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Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
As Dalai Lama turns 90, Tibetans fear Beijing's grip on what comes next
DEHRADUN (India), June 28 — Tibetans in exile celebrate the 90th birthday of spiritual leader the Dalai Lama next week, an occasion overshadowed by uncertainty about the future of the role and what it means for their movement. The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist — who Tibetans say is the 14th reincarnation of the 600-year-old post — will reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him. The inevitable change ahead brings wider concerns for Tibetans over the struggle to keep their identity alive after generations in exile, following a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. There is widespread support among Tibetans in exile for the Dalai Lama role to remain, said Dawa Tashi, once jailed in Tibet for his criticism of Beijing. The Dalai Lama has said the institution will continue only if there is popular demand. 'I strongly believe the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama will continue,' said Tashi, of the India-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. 'This hope is not only shared by Tibetans inside and outside Tibet, but by thousands who are connected to the Dalai Lama across the world,' he told AFP. The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed the uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa. The Dalai Lama has been lauded by his followers for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau in China about the size of South Africa. 'Vested political interests' The Dalai Lama handed over political authority in 2011 to an exiled government chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally. At the same time, he warned that the future of his spiritual post faced an 'obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system'. Many Tibetans in exile fear China will name a successor to bolster its control over Tibet. The Dalai Lama has said that if there is a successor it will come from the 'free world' outside China's control. The Dalai Lama has long said he does not seek full independence for Tibet. Beijing says the territory is an integral part of China and that the Dalai Lama 'has no right to represent the Tibetan people'. Whatever the Dalai Lama decides about his role, 'the freedom movement must continue regardless', said Kunga Tashi, a 23-year-old Tibetan software engineer in India's tech hub Bengaluru. 'The Chinese government and even Tibetans still equate the Dalai Lama with the freedom struggle,' he said. 'And that is why his reincarnation feels like a turning point.' 'Continuity of the institution' The Dalai Lama, recognised worldwide in his red robes and wide smile, lives an austere monastic life in India's Himalayan hill town of McLeod Ganj. He has said he wants to live until 113. Penpa Tsering, the sikyong or head of the government which is also based in McLeod Ganj, said that senior Buddhist elders, or lamas, will meet the Dalai Lama on July 2. The same day they will open the grand meeting of religious leaders, during which a video message by the Dalai Lama will be broadcast. No details of its message have been released. The Dalai Lama's translator of nearly four decades, Thupten Jinpa, believes that 'the continuity of the institution will remain', meaning that, in time, there 'will be a new Dalai Lama'. 'Today, many young Tibetans prioritise personal success over collective struggle,' said Geshema Tenzin Kunsel, a nun in her 50s from Dolma Ling Nunnery, near McLeod Ganj. 'In his absence, I fear what our future might look like.' 'Shape our own destiny' Tibetans who spoke to AFP say they will keep up their campaign no matter what happens in the coming weeks. 'While we haven't yet achieved our goal of returning to a free Tibet, we've come further than anyone could have imagined — and that's because of His Holiness (the Dalai Lama),' said Sonam Topgyal, 26, a university student in New Delhi. Nepal-based Sakina Batt, 35, a former civil servant with the Tibetan administration, is part of Tibet's minority Muslim population. She too believes that the reincarnation process should 'continue as it has for generations, preserving its sacred tradition without interruption'. But she also said that it depended on the people, not just one leader. 'The future of Tibetans depends on unity and resilience,' she said. 'It's ultimately up to us to shape our own destiny.' — AFP
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
‘Just another human being': Dalai Lama's enduring grace, in his translator's words
NEW DELHI, June 28 — With his flowing red monk's robes, beaming smile and contagious laugh, the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, has been the charismatic global face of his people's cause for decades. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk, Tenzin Gyatso, is expected to celebrate his 90th birthday on July 6 with huge crowds in northern India, his base since leaving his homeland fleeing Chinese troops in 1959. While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a 'simple Buddhist monk'. Thupten Jinpa, his translator of nearly four decades, described a man who uses humour to calm, fierce intellect to debate, and combines self-discipline with tolerance of others. 'He's never deluded by being extraordinary,' said Jinpa, an eminent Buddhist scholar born in Tibet. The Dalai Lama treats those he meets in the same manner whether they are a president or a peasant, world leader or Hollywood star. 'When he's getting ready to go and see a president or a prime minister, everybody around him is all getting nervous he's just completely relaxed,' said Jinpa, who is now a professor at Montreal's McGill University. 'Once I asked him how is it that he's not nervous, and he said, basically, 'the person I'm meeting is just another human being, just like me!'' 