A Boy Named Lhamo Dhondrub
On July 6 1935 in Taktser, a tiny settlement overlooking a broad valley in northeastern Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama was born. The last of five children, Lhamo Dhondrub was born into a family of poor peasant farmers.

The 13th Dalai Lama had passed away earlier in the same year. Shortly afterwards, the Regent of Tibet journeyed to a sacred lake called Lhamo Lhatso. According to Tibetan tradition, the lake was a window to the future. The Regent had a vision: he saw a turquoise and gold roofed three-storey monastery and a house with turquoise tiles.

Two years later, a number of high lamas and dignitaries set out from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Travelling in different directions, they carried with them the knowledge of the secret vision. They hoped it would guide them to the Dalai Lama's successor, his next incarnation.

Lama Kewtsang Rinpoche of the Sera Monastery headed a party that travelled east. In Amdo, Tibet's northeastern province, they found a monastery matching the Regent's vision. A house with turquoise tiles was close by; it was the home of Lhamo Dhondrub.

The party went to the house. Kewtsang Rinpoche disguised himself as a servant and wore a rosary that had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. A junior official dressed as the Rinpoche's master.

At the house the little Lhamo Dhondrub demanded the rosary. He would receive it, he was told, if he could guess whom Kewtsang Rinpoche was. The boy replied "lama of Sera". Lhamo also knew the name of the junior official and recognised that both men were in disguise.

A series of tests followed and soon after, at the age of two years, Lhamo Dhondrub was acknowledged to be the new Dalai Lama. Thus began his path to the spiritual and political leadership of Tibet.

He was eventually reunited with his parents in order for the family to journey to Lhasa for his enthronement ceremony. This was delayed because Lhamo's mother demanded payment of a large ransom before the journey began. However, in the Northern summer of 1939 Lhamo, his parents, his eldest brother, members of the search party and other pilgrims undertook the three-month journey to Tibet's capital.

On 22 February 1940, at the age of four, Lhamo Dhondrub was officially recognised as the 14th Dalai Lama. This meant he was accepted as the 14th manifestation of the Buddha of Compassion, and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

The Regent of Tibet remained the political leader of the country and would remain so until the Dalai Lama was old enough to accept that responsibility.

In accordance with tradition, Lhamo Dhondrub was renamed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso: which means Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith and Ocean of Wisdom.

Tibetans commonly refer to him as as "Yeshe Norbu", - "Wishfulfilling Gem"; or simply "Kundun" - "The Presence".

Following the ceremony, the Dalai Lama was inducted as a novice monk. He began his formal education at the age of six. This continued until he received his Geshe Lhamrampa Degree (Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy) at the age of 25.

As the invasion proceeded and conditions worsened, the Tibetan people began to insist that the political leadership of Tibet be transferred to the Dalai Lama. As a result, Government officials decided to consult an oracle called Nechung. The Dalai Lama was present for the oracle's revelation. The oracle stood, came to where the Dalai Lama was seated and laid a white offering scarf in his lap. It said, "Thurevelationbla bapí"- "His time has come."

On 17 November 1950 the Dalai Lama was enthroned as the both the political and spiritual leader of Tibet. He ruled over six million people. A full-scale war was impending. He was 15 years old.

In hope of avoiding a full-scale Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Dalai Lama sent an envoy to Beijing.

On 23 May 1951 the Governments of the People's Republic of China and the Local Government of Tibet signed a Seventeen-Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. According to Tibetan officials the delegation had been forced into signing the agreement.

The Seventeen Point Agreement acknowledged Chinese control of Tibet. It accorded the Tibetan Government the right to administrate domestic affairs.

For the next nine years the Dalai Lama urged his people to live peacefully with the Chinese. However, Chinese presence continued to grow and discontent among the Tibetan people increased.

A popular uprising began in Eastern Tibet in 1959 and spread to other parts of the country. During the uprising more than 87,000 Tibetans died. The Dalai Lama and his family escaped into exile in India. 80,000 Tibetans followed him.

The Dalai Lama lives in Dharamsala, India, a small town in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is often referred to as "Little Lhasa".

Since arriving in India some 40 years ago the Dalai Lama has campaigned tirelessly for Tibetan independence, the safety of Tibetan exiles and the preservation of Tibetan culture.

In Dharamsala the Dalai Lama established a Tibetan education system to ensure Tibetan children would have full knowledge of their language, history, religion and culture. The rehabilitation of Tibetan exiles into agricultural settlements and the formation of institutions such as the Tibetan Institute for Performing Arts were also instigated by the Dalai Lama.

Dharamsala is also home to the Tibetan Government in Exile. In 1963 the Dalai Lama drafted a new democratic constitution, The Charter of Tibetans in Exile, based on Buddhist principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was officially adopted in 1990.

Since then, the Dalai Lama has emphasised the further need to democratise the Tibetan administration and has said that once Tibet regains independence he will not hold political office.

It has been the Dalai Lama's continued commitment to the peaceful struggle for the liberation of Tibet and his vision for the modern world that has led to his universal recognition and widespread admiration.

In 1989 the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It was an acknowledgment of his peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect, his philosophy of peace and his vision for universal responsibility toward all mankind and nature. The Nobel Prize Committee said Dalai Lama had "come forward with constructive and forward-looking proposals for the solution of international conflicts, human rights issues, and global environmental problems."

Since 1967 the Dalai Lama has conducted a series of tours that have taken him to 46 countries throughout the world. He has also authored more than 50 books.

He continues his struggle for the liberation of Tibet.

He also advocates on behalf of all humankind with his messages of peace, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion for each other and the earth.

The theme of his tour is "Happiness in a Material World". He will discuss world peace, personal happiness and peace of mind, the relationship between spirituality and science and religion and philosophy and his environmental vision for the planet.

For more details about the tour go to http://www.dalailama.org.au