Behind the scenes stories of Dalai Lama, from his long-time secretary & companion

Indian Express

3 days ago

The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the most revered voices for peace, compassion, and non-violence in the modern world, turns 90 on Sunday (July 6).
Here's a behind the scenes look at the man in the words of Tenzin Geyche Tethong, who served in the Dalai Lama's office for more than four decades from 1963 to 2008.
The 14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama was born as Lhamo Thondup on July 6, 1935, in the small village of Taktser in northeastern Tibet. He was recognised as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two, and was formally enthroned in Lhasa at age four and given the spiritual name Tenzin Gyatso.
Educated in Buddhist philosophy, logic, metaphysics, and poetry, the Dalai Lama assumed full political power in 1950 following China's invasion of Tibet. What followed was a decade of tension and communist suppression of the Tibetan identity.
After a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Lhasa, the Dalai Lama fled the Potala Palace in 1959 and took refuge in India: he crossed the border on March 31, 1959. He has lived in exile in McLeodganj since 1960, where he helped establish the Central Tibetan Administration and became the global face of the Tibetan struggle.
Despite advancing age and retirement from political leadership in 2011, he continues to travel, teach, and inspire.
'He has always been very optimistic that he will return to Tibet. It is amazing how he has been able to keep the spirit alive in Tibetans hearts and minds. He has this unique ability to keep Tibetan culture and traditions intact. Today, what the world knows about Tibet and the Tibetan struggle,' Tenzin said.
Renowned for his promotion of interfaith harmony, secular ethics, and universal responsibility, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
A man of many interests
Behind the scenes, the Dalai Lama is a man of many interests.
'I am amazed to see the amount of time he spends reading Buddhist scriptures. You will always find scriptures in his hands,' Tenzin said. 'He is also a very good listener. In most cases, while deciding on any important issue, he always focuses on the consensus.'
Then there is the Dalai Lama's love for gardening. As Tenzin put it: 'He loves flowers'.
'He also had a habit of dismantling things. For instance, he used to dismantle and re-assemble watches. I remember His Holiness once joked, 'People leave their watches with me thinking I can repair them. I dismantle those watches after which they get even worse than the time they were left with me,'' Tenzin said.
Recounting another incident, Tenzin said, 'Once, I went to his room and found that he had dismantled the entire kerosene oil heater and all the parts were spread out'.
That said, the Dalai Lama is not too keen on using modern gadgets and technology. 'Rather, he spends most of his time reading Buddhist scriptures. You will find these scriptures in his hands, even at the breakfast table,' Tenzin said.
Monk who gets angry at times
'The Dalai Lama loves to meditate and interact with people from different religions, cultures and traditions,' said Tenzin. He is kind and compassionate, so much so, he has often spoken of having compassion for the Chinese as well.
'Once a monk who was imprisoned in Tibet escaped and reached here. His Holiness granted him a private audience and asked what he feared the most while in prison. The monk replied saying he feared losing his compassion towards the Chinese. That is the feeling that Buddhist monks have… [They are] full of compassion,' Tenzin said.
The Dalai Lama has also authored numerous books on happiness, science, and compassion, and has engaged deeply with global thinkers — including scientists and religious leaders — on the relationship between mind, matter, and morality.
But this does not make the Dalai Lama completely immune to anger. 'If you are late, if you have not done your work properly, [if you] lack sincerity — these are the things that make him angry sometimes,' Tenzin said, quickly adding: 'But, he overcomes this anger very quickly'.
Even today, the Dalai Lama follows a strict daily routine. 'He has always been a very early riser. He begins his day around 3 am and retires very early around 6.30-7 pm.'
During his youth, he used to frequently trek to Triund [a hill top some 9 km from McLeodganj]. He was an extremely brisk walker. Nobody could match his pace,' Tenzin said.
Except for his knees, the Dalai Lama is in great health for his age. As CTA president Penpa Tsering told The Indian Express, 'He sometimes shows his teeth and says that even at 90, he hasn't lost even a single tooth. Whereas I have already got five [teeth] implanted…'.
Dalai Lama's seven siblings
The Dalai Lama was one of seven siblings, and one of three reincarnated Rinpoche (revered teachers) in the family, along with his oldest brother Jigme Norbu (known as Taktse Rinpoche) and younger brother Ngari Rinpoche. While Jigme Norbu, who was settled in the US, passed away in 2008, Ngari Rinpoche stays in Dharamshala with his family.
The Dalai Lama had two sisters — the late Tsering Dolma and Jetsun Pema, who lives in Dharamshala. Both are respected figures in the Tibetan diaspora for their contribution to the Tibetan Children's Villages (TCVs). Tsering established TCVs to provide education to children of Tibetan refugees; after her passing, Jetsun took over their administration. Jetsun also headed the education portfolio in the CTA.
The Dalai Lama's older brother, Gyalo Thondup, passed away a few months ago in Kalimpong. Gyalo played a crucial role in the initial years of exile in Sino-Tibetan dialogue. He was the one who initially tried to engage talks between China and the Dalai Lama. He also authored the book Noodle Makers of Kalimpong.
The Dalai Lama's younger brother Lobsang Samten passed away a long time ago. His son, Tenzin Taklha, is currently serving as the Dalai Lama's secretary. Samten also headed the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute.