From 2015 to 2019, I had the privilege of serving on the small Advisory Board of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT. For those who many not be familiar what the Dalai Center Center’s mission, its mission statement is: “The Dalai Lama Center at MIT is a collaborative Think Tank that promotes the discussion of ethical behavior and its applications.” During my time on the Advisory Board, I became aware of the philosophy and the transcendent good works of the Dalai Lama and the incredible people who work with him, such as the late Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Venerable Tenzin Priyardashi, and others. One unforgettable moment during that wonderful experience and time was when my family attended a presentation and reception with His Holiness at MIT.
During that same time, we introduced several Dalai Lama Center programs to junior high and high schools in Pennsylvania, including its Compassionate Young Leaders Program and its Young Peace Leaders Program. These programs train both teachers and young student leaders to live, lead, and teach with cognitive skills, social-emotional understanding, and ethical purpose. These great programs are much needed in today’s often uncivil environment. When I became aware that the Dalai Lama was publishing a new book at 90 years old, “Voice for the Voiceless: Over Seven Decades of Struggle With China for My Land and My People,” I was prompted to reflect upon my time with Dalai Lama Center, which was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.
As the Dalai Lama approaches his ninetieth birthday, his new book offers a few thoughts about the life he has led and the world he will eventually leave behind. Born 6 July 1935, he was forced to flee from Tibet in 1959 after China’s occupation — he has lived in exile ever since. Journalist Alexandra Alter reports, “During his decades living in exile, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, has published dozens of books — including two autobiographies and works on ethics, Buddhist philosophy and practice, and the overlap between religion and science. But he has rarely delved extensively into raw politics. Now, in ‘Voice for the Voiceless: Over Seven Decades of Struggle With China for My Land and My People,’ he offers his first detailed account of his fraught negotiations with a succession of China’s leaders, from meeting with Mao Zedong when he was just 19, to his more recent attempts to communicate with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese officials. … The Dalai Lama writes, he aims to leave a record of his work, and guidance for those who take up the Tibetan cause after his death.”[1]
The Dalai Lama was born to a humble farming family in Taktser (Hongya Village), in the traditional Tibetan region of Amdo. At the age of 2, in 1937, he was selected as the tulku of the 13th Dalai Lama (i.e., the person recognized as the reincarnation of a previous Buddhist master). He was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1939. His enthronement ceremony was held in Lhasa on 22 February 1940. As noted above, in 1959 when Tibetans unsuccessfully revolted against Communist Chinese rule, the Dalai Lama escaped to India, where he continues to live. On 29 April 1959, the Dalai Lama established the independent Tibetan government in exile in the north Indian hill station of Mussoorie, which then moved in May 1960 to Dharamshala, where he resides. Although living outside of Tibet since then, his heart and thoughts have never left the country. He writes, “One important task of my life, since the age of 16, has been the leadership of a nation and its people. … My entire adult life mirrors the tragic fate of Tibet and its people. For nearly nine years after the invasion, I tried to reach some kind of accommodation, including traveling to Beijing to meet with Chairman Mao Zedong. Sadly, despite the assuring words of Mao himself — even though what he whispered to me about religion being poison did unsettle me — saving Tibet and the Tibetan people while remaining inside Tibet proved impossible.”[2]
In his new book, Alter notes, “He aims to leave a record of his work, and guidance for those who take up the Tibetan cause after his death.” This is important because, as the Dalai Lama writes, “It has been nearly 75 years since China’s invasion, and this month marks 66 years since my escape. Tibetans inside Tibet continue to be deprived of their dignity as a people and their freedom to live according to their own wishes and their culture, as they did for more than a millennium before 1950.” Throughout his life, the Dalai Lama has demonstrated great compassion along with great wisdom. He has closely watched the rise of China and, at this critical juncture in history, he asks, “Will it choose the path of dominance and aggression, both internally and externally? Or will it choose the path of responsibility and embrace a constructive leading role on the world stage?”
His desire, of course, is that the Chinese government will choose to be a force for good in the world. He writes, “[That] path is in the interest not only of the whole world but also of the Chinese people themselves. In essence, this is a matter of the very heart of China as a country and its people.” He then turns his attention to Tibet. He writes, “I believe that resolving the long-standing problem of Tibet through dialogue would be a powerful signal, both to its own people and to the world, that China is choosing the second of these two paths. What is required from China’s leadership is long-term vision, courage and magnanimity.” Unfortunately, he doesn’t appear sanguine about the near-term prospects for that outcome. He recounts his tireless efforts to negotiate a way forward with the Chinese government. He concludes, “I have tried my best, ceaselessly, to make openings for a negotiated settlement with Beijing. In fact, through my envoys, I have presented to Beijing a road map that outlines how a mutually satisfactory resolution of the long-standing issue of Tibet could be achieved. Ours is an existential struggle: The very survival of an ancient people and their culture, language and religion is at stake. The Tibetan people have no choice but to persist in our just struggle.”
The Dalai Lama’s greatest fear is total loss of Tibet’s culture and identity. He explains, “Because any expression of Tibetan identity seems to be increasingly viewed as a threat by Beijing leadership, there is the danger that in the name of ‘stability’ and ‘territorial integrity,’ attempts might be made to erase our civilization.” Nevertheless, he writes, “The indomitable spirit and resilience of Tibetans, particularly inside Tibet, remain a source of inspiration and encouragement for me.” Because he fears the loss of Tibetan culture, journalist Tripti Lahiri reports, “He intends to be reincarnated outside China and called on the Tibetan people to reject any successor chosen by Beijing. It is a high-stakes fight central to the survival of Tibetan religion, culture and politics.”[3] According to journalist Krishna N. Das, “He had previously said the line of spiritual leaders might end with him. His book marks the first time the Dalai Lama has specified that his successor would be born in the ‘free world’, which he describes as outside China. He has previously said only that he could reincarnate outside Tibet, possibly in India where he lives in exile.”[4]
In his opinion piece in the Washington Post, the Dalai Lama wrote, “I have been able to live a life with freedom, joy and purpose, and have been able to make some contribution toward the betterment of humanity.” His new book expresses his desire that his work be continued “so that the traditional mission of the Dalai Lama — that is, to be the voice for universal compassion, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the symbol of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan people — will continue.” I am grateful His Holiness is still with us, and I hope his ninetieth birthday is just one of many to come. When he does pass, his legacy is assured. Each of us must someday confront the reality that the world will go on without us. Leonardo da Vinci once wrote, “As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well-used brings happy death.” The 14th Dalai Lama has certainly led “a life well-used.”
Footnotes
[1] Alexandra Alter, “The Dalai Lama Shares Thoughts on China and the Future in a New Book,” The New York Times, 23 January 2025.
[2] The Dalai Lama, “The Dalai Lama: My hope for the Tibetan people,” The Washington Post, 6 March 2025.
[3] Tripti Lahiri, “In New Book, Dalai Lama Tells Followers to Reject Any Successor Chosen by China,” The Wall Street Journal, 10 March 2025.
[4] Krishna N. Das, “Dalai Lama says his successor to be born outside China,” Reuters, 10 March 2025.
