Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama is a title given to members of a prominent incarnation lineage within the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.[1] The successive Dalai Lama incarnations were the temporal leaders of the Tibetan state from 1642, during the time of the 5th Dalai Lama, until 1959, when the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet to escape the Chinese Communist occupation.[2]
The current Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, also led the Central Tibetan Administration (the government for the Tibetans in exile) from 1960 until 2011, at which time he retired from his temporal leadership role. He continues in his role as a spiritual leader for the Tibetan people.
The title of "Dalai Lama" is taken from the name given by Altan Khan, the leader of the Tumed Mongols, to the 3rd Dalai Lama.
- Dalai is the Mongolian word for "ocean" or "big".[3][4]
- Lama (T. bla ma) is the Tibetan word for a "guru" or "teacher".
The Dalai Lama is also considered to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be incarnations of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the protector of Tibet.[2][5]
The current Dalai Lama is recognized as a spiritual teacher throughout the world.[6]
List of Dalai Lamas
There have been 14 recognized incarnations of the Dalai Lama in Tibet.
| Title | Portrait | Name (Lifespan) |
Period in office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Dalai Lama |  |
Gedun Drupa (1391–1474) |
?-1474 |
| 2nd Dalai Lama | Gedun Gyatso (1475–1542) |
1492-1542 | |
| 3rd Dalai Lama |  |
Sonam Gyatso (1543–1588) |
1578-1588 |
| 4th Dalai Lama | Yonten Gyatso (1589–1617) |
1601-1617 | |
| 5th Dalai Lama |  |
Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617–1682) |
1642-1682 |
| 6th Dalai Lama |  |
Tsangyang Gyatso (1683–1706) |
1697-1706 |
| 7th Dalai Lama | Kelzang Gyatso (1708–1757) |
1720-1757 | |
| 8th Dalai Lama | Jamphel Gyatso (1758–1804) |
1762-1804 | |
| 9th Dalai Lama | Lungtok Gyatso (1805–1815) |
1810-1815 | |
| 10th Dalai Lama | Tsultrim Gyatso (1816–1837) |
1826-1837 | |
| 11th Dalai Lama | Khedrup Gyatso (1838–1856) |
1842 - 1856 | |
| 12th Dalai Lama |  |
Trinley Gyatso (1857–1875) |
1860 - 1875 |
| 13th Dalai Lama |  |
Thubten Gyatso (1876–1933) |
1879 - 1933 |
| 14th Dalai Lama | .jpg) |
Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) |
1950 - present |
Notes
- ↑ van Schaik 2011, p. 129.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. Dalai Lama.
- ↑ Laird 2006, p. 143.
- ↑ Deriving from the Mongolian title Dalaiyin qan or Dalaiin khan; see Schwieger (2014), p.33
- ↑ Laird 2006, p. 12.
- ↑ Puri 2006
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University- Laird, Thomas (2006), The Story of Tibet : Conversations with the Dalai Lama (1st ed.), New York: Grove Press, ISBN 978-0-8021-1827-1
- Puri, Bharati (2006) "Engaged Buddhism – The Dalai Lama's Worldview" New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2006
- Schwieger, Peter (2014), The Dalai Lama and the Emperor of China: a political history of the Tibetan institution of reincarnation, New York: Columbia University Press, ISBN 978-0-231-53860-2
van Schaik, Sam (2011), Tibet. A History, New Haven & London: Yale University Press
Further reading
- Dalai Lama (1991). Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama. San Francisco, CA.
- Goodman, Michael H. (1986). The Last Dalai Lama. Shambhala Publications. Boston, MA.
External links
- "Short Biographies of the Previous Dalai Lamas". DalaiLama.com.
Dalai Lama, Wikipedia
