Tibetan pilgrims are allowed to visit the Dalai Lama in neighboring India and as long as the monks stay out of the political arena, Buddhist monasteries are largely left in peace. Still, as long as Tibet is denied independence, there will a great deal yet to accomplish before the Dalai Lama realizes a dream he once penned:
. . . of total freedom for all Tibet,
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Written by
Jeff Trussell
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The official website of the Government in Exile of Tibet On the need to have a moratorium on the death penalty, Courtesy of the Engaged Zen Foundation The Nobel Peace Prize of 1989 |
RECOMMENDED
READING | |
 Ethics for the New Millennium by Dalai Lama |
 Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Dalai Lama |
 The Dalai Lama a Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings by and About the Dalai Lama/Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize by Sidney Piburn (Editor), Claiborne Pell |
 The World of the Dalai Lama: An Inside Look at His Life, His People, and His Vision by Gill Farrer-Halls |
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Last changed on:7/19/2004 12:45:30 PM
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