Whole Ruler – The Sovereign Institution of Tibet at The White House

The Supreme Ruler of Tibet at the White House

Tibet is a Sovereign Nation and it specifically acknowledges that the Institution of Dalai Lama and the person holding that title as the true independent, ruler of Tibet apart from being a high-ranking priest of Tibetan Buddhism.

On March 31, 1959, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama arrived in India as a political exile and was granted political asylum in India. He established the Tibetan Government-in-Exile which is based in Dharamsala of India. But, for Tibetans living in Tibet, the title Dalai Lama represents their chosen system of governance.

The United States often describes His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as a spiritual, and cultural leader of Tibetan people without explaining the cultural aspects of Tibetan governance. In Tibetan Culture, the title Dalai Lama is given to the Leader or Chief who provides a system of Government. The Dalai Lama has the same executive powers that are typically exercised by the Head of State of any independent, sovereign nation. The title of Dalai Lama is the equivalent of titles such as President or Prime Minister who hold the executive power in nations like the United Sates, India, and Great Britain.

The Sovereign, Political Institution of the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama who had visited The White House in Washington, DC on February 21, 2014 and on numerous other occasions meeting with various US Presidents during the last 30 years, is the rebirth of a long line of “TULKUS” who descend from the Compassionate Bodhisattva named “AVALOKITESVARA.” In Tibetan Buddhism, a “TULKU” is a particularly high-ranking Lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one. But, it is very important to recognize Dalai Lama as a ‘Hierarch’, a Leader or Chief who provides a system of Government. The Sovereign, political institution of Dalai Lama is formally known as ‘Ganden Phodrang’. The succession of this ‘hierarchy’ is maintained by the discovery of a child born soon after the death of a Dalai Lama into whom the ‘Spirit’ of the deceased has entered.

The Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682) founded the Ganden Phodrang Government of Tibet in 1642. During his reign, the Potala Palace on the Red Hill in Lhasa was built. The successive Dalai Lamas have headed the Tibetan Nation for nearly four centuries. The name “DALAI” is the anglicized version of Mongolian word “TA -LE” which is used as an honorific title and the equivalent of the Tibetan “RGYA-MTSHO” meaning Sea or Ocean which suggests the breadth and depth of wisdom and the temporal power of Dalai Lama on Tibetan way of life. Tibetans call the Dalai Lama as ‘Rgyal-ba Rin-po-che’ which means ‘Great Precious Conqueror. The Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso (1543-1588) had received this honorific title during 1578 while on a visit to the Mongol Chief Altan Khan who had applied this title retrospectively to the previous hierarchs making Gendun Drupa (1391-1474) the First Dalai Lama, and Gendun Gyatso (1475-1542) who became the Second Dalai Lama. This strong hierarchical organization of Tibetan Buddhism and the governance of Tibet has become the focus of Tibetan Cultural Identity and Tibetan National Character. The Eighth Dalai Lama, Jamphel Gyatso (1758-1804) fought a war with the Gurkha troops from Nepal and had defeated them with some assistance from Manchu China.  Tibet existed in a serene and unperturbed state for several centuries even while Tibet came under the control of the Yuan or Mongol Dynasty of China. In 1644, Chinese Manchu, Qing or Ching Dynasty was established and Tibet during the reign of its Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso (1708-1757) came under Manchu China’s nominal protection although for the most part, the Tibetans retained full control over their internal affairs. The Manchu China Dynasty was overthrown in 1911 and the 13th Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso (1876-1933) had expelled the Manchu China’s troops from Tibet, promptly reasserted Tibet’s full Independence. The Great 13th Dalai Lama ruled with full personal authority and reigned as head of a Sovereign State. He had further formally announced Tibet’s full Independence on February 13, 1913.

Tibetans celebrate the 13th day of February as Tibetan Independence Day in recognition of their sovereignty. Being ‘Sovereign’ means that Tibetans do not acknowledge any superior and being a Sovereign Nation, Tibet has the full power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract alliances, establish Commerce and do all other acts and things which independent states may have the right to do. For 39 years, from 1911 to 1950, Tibet had indeed existed as an Independent Nation and had signed the bilateral “Mc Mahon Treaty” in Delhi during 1914 following the ‘Simla Agreement’. During October 1950, Communist China’s People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibetan soil and Tibet has come under China’s military occupation. It will be incorrect to suggest that Tibet is a part of China. Tibetans do not acknowledge China’s rule. I am pleased to share a few photo images of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the living symbol of the Tibetan Nation when he visited The White House in recent past.

I respectfully submit to my readers that the term “Dalai Lama” recognizes the person who represents the sovereign, political institution, the seat of Tibetan Government and Tibetan Sovereignty.