People in Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

People in Religion - Essay Example Senior Tibetan monks receive information during meditation which helps them to track down the new Dalai Lama. They have an indication of who is going to be the next Dalai Lama and after verification through their secret set of criteria, they take him away. Familiarity with the same possessions of the previous Dalai Lama is considered a confirmation of the reincarnation. The reincarnation takes place a few years after the death of the previous Dalai Lama. A Dalai Lama has a short lease of life as a childhood before he is taken away from the family and plunged into endless ceremonies and an intensive education (Richardson, 1962). Dalai means ocean and Lama is the Sanskrit equivalent of Guru and hence Dalai Lama means a spiritual teacher (Wikipedia). The present Dalai Lama was educated in Lhasa in a 1000-room palace surrounded by doting monks who educated him in subjects like philosophy, medicine and metaphysics (NYTimes, 2007). Although the present Dalai Lama is defined by his Tibetan identity his roots were firmly anchored in reality (Chopra, 2001). He believes that all human beings have an equal right to happiness and freedom from suffering but money should not be a part of the definition of success and happiness (Dalailama, 2006). The world is undergoing transformation and the Dalai Lama emphasizes that one way of being diligent is to pursue knowledge. The freedom campaign that he is pursuing is based on non-violence. One must always maintain truth because that alone will fill a person with a sense of pride. Dalai Lama is an advocate of non-violence and believes the truth, courage and determination should be the weapons for liberation (CNN, 2001). Dalai Lama is considered the most skilled and successful of all religious leaders; he is tolerant and informed and can enchant anyone at the very first instance but he is intent upon forcibly subjecting the world to its law. Religion and history are not separated from one another in the Tibetan world view, nor