Dalai Lama Receives Ramon Magsaysay Award

Tags: Awards

Dalai Lama personally received the 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Award from members of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation at his residence.

An Overview of the News

• President of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Susanna B. Affan, along with Foundation Trustee Emily A. Abrera, presented the award to the Dalai Lama.

• The award was given in August 1959 by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in the Philippines.

• The Dalai Lama's elder brother Gyalo Thonden accepted the Magsaysay Award on his behalf in August 1959 in Manila, Philippines.

• Since his exile from Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama has been living in India.

Dalai Lama:

• He is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and is considered one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

• The title "Dalai Lama" is a combination of the Mongolian word "Dalai," meaning ