18. The Dalai Lama

When the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his peaceful resistance to Chinese domination in Tibet, he became one of the foremost spokesmen and most visible symbols of Buddhism in the contemporary world. He is the fourteenth in a line of incarnations that began in the fifteenth century. Born in Tibet and educated as the traditional “god-king” who ruled Tibet from his throne in Lhasa, the Dalai Lama has helped lead Tibetan Buddhists through a period of deep political and cultural adversity. His life and teaching are clear models for thoughtful Buddhists who are attempting to adapt Buddhist traditions to the challenges of modern life.