OPINION
Phuntsog Wangyal* remembers the Dalai Lama as a bearer of timeless message for the good of humanity.
I had the privilege of serving as the first Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his office in London from its inception in 1981 until 1986. On this occasion of the 90th birthday (6th July 2025) of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I would like to share my reflections of His Holiness’s visits to the West during my tenure in the 1980s.
Wherever he went, His Holiness was seen as a man of transparent and humble personal integrity whose words touched the hearts and minds of those he met. His message, then as now, focused on how peace in the world can be achieved by cultivating peace within the individual heart, and how kindness, tolerance, and compassion can overcome even the most pressing problems of the modern age, such as economic inequality and global conflict.
His Holiness met with various religious leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, and the Archbishop of Westminster, Basil Hume. He also met political leaders, national and foreign dignitaries, and visited the Benedictine Community at Ampleforth Abbey and the Tibetan Buddhist Community at Samye Ling in Scotland. Additionally, he met with members of the Tibetan community in London.
His Holiness also made brief visits to other countries. In Turkey, he met Uyghur leader Isa Yusuf Aptekin, founder of the East Turkistan Foundation in Istanbul, whom His Holiness referred to as “my old friend”. In Italy, France, and Spain, he visited Buddhist centres and Christian abbeys. While questioning a solitary Christian monk at Montserrat Abbey in Spain about his meditation practice, the monk replied, “On love”. Deeply moved by this, His Holiness remarked to me, “All the religions are the same”, underscoring the universal importance of love and compassion.
Throughout his travels, His Holiness emphasised the importance of promoting peace, understanding, and harmony among individuals and cultures. A few years later, a summary of his message was inscribed on a pillar in four different languages at the Tibetan Peace Garden next to the Imperial War Museum in London. The public was profoundly moved by his presence and drew great inspiration from his words.
It is worth considering His Holiness’s impact in a broader historical context. Over the centuries, the West has made significant contributions to world culture through science and technology, vastly improving material living conditions. However, when it comes to wisdom, the West has often turned to the East, particularly India and Tibet, to fill a spiritual void.
In 1893, Swami Vivekananda captured the world’s attention at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, delivering Hinduism’s spiritual message and reinforcing India’s stature as a nation deserving independence. In 1936, Sir Francis Younghusband, whose profound religious faith was shaped by his experiences in Tibet, founded the World Congress of Faiths in London. A few years later, Mahatma Gandhi, a living embodiment of satyagraha, or reliance on spiritual truth, visited King George VI at Buckingham Palace.
Like Gandhi, His Holiness is a mahatma, a great soul. A vital aspect of his teachings is the recognition of Tibet as a source of spiritual wisdom. This message has brought His Holiness into friendships with international leaders and fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
His Holiness’s visits to the West should be viewed within this context. While Mao Zedong proclaimed, “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun”, His Holiness teaches that kindness, compassion, and cooperation are essential to transcending national interests for the common good. His is a timeless message, one that resonates profoundly in the present and offers hope for the future.
I pray for a long and healthy life of His Holiness. May his message of peace prevail.
—
* Phuntsog Wangyal was a member of the Second Fact Finding delegation to Tibet in 1980, the first Representative of His Holiness in London 1981, a Member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile in Dharamsala 1991 and Founder and Trustee of the Tibet Foundation London 1985-2021.