His Holiness the Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935 to a Tibetan farming family in the small village of Taktser in Amdo province. He was named Lhamo Thondup, which literally means ‘Wish-Fulfilling Goddess’.
When he was two years old, Lhamo Thondup was discovered by a search party that had been sent out by the Tibetan government to find the new incarnation of the Dalai Lama. In the winter of 1940, he was taken to the Potala Palace and officially installed as the spiritual leader of Tibet.
While his Holiness describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk, in his lifetime he has travelled to more than 60 countries spanning six continents. He has received more than 150 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes and other acknowledgements in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion – including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
