His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is coming to Santa Clara on February 24th to speak on the topic of Business, Ethics and Compassion. For all you Her Campus Santa Clara readers, here’s a little bio on His Holiness before he comes to campus. The Dalai Lama is the 14th reincarnation of the supreme lama in Tibetan Buddhism. He is currently 78 years old and was recognized as the 14th reincarnation when he was just two years old.
In 1950, China invaded Tibet, and as a teenager His Holiness was asked to assume full political power of Tibet, traveling to Beijing for peace talks with Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong. Tibet is currently part of China but is struggling for independence. There was a Tibetan national uprising in 1959 in Lhasa, and during this uprising, the Dalai Lama denounced the People’s Republic of China and fled to Dharamasala, India, seeking exile. However, while in exile over the years, His Holiness saw the election of a truly democratic Tibetan Parliament, and in 2011, he retired as the political head of Tibet, leaving all power to the democracy. He is the first Dalai Lama to not be both the political and religious leader of Tibet in 368 years. The Dalai Lama continues to advocate the Middle Way of Tibetan Buddhism in dealing with this conflict by using non-violent action and diplomacy to support and work toward Tibetan independence. His Holiness received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 as well as a Congressional Gold Medal in 2006 for his efforts.
If you didn’t get a ticket already there’s no need to worry, as there will be a live stream of the Dalai Lama throughout campus and through LINC-TV. Also, keep an eye out for many events and talks around campus that are explaining the history of the Dalai Lama (the figure and the position) as well as the politics of His Holiness. The Dalai Lama will also be speaking at events in San Francisco and Berkeley, about which you can get more information on his website. Should you get the chance you should definitely try to tune in to hear this rare dialogue!