Naveed
Long before he became a globally recognized face of Buddhism, he was a farmer’s toddler named Lhamo Dhondup in a remote Tibetan hamlet. At age two, a search party of monks identified him as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, setting him on a path toward monastic training, a Geshe Lharampa doctorate in Buddhist philosophy, and eventually the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. His religious identity is inseparable from his biography: he is a Tibetan Buddhist monk of the Gelug school who has spent decades explaining Buddhist thought to a global audience, including scientists and leaders of other faiths.
| Religion | Tibetan Buddhism (Gelug school) |
| Role | 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader |
| Nationality | Tibetan |
| Born | July 6, 1935, in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet |
| Recognized | Identified as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at age two |
Recognized as a Reincarnate Lama in Childhood
According to the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Nobel Prize biography, Lhamo Dhondup was born in 1935 and, at age two, was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. He was formally enthroned at the Potala Palace in Lhasa in February 1940 and began his monastic education at age six. Within Tibetan Buddhist doctrine, Dalai Lamas are considered a lineage of tulkus regarded as manifestations of Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig), the bodhisattva of compassion.
The Core Buddhist Philosophy He Teaches
As a senior lama of the Gelug or “Yellow Hat” school founded by Tsongkhapa, he teaches from the Middle Way tradition of the Indian philosopher Nagarjuna, addressing selflessness, dependent origination, and the causes of suffering, as laid out in his own book “The Middle Way: Faith Grounded in Reason.” He frequently grounds these ideas in Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path: ethical discipline, wisdom, and compassion. He has summarized his outlook simply, once writing, “my religion is kindness,” a line widely traced to the 1990 anthology “A Policy of Kindness.”
His Views on Interfaith Dialogue and Science
Since 1987 he has co-founded and participated in the Mind & Life Institute’s dialogues, pairing Buddhist scholars with neuroscientists, physicists, and biologists to study consciousness, emotion, and contemplative practice. He has also backed the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, which since 2006 has brought physics, biology, and neuroscience into the core curriculum of Tibetan monastic institutions. In his 1989 Nobel lecture he stated that “everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion,” a view consistent with his decades of engagement with leaders of other faiths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old was the Dalai Lama when he was recognized as a tulku?
He was two years old when a search party identified him as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama; he was formally enthroned in 1940 at age four.
What Buddhist school does the Dalai Lama belong to?
He is a senior lama of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by Tsongkhapa, and holds a Geshe Lharampa doctorate in Buddhist philosophy earned in 1959.
