My Hero, the Dalai Lama

I was asked who I would consider my hero, and quite frankly I'll admit at first, nobody came to mind. After thinking about this a little more, I realized Tenzin Gyatso, more commonly known as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is my hero. "Who's that?" you may ask, well I have an answer! The Dalai Lama is a kind hearted, wise and happy man. He is a spiritual leader. He is a Tibetan Buddhist, and although I am not even Buddhist I find his teachings inspiring. So how did he get this fancy title "the Dalai Lama"? Well, Dalai Lama is the title for the most significant individual of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the 14th and current Dalai Lama and considered to be a reincarnation of the Dalai Lama before him. The Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, which as of today is considered his most notable achievement by many. After understanding the three main commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, it was made clear to me that he is incredibly passionate about his beliefs which I find commendable.

First of the 14th Dalai Lama's main commitments is the promotion of human values. He feels it is important to include values such as forgiveness, contentment, compassion and self-discipline in his teachings.

Second of the three commitments is the promotion of religious harmony. The Dalai Lama is a Tibetan Buddhist and despite philosophical dissimilarities he believes there is potential for all religions to produce wonderful human beings. This is a respectable trait; all religions should respect the traditions of each other.

Last of the three commitments is to act as the Tibetan spokesperson during the Tibetan fight for justice. A little background information for those unfamiliar with the Chinese overtaking of Tibet; Tibet was an independent region separate from China and in 1949 was taken over by the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese establishment has considered Tibetans "criminals deserving to be put to death." The Dalai Lama believes the way Tibetans are being treated is unjust and has been traveling and spreading the word while trying to reach a mutual agreement with China giving Tibet some of its independence back. His efforts gained him a Nobel Peace Prize however, as of March 2011 he has retired from the political decision making which makes Tibetans uneasy. The reason for retirement is so Tibetans will take responsibility and demonstrating citizen duties.

All in all, the Dalai Lama's efforts to promote well being throughout the world, as well as involving himself in political affairs is admirable. If he isn't a hero, I don't know who is!

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