November
17, 1950
14th
Dalai Lama Enthroned
Fifteen year old Tenzin
Gyatso was enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama, becoming both the chief of state
of the semi-independent kingdom, and the spiritual leader of adherents of
Tibetan Buddhism worldwide. The date of November 17, 1950 had been set after
consultation with the astrologers of the Nechung oracle, and Gyatso replaced Regent
Taktra Rinpoche. Born as Lhamo Thondup on July 6, 1935 (the 5th day of the 5th
year of the Wooden Dog in the Tibetan calendar), and identified as the
reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, who had died in 1933.
The Dalai Lama is considered
to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be incarnations of
Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, called Chenrezig in Tibetan. The
name is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning "ocean" the
translation of the Tibetan name, “Gyatso” and the Tibetan word lama meaning
"guru, teacher, mentor”.
Born in 1950?
Then
congratulations for turning 65 and entering the world of Medicare. If you
would like to know more about the maze we call Medicare …
