In his second autobiography, the Dalai lama writes that his title “means different things to different people”. To some it embodies a living Buddha, who is the earthly manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion. To others, the term denotes a ‘god-king’, but to a two-year-old boy in 1938, it meant a complete change in destiny. The child, born as lhamo Dondrub, literally meaning wish-fulfilling goddess, was recognised as being the reincarnation of all previous Dalai lamas, the spiritual rulers of Tibet.
Separated from his family, lhamo was brought up in lhasa in strict monastic austerity and in almost complete isolation. At the young age of seven, he was enthroned in the Potala Palace as the supreme spiritual leader of over six million Buddhist Tibetans. At age fifteen, the Dalai lama was made head of state in a move that also made him the political leader to the millions of Tibetan people who already considered him their spiritual guide. A few years later, at age 23, the spiritual and political leader of Tibet was forced to flee his country on March 17, 1959 and seek asylum to live out his permanent exile in India. Disguised as a soldier, the Dalai lama slipped through crowds thronging the palace he would never see again; and with a select retinue of soldiers and cabinet members, he crossed the Himalayas to Dharamsala, entering India on foot. In the decades that have passed since, His Holiness has dedicated himself to promoting world peace, placing the plight of his people at the forefront. His unwavering policy of nonviolence and his cheerful and optimistic demeanour have earned him reverence far beyond what two-year-old lhamo could have imagined.
Despite being revered as a deity, the lama himself considers the term ‘Dalai lama’ to be no more than “a title signifying the office” he holds. He considers himself first and foremost “a human being”, no different than the people who revere him -- something I find incredibly humble for a man as accomplished as he is. Throughout his life, the lama has continually struck a delicate balance between being a political and spiritual leader for his people, attempting to reestablish peaceful relations both for Tibet and the world at large. In the process, His Holiness has time and again stressed the .importance of education as a tool of empowerment and untold change. Speaking from the context of the Tibetan struggle, he notes that proper modern education is critical for people to engage in worldly debate and govern themselves autonomously.
In this regard, I look to the lama as an inspiration and guiding spirit for the work conducted at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). When I set up the institute two decades ago, it was with the aim of empowering the underprivileged tribal youths of Odisha, who are often downtrodden and ostracised in the society, unable to fight back without access to proper channels or tools to do so. By providing them with free, accessible holistic education, it is my humble dream that these students will grow to be change-makers in their communities, simultaneously being empowered by the KISS and empowering others as peer educators. As the lama has noted time and again for people to progress both internally and externally, “having modem education is extremely important”.
It is thus with great pride and humility that I welcome the revered Dalai lama to this institute both as an empathetic, peace-loving champion for the rights of the downtrodden and as a rare embodiment of the true spirit of teaching and nurturing global citizens. Therefore, as I humbly bestow upon him the KISS 10th Humanitarian Award, it seems incredibly appropriate that the etymology of the word lama is Tibetan for teacher.
Our Humanitarian Award was initiated in 2008 to recognise and felicitate individuals demonstrating exemplary and distinguished service to humanity across the globe. The award consists of a citation and gold-plated trophy depicting a pair of hands upholding a large heart that represents compassionate service to humanity. The award is representative of power, knowledge and compassion towards the world and it quintessentially symbolises work, Karma, fate, blessings, destiny and felicitation. The select recipients like the hands carved on the award they receive, embody boundless individual capacity for global change. The bright golden colour of the award was specifically chosen to represent virtues of purity, altruism, prosperity and hope, the humanitarian virtues that form the backbone of the KISS. In this context, the entire KISS community is incredibly honoured to recognise and unanimously honour the Dalai lama as one of the world’s greatest living teachers. We believe he embodies the KISS’ vision and commitment to empowering people to live in an equitable and inclusive society based on the philosophy of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) -- people, prosperity, peace, planet and partnership.
(Prof Samanta is founder of KIIT & KISS)