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Dalai Lama
All forms of Buddhism
believe in reincarnation; everyone is bound to a cycle of birth,
life, death and rebirth until they gain enlightenment and can
'step off the wheel'. Certain enlightened ones choose to stay on
the wheel of life as an act of charity and kindness, to assist
others in finding enlightenment. These 'volunteer returnees' are
called Bodhisattvas.
In Tibet, the regional form of Buddhism has evolved a kind of
inheritance. The inheritance flows not from parent to child, but
from deceased to his reincarnation. Recognized reincarnates
proliferate in Tibet and are called tulkus. The most famous
tulku is the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama was first recognized in the sixteenth century.
The first person so designated, a leader of the 'yellow sect' of
Tibetan Buddhism named Sonan Gyats, was given the title of the
Third Dalai Lama, and his two predecessors were recognized as
the first and second Dalai Lamas after the fact. It was the
fifth Dalai Lama who became the state ruler as well as religious
leader of Tibet. 'Dalai Lama' means Ocean of Wisdom, and all
holders of the title are assumed to be the earthly incarnation
of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.
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The Dalai Lama is a Buddhist leader of religious officials of
the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name
is a combination of the Mongolian word Далай "Dalai" meaning
"Ocean" and the Tibetan word བླ་མ ་"Blama" (with a silent b)
meaning "chief" or "high priest."[1] "Lama" is a general term
referring to Tibetan Buddhist teachers.
In religious terms, the Dalai Lama is believed by his devotees
to be the rebirth of a long line of tulkus who are considered
to be manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion,
Avalokiteśvara. Traditionally, the Dalai Lama is thought of as
the latest reincarnation of a series of spiritual leaders who
have chosen to be reborn in order to enlighten others. The
Dalai Lama is often thought to be the director of the Gelug
School, but this position belongs officially to the Ganden
Tripa, which is a temporary position appointed by the Dalai
Lama who, in practice, exerts much influence.
For certain periods of time between the 17th century and 1959,
the Dalai Lamas sometimes directed the Tibetan Government,
which administered portions of Tibet from Lhasa. The 14th
Dalai Lama remained the head of state for the Central Tibetan
Administration ("Tibetan government in exile") until his
retirement on March 14, 2011. He has indicated that the
institution of the Dalai Lama may be abolished in the future,
and also that the next Dalai Lama may be found outside Tibet
and may be female.
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