HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA:

His Holiness the 14th the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born on 6 July 1935, and was recognised at the age of two, as the reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama. He began his education at the age of six and completed the Geshe Lharampa Degree (Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy) when he was 25 in 1959.

On 17th November 1950, His Holiness was called upon to assume full political power (head of the State and Government) after the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army invaded Tibet. His Holiness escaped to India in 1959 where he was given political asylum. Some 80,000 Tibetan refugees followed Him into exile. Today, there are more than 120,000 Tibetans in exile. Since 1960, he has resided in Dharamsala, Northern India.

Since 1967, His Holiness has been invited to visit various parts of the world to share his message of peace, non-violence and universal responsibility and about the situation of Tibet. In 1989 His Holiness the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the non-violent Tibetan struggle for freedom.