Not only has the Dalai Lama served as a spiritual teacher to hundreds of thousands of Tibetan Buddhists, he has also guided the Tibetan people as a political leader through the tumultuous times of the communist invasion and occupation of Tibet, and through their journey into life in exile. Due to the Chinese communist invasion of Tibet, the Dalai Lama was forced to escape from Lhasa in 1959 and relocated to Dharamsala, India, along with Namgyal Monastery.

Since 1959, His Holiness has received over 150 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes and accolades in recognition of his tireless work toward the promotion of peace, human values, non-violence, inter-religious harmony, universal responsibility and compassion, climate change, environmental science and science of the mind. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his unwavering commitment to a non-violent resolution with the Chinese government for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems. His Holiness has also authored or co-authored more than 110 books and traveled to more than 67 countries spanning 6 continents.

In the field of science of the mind, His Holiness is a pioneer and has made far reaching contributions toward building a unique relationship between science and Buddhism. He initiated the scientific exploration of compassion.

His Holiness persistently speaks on the importance of an ethical approach to environmental protection. Peace and the survival of life on Earth as we know it are threatened by human activities, which lack a commitment to humanitarian values. He often refers to ignorance, greed, and lack of respect for the Earth’s living things as the cause of the destruction of natural resources. From this perspective, and with a genuine sense of caring for the environment, His Holiness has built a platform for dialogue on the science of climate change and the subject of environmental responsibility. His Holiness is a strong advocate of Environmental Science. He is sincerely concerned about the global impact of climate change and has for decades urged the world to improve the quality of our environment for our future generations.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man who lives what he teaches, and his teachings on universal responsibility, ethics, compassion, environmental issues, and science of the mind have become great inspiration and encouragement to millions of people around the world. He constantly reminds us that we are all taking part in a special journey, so each individual has the moral responsibility to make the ecosystem that is our planet a better place.