'Self-confidence and humility' Despite being revered as the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, a role stretching back more than 600 years, he does not act with a sense of superiority. 'He is one of the most self-confident people I've ever met in my life,' Jinpa said. 'Self-confidence and humility generally don't go together that well, but in him, they sit beautifully.' Jinpa highlighted the Dalai Lama's ability to bring people together through his 'contagious' sense of humour and famous giggling 'individual laugh'. 'He uses humour immediately, so he has this ability to make you feel at ease.' But the translator also described a man who applied the rigorous education and skills of philosophical debate learned as a monk to address the challenges of a complex world. 'He's gone through a formal academic training,' said Jinpa, who himself studied as a monk and holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge. 'So when he's sitting down with scientists and philosophers and thinkers in deep conversation, his ability to get to the gist, and ask the question that points towards the next challenge, is an amazing display of his focus.' Jinpa described a man who pursues an austere monastic life with 'very high discipline'. 'He gets up at 3:30am and has meditation. He doesn't eat after lunch, which is one of the precepts of monastic ethics,' he said. 'He has always maintained this strictly.' While he was born to a farming family, the Dalai Lama grew up in Lhasa's Potala Palace, a vast building reputed to have 1,000 rooms. Since then he has spent much of his life in a hilltop monastic complex in India's town of McLeod Ganj. 'His bedroom is actually a small corridor between two large rooms, doors on the two sides, and a three-by-six single bed attached to the wall, and next to it is a shower cubicle — and that's it,' Jinpa said. 'He has got his photographs of his gurus, teachers, above his bed — very simple.' 'Non-judgement' But the Dalai Lama balances that toughness towards himself with softness for those he meets. 'Generally, when people are more pious, more disciplined, more pure, they also tend to be less tolerant,' Jinpa said. 'A lot of the intolerance really comes from puritanism in the world, whether it's religious or ideology,' he added. 'But again, in him, this understanding and non-judgement towards others — and expectation of a high standard for himself — it sits beautifully.' Jinpa added that as the holder of a centuries-old institution, the Dalai Lama places his people before himself. 'In all the negotiations that he has had with China, he has constantly made the point that the issue is not about his return, or his status,' he said. 'The issue is about the Tibetan people — there are over six million of us,' said Jinpa. 'Their ability to be self-governing on the Tibetan plateau, which is their historical home, and their ability to exist with dignity as a distinct people within the People's Republic of China.' — AFP
Globe and Mail
11 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Breaking Down Barriers, Lighting Up the Stars: Tiens Group's 30-Year Journey of Fulfilling Educational Dreams
In the heart of Mr. Li Jinyuan, founder of Tiens Group, education is not only the warm transmission of one lamp lighting another, but also the cornerstone of a nation's lasting prosperity. For more than thirty years, this globally minded entrepreneur has, with unwavering determination, transformed his personal success into fertile soil for education: from the difficult moment of selling his Mercedes-Benz to pay employees' wages, to investing tens of billions to build a comprehensive educational ecosystem spanning from primary schools to higher education; from the first brick-and-mortar classroom on the Tibetan plateau to the resonant voices of students in an international secondary school in Singapore... Mr. Li, together with Tiens Group, has exemplified what it means to "benefit all people and fulfill responsibilities through action." In his eyes, every child deserves the right to gaze at the stars, and Tiens' mission is precisely to tear down the barriers of geography and birth, allowing the clear stream of knowledge to nourish every inch of land yearning for growth. A Childlike Wish: Ensuring Every Child Has the Right to Pursue Their Dreams Every child is a born dreamer, painting visions of the future with innocent voices—some wish to become scientists, others aspire to be teachers, and some long to soar into space. Yet not all children have equal access to these dreams. Mr. Li Jinyuan deeply understands that education is the key to transforming one's destiny. Since 1996, under his leadership, Tiens Group has used education as a powerful lever to uplift and reshape the futures of countless children. In Nagqu, Tibet, the primary school funded and built by Tiens gave children on the plateau their first bright and welcoming classrooms. In Tianjin, the transformation of Tianshi College from a vocational institution to a full-fledged undergraduate college opened wider starting lines for millions of aspiring students. In Singapore, the international secondary school under the Tiens banner has become a bridge connecting Chinese students to world-renowned universities. These efforts are more than just financial contributions—they are weighty promises: Tiens is committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of background, can pursue their dreams with courage. Footprints of Love: From a Single Classroom to a Fertile Land of Education Tiens' path in education is an epic written with responsibility. In the early days, when the company faced hardships, founder Mr. Li Jinyuan resolutely sold his Mercedes-Benz to pay employees' wages. As the enterprise grew, that same sense of duty evolved into a comprehensive educational commitment—from the first classroom in Nagqu, Tibet, to an educational landscape that spans across China and beyond. Every step Tiens has taken to support children's dreams has been fueled by a heart full of sincerity. In 1996, Mr. Li