His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists and a worldwide symbol of kindness, will celebrate his 82nd birthday in the Indian region of Ladakh on Thursday. The Tibetan community in Ladakh and the Ladakh Buddhist Association are hosting a long-life offering ceremony for him.
Tibetan Buddhists regard the Dalai Lama as a manifestation of Chenrezi (Avalokiteshvara), the bodhisattva of compassion. Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th Dalai Lama. Born in 1935 in the northeastern province of Amdo, he was recognized as an incarnation of the previous Dalai Lama when he was 2 years old. In 1959, he escaped the Chinese occupation of Tibet, and has since resided in Dharamsala, India, the site of the Tibetan government-in-exile.
The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Though he routinely travels the world and meets with government leaders, he describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.
Here are five teachings and interviews from our archives in honor of the 14th Dalai Lama’s 82nd year:
Inside Out
Spalding Gray’s interview with the Dalai Lama in Tricycle’s premier issue in 1991
Consider Yourself a Tourist
When we make mistakes, we cannot turn the clock back and try again. All we can do is use the present well, teaches the Dalai Lama.
Jazz Hands and Joy
Book editor John Malkin recalls the lessons about love, friendship, and spirituality that he learned during a weeklong visit with the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The Enemy Within
The Dalai Lama explains why the inner enemy is the most dangerous one.
The (Justifiably) Angry Marxist
Japanese cultural anthropologist Noriyuki Ueda’s 2006 interview with the Dalai Lama on the usefulness of anger, the role of compassion in society, and social and economic justice.