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Many people told Tibetans in the 1960s that their quest for freedom was hopeless, the Dalai Lama says. With political changes in the former Soviet Union and East Germany, he believes Tibetan freedom isn?t that far-fetched. Obstacles remain before Tibetans have political and social freedom in their homeland, the Dalai Lama says. The old Chinese Communist leaders are in their 80s, and he believes the first generation of revolutionaries still respect and obey the government regime.

Even with no signs of political liberalization, the Communist Party?s free market reforms have improved the Tibetan economy and quelled unrest. And many Chinese sympathize with the Tibetan freedom movement, the Dalai Lama says. Once the current Chinese leaders are gone, ?then I don?t see any obstacle.?

In 1963, His Holiness promulgated a democratic constitution, based on Buddhist

principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as a model for a future free Tibet. Since then, the Dalai Lama has been the most vigorous advocate for the refugee’s own democratic experiment, while consistently reaffirming his desire not to hold political office once Tibet regains its independence. The Dalai Lama continues to present new initiatives to resolve the Tibetan issue. At the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in

1987, he proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan as a first step toward resolving the future status of Tibet. This plan called for the designation of Tibet as a zone of non-violence, an end to the massive transfer of Chinese into Tibet, restoration of fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms, and the abandonment of China’s use of Tibet for nuclear weapons production and the dumping of nuclear waste, as well as urging “earnest negotiations” on the future of Tibet.

The Dalai Lama continued what he viewed as the most realistic effort to create a self-governing democratic Tibet. His proposal, made in Strasbourg, France in 1988, included the accommodation of China’s own interests while preserving the Tibetan peoples’ ultimate authority in forming their government. However, the Dalai Lama faced a closed and negative attitude from the Chinese leadership in response to his efforts, causing him to declare the Strasbourg Proposal as no longer binding in 1991.

His travels have taken him to Brazil, England, Switzerland and the United States, where he met with President George Bush in April 1991. That meeting ended a 30-year American boycott of the Tibetan leader. The United States never has officially recognized Tibet, considering it part of China.

The Dalai Lama has met with several major heads of state as well as other senior political, religious, cultural and business leaders to speak on his belief in the oneness of the human family and the need for each individual to develop a sense of universal responsibility. In October, 1989, during a dialogue with eight rabbis and scholars from the United States in Dharamsala, The Dalai Lama said, “When we became refugees, we knew our struggle would not be easy; it would take a long time, generations. Very often we would refer to the Jewish people, how they kept their identity and faith despite such hardship and so much suffering. And, when external conditions were ripe they were ready to rebuild their nation. So you see, there are many things to learn from our Jewish brothers and sisters.”

His talks in other forums focused on the commonality of faiths and the need for unity among different religions: “I always believe that it is much better to have a variety of religions, a variety of philosophies, rather than one single religion or philosophy. This is necessary because of the different mental dispositions of each human being. Each religion has certain unique ideas or techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one’s own faith.”

The Dalai Lama has received numerous honorary doctorates from Universities worldwide. In 1989, he received The Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasized the Dalai Lama’s consistent opposition of the use of violence in Tibet’s struggle for freedom and remarked that, “The Dalai Lama has developed his philosophy of peace from a great reverence for all things living and upon the concept of universal responsibility embracing all mankind as well as nature…[he] has come forward with constructive and forward-looking proposals for the solution of international conflicts, human rights issues and global environmental problems.”

Despite his great achievements, the Dalai Lama remains modest, often saying “I am just a simple Buddhist monk — no more, no less.”

While fighting for peace and freedom for his people and others, His Holiness has authored many books. Some intended to teach others to tell stories. Ancient Wisdom, Modern World – Ethics for a New Millennium is the latest book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his first major publication in recent years. In this work, His Holiness calls for a revolution – not a political, an economic, a technical or even a religious revolution, but a spiritual revolution to help us through the moral maze of modern life.

Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart is a practical instruction book on developing compassion in our daily lives through simple meditations that directly relate to past and present relationships. Cultivating a Daily Meditation includes two discourses in which His Holiness touches upon the essential points of the Dharma and provides a clear and simple method to cultivate a daily practice of meditation. He also explains how we should proceed in the effort to generate both the heart of compassion and the expansive view of emptiness in our daily life. Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Wisdom is an inspirational volume offering encouragement to anyone seeking a more peaceful and liberating way of life. Here the Dalai Lama

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