Jinyuan invested 80 million yuan to establish Tianjin Tianshi College. Over the following two decades, he continued to invest heavily, transforming a barren land into a modern educational park spanning 320 hectares. Today, thanks to Mr. Li's tireless dedication, Tiens Group operates not only a university capable of accommodating more than 40,000 students, but also the Six Forces Primary and Secondary Schools, covering the entire educational spectrum from elementary to high school. The remarkable achievements of Tianshi College have even drawn Nobel laureates and Olympic champions from around the world to visit and exchange ideas. For nearly thirty years, Tiens Group's unwavering commitment to education has demonstrated that education is not a fleeting act of charity, but a flame passed down through generations. Through education, Mr. Li Jinyuan and Tiens Group have nurtured children's dreams with deep care and dedication, bringing the notion of 'social responsibility' to life in the most vivid and concrete way. A Torch of Aspiration: The Entrepreneurial Spirit Illuminates the Future of the Nation and Home "When an enterprise is small, it belongs to individuals; as it grows, it belongs to society, and ultimately to the nation." This humble yet profound remark from Mr. Li Jinyuan reveals the spiritual core of Tiens Group. From launching a patriotic venture amid China's reform and opening-up, to expanding its global footprint across 224 countries and regions; from selling his car to support the company in times of difficulty and setting an example in the real economy, to generously contributing 21 billion yuan to educational philanthropy—Tiens has always closely linked its corporate growth to the destiny of the nation. Amidst the nation's vibrant development and days filled with promise, investing in education takes on even deeper meaning. Over the years, Tiens has not only provided material donations but has also built a comprehensive 'educational ecosystem'—from primary schools to universities, from China to the world, from financial contributions to resource integration. This systematic investment stands as a vivid embodiment of the national strategy of 'Revitalizing the Nation Through Science and Education.' In the Name of Love, Journeying Together Toward the Stars and the Sea When children recite aloud in classrooms built by Tiens, and when students step onto the global stage through Tianshi College's '3+1,' '2+2' undergraduate training models, or the '3+1+1' bachelor-master integrated program, what we see is not merely a charitable act by a corporation, but a national enterprise's heartfelt investment in the future of both individuals and the country. Under the leadership of Mr. Li Jinyuan, Tiens has used education to offer children one of life's most precious gifts—the opportunity for their dreams to blossom. "Feel Love, Create Love, Share Love"—Tiens Group's philanthropic philosophy has taken root like a seed in the hearts of countless children. Behind this vision stands Mr. Li Jinyuan, who, with the resilience of an entrepreneur and the compassion of a patriot, is writing a noble chapter of dedication to both nation and people. Such an enterprise is worthy of every ounce of trust; such a story deserves to be passed down for generations. As the echoes of the exam bell linger, the scroll of life quietly unfolds. Tiens Group firmly believes that education is the finest support for one's journey—letting the starlight of knowledge illuminate the road ahead, empowering the striving youth to reach distant mountains and seas, and building a ladder to lift every young dream toward the skies. Media Contact Company Name: Tiens Group Contact Person: Hefei Li Email: Send Email Country: China Website:
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Auspicious signs: how the Dalai Lama is identified
Fourteen Dalai Lamas have guided Tibet's Buddhists for the past six centuries, which believers say are reincarnations of each other, identified in opaque processes ranging from auspicious signs to divination. China says Tibet is an integral part of the country, and many exiled Tibetans fear Beijing will name a rival successor, bolstering control over a land it poured troops into in 1950. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born to a farming family in 1935 and has spent most of his life in exile in India. He has said that if there is a successor, they will come from the "free world" outside China's control. Here is how previous reincarnations were identified -- and what the current Dalai Lama says will happen. - Oracles - With the Dalai Lama turning 90 on July 6, he has said he will consult Tibetan religious traditions and the Tibetan public to see "if there is a consensus that the Dalai Lama institution should continue". He has said he will "leave clear written instructions" for the future. But he has alternatively suggested his successor could be a girl, or an insect, or that his spirit could transfer or "emanate" to an adult. Responsibility for the recognition lies with the India-based Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The search and recognition of another leader must be "in accordance with past Tibetan Buddhist tradition", he said. That includes consulting a protector deity, Palden Lhamo, and the oracle of Dorje Drakden, also known as Nechung, who communicates through a medium in a trance. - Reincarnation recognition - Tibetan Buddhists believe in all reincarnations of the "Bodhisattva of Compassion", an enlightened being who serves humanity by delaying salvation through another rebirth. All so far have been men or boys, often identified as toddlers and taking up the role only as teenagers. The last identification process was held in 1937. The current Dalai Lama, then aged two, was identified when he passed a test posed by monks by correctly pointing to objects that had belonged to his predecessor. - Auspicious signs - Others were revealed by special signs. The year the eighth Dalai Lama was born, in 1758, was marked by bumper harvests and a rainbow that seemingly touched his mother. He was finally identified after trying to sit in a lotus meditation position as a toddler. "Most ordinary beings forget their past lives," the Dalai Lama wrote in 2011. "We need to use evidence-based logic to prove past and future rebirths to them." - Golden urn and dough balls - Divination, including picking names written on paper, has also been used to confirm a candidate is correct. One method conceals the paper inside balls of dough. Another time, the name was plucked from a golden urn. That urn is now held by Beijing, and the current Dalai Lama has warned that, when used dishonestly, it lacks "any spiritual quality". - Tibet and abroad - Dalai Lamas have come from noble families and nomadic herders. Most were born in central Tibetan regions, one came from Mongolia, and another was born in India. The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, was born in 1682 in Tawang, in India's northeastern Arunachal Pradesh region. - Secrecy and disguise - Past decisions have also been kept secret for years. The Fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, was born in 1617 and recognised as a toddler. But his discovery was kept hidden for more than two decades due to a "turbulent political situation", the Dalai Lama's office says. And, when he died, he told monks to say he was simply on a "long retreat". When visitors came, an old monk would pose in his place, wearing a "hat and eyeshadow to conceal the fact that he lacked the Dalai Lama's piercing eyes". It would take 15 years before his successor was announced. pjm/rsc/mtp
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Tibetans face up to uncertain future as Dalai Lama turns 90
DEHRADUN, India: Tibetans in exile celebrate the 90th birthday of spiritual leader the Dalai Lama next week, an occasion overshadowed by uncertainty about the future of the role and what it means for their movement. The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist – who Tibetans say is the 14th reincarnation of the 600-year-old post – will reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him. The inevitable change ahead brings wider concerns for Tibetans over the struggle to keep their identity alive after generations in exile, following a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. There is widespread support among Tibetans in exile for the Dalai Lama role to remain, said Dawa Tashi, once jailed in Tibet for his criticism of Beijing. The Dalai Lama has said the institution will continue only if there is popular demand. 'I strongly believe the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama will continue,' said Tashi, of the India-based Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy. 'This hope is not only shared by Tibetans inside and outside Tibet, but by thousands who are connected to the Dalai Lama across the world,' he said. The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed the uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa. The Dalai Lama has been lauded by his followers for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau in China about the size of South Africa. The Dalai Lama handed over political authority in 2011 to an exiled government chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally. At the same time, he warned that the future of his spiritual post faced an 'obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system.' Many Tibetans in exile fear China will name a successor to bolster its control over Tibet. The Dalai Lama has said that if there is a successor it will come from the 'free world' outside China's control. The Dalai Lama has long said he does not seek full independence for Tibet. Beijing says the territory is an integral part of China and that the Dalai Lama 'has no right to represent the Tibetan people.' Whatever the Dalai Lama decides about his role, 'the freedom movement must continue regardless,' said Kunga Tashi, a 23-year-old Tibetan software engineer in India's tech hub Bengaluru. 'The Chinese government and even Tibetans still equate the Dalai Lama with the freedom struggle,' he said. 'And that is why his reincarnation feels like a turning point.' The Dalai Lama, recognized worldwide in his red robes and wide smile, lives an austere monastic life in India's Himalayan hill town of McLeod Ganj. He has said he wants to live until 113. Penpa Tsering, the sikyong or head of the government which is also based in McLeod Ganj, said that senior Buddhist elders, or lamas, will meet the Dalai Lama on July 2. The same day they will open the grand meeting of religious leaders, during which a video message by the Dalai Lama will be broadcast. No details of its message have been released. The Dalai Lama's translator of nearly four decades, Thupten Jinpa, believes that 'the continuity of the institution will remain,' meaning that, in time, there 'will be a new Dalai Lama.' 'Today, many young Tibetans prioritize personal success over collective struggle,' said Geshema Tenzin Kunsel, a nun in her 50s from Dolma Ling Nunnery, near McLeod Ganj. 'In his absence, I fear what our future might look like.' Tibetans who spoke to AFP say they will keep up their campaign no matter what happens in the coming weeks. 'While we haven't yet achieved our goal of returning to a free Tibet, we've come further than anyone could have imagined – and that's because of His Holiness (the Dalai Lama),' said Sonam Topgyal, 26, a university student in New Delhi. Nepal-based Sakina Batt, 35, a former civil servant with the Tibetan administration, is part of Tibet's minority Muslim population. She too believes that the reincarnation process should 'continue as it has for generations, preserving its sacred tradition without interruption.' But she also said that it depended on the people, not just one leader. 'The future of Tibetans depends on unity and resilience,' she said. 'It's ultimately up to us to shape our own destiny.'
