Who Is The Dalai Lama?

By (author) Rau, Dana Meachen; By (author) Who HQ; Illustrated by Putra, Dede
Short description/annotation
Get to know the Dalai Lama, Tibet''s spiritual leader and one of the most popular world leaders today.
Description
Two-year-old Lhamo Thondup never imagined he would be anything other than an ordinary child, but after undergoing a series of tests, he was proclaimed the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. By age 15, he found himself the undisputed leader of six million people who were facing the threat of a full-scale war from the Chinese. After the defeat of the Tibetan national uprising in 1959, the Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet and went into exile in India. For nearly 50 years, he has aimed to establish Tibet as a self-governing, democratic state. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent efforts for the liberation of Tibet and his concern for global environmental problems. As the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama continues to spend his life working to benefit humanity and preserving Tibetan culture.
Biographical note
Dana Meachen Rau has written more than 300 books for children, including picture books, early readers, nonfiction, and biographies.
Promotional headline
Get to know the Dalai Lama, Tibet''s spiritual leader and one of the most popular world leaders today.
Excerpt
Who Is the Dalai Lama?
 

February 22, 1940, was a busy day at the Potala, a grand, thousand-room palace high in the mountains of Tibet. Early in the morning, guests started to fill the main assembly hall. They were waiting for their leader to arrive.
 
Once the hall was full, the crowd grew quiet. A little boy, dressed in golden robes, entered. Horn and trumpet blasts greeted him. He crossed the room on a white carpet that had been rolled out especially for him to a jeweled throne. It was called the Lion Throne because of the eight lions carved into the wooden base of the tall, cushioned chair. The throne was the seat of the Dalai Lama (say: DAHL-eye LAH-muh), a name given to the political and religious leader of the country of Tibet.
 
The young Dalai Lama needed some help climbing up the steps to his throne. He sat cross-legged on the seat and watched the ceremonies, dances, and readings. Many gifts were set out for the boy—a music box, the tusk of an elephant, expensive fabrics, parakeets, a tricycle, and even a brick of gold! Holy men, government officials, and the others in attendance, in a sign of respect, bowed so low before him that they were lying on the floor. “I found that funny,” he later said. The Dalai Lama is known for his sense of humor. But it was especially funny to him that the adults were acting this way. After all, he was only four years old!
 
As he grew, that young boy on the Lion Throne began to understand why that day was so special. As Tibet’s Fourteenth Dalai Lama, he would face joyful times and difficult times. He would grow in wisdom. And he would become caring and strong.
 
But on his enthronement day, he had no idea what lay ahead for himself and for the people of Tibet. Along with the many gifts the little boy received, he also held an adventurous future in his hands.
 
 
Chapter 1: Little Lhamo
 
 
Diki Tsering woke very early on July 6, 1935. She went out behind her mud-and-stone house in Taktser, Tibet, to the barn. There, among the animals, she gave birth to her son Lhamo (say: LAM-oh). He didn’t cry. His eyes were open wide. Lhamo’s mother, Diki, and father, Choekyong Tsering, already had four children—their daughter, Dolma, and three sons named Norbu, Gyalo, and Lobsang. There wasn’t much furniture in their six-room house. The children didn’t have their own beds. The family mostly gathered in the kitchen, especially during cold Tibetan winters, to keep warm by the fire. They pr