Dalai Lama XIV (Tenzin Gyatso)

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. He was born on July 6, 1935, in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. His Holiness, who came from a family of farmers, was recognized at the age of two, according to Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lamas are considered incarnations of the Buddha of Compassion, who have chosen to be reborn to serve other human beings. Dalai Lama means "Ocean of Wisdom." Tibetans usually refer to His Holiness as Yeshe Norbu, "The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel," or simply Kundun, meaning "Presence." In 1989, His Holiness was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his unwavering resistance to the use of violence, even in the face of aggression against his people.