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Why Is the Dalai Lama Living in Exile? Essay

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The Dalai Lama is Tibet’s leading political and spiritual leader, who was forced to leave his homeland in 1959 due to the unrest caused by the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1949. The Dalai Lama is very important to Tibetan society, he is revered as the supreme leader of Tibet, as he is believed to embody the ideals of Buddhism that govern Tibetan society. The Chinese occupation of Tibet and their aggressive and hostile actions have made it a dangerous place for the Dalai Lama. The Chinese invasion has had a dramatic impact on Tibet’s society, it has lead to the death of over one million Tibetans and the destruction of land and sacred sites.
The Dalai Lama has been honoured as the supreme leader of the Tibetan people both spiritually and as …show more content…

Talks of peace have been consistently met with broken promises and acts of violence. Formal negotiations with Chinese ended in 1993. The Chinese aggressive occupation of Tibet has made it an unsafe place for the Dalai Lama to live
The Dalai Lama is extremely important in Tibetan society as “their national life is wholly dedicated to Buddhism.” For centuries he has been the supreme leader both spiritually and as the head of government. The origin of Tibetan Buddhism dates back to the sixth century BC. Gautama Buddha was a holy man from India who attained enlightenment. He created the religion of Buddhism as a way to teach other people how to become enlightened. Gautama Buddha’s wisdom and religion made it to Tibet and was established firmly there. Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries monks from other countries came to Tibet to practice Buddhism, movements and schools grew out of this. The Gelug tradition school became the leading and all forms of Tibetan Buddhism came from it and the tradition of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama began. There have been Dalai Lamas since the 14th Century in Tibet. The name Dalai Lama is a combination of the Mongolian word "Dalai" meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word "Blama" meaning "chief" or "high priest”. It is believed by the Tibetan people that he is the reincarnation of a long

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