This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WM chapter.
You might have heard that the Dalai Lama is coming to William and Mary. It’s kind of a big deal. He is a global figure, a spiritual leader with great influence in our world, and the winner of a Nobel Peace Prize. Of course, you already knew that much, but here are a few more things you should know before attending his lecture on human compassion on October 10th.
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The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. They have postponed their own nirvana in order to serve others.
- His Holiness was recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalia Lama, at the age of two.
- For many years he was a vegetarian until his doctor told him to consume some meat for his health.
- He has said many times that he lives his life in accordance to three commitments: to promote basic human values in order for the people of the world to be happy, to promote interreligious understanding and harmony, and to promote the welfare of the Tibetan people while protecting their identity, culture, and religion.
- He is not only the spiritual leader of Tibet, but also the head of state.
- He is the author of more than 72 books.
- His Holiness spends about 80% of his life on spiritual activity and 20% on leading and ruling Tibet.
- He is one of sixteen children. His parents were famers.
- You can follow His Holiness on Twitter @DalaiLama, for daily inspiration and focus. He recently tweeted “The best way of fulfilling your own interest is to take care of others.”
- When asked how he viewed himself his response was, “I always consider myself as a simple Buddhist monk. I feel that is the real me. I feel that the Dalai Lama as a temporal ruler is a man-made institution. As long as the people accept the Dalai Lama, they will accept me. But being a monk is something which belongs to me. No one can change that. Deep down inside, I always consider myself a monk, even in my dreams.”
Didn’t get a ticket? Don’t worry, you can watch the livestream, 2pm EST
Sources
http://www.dalailama.com/biography
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1989/lama-bio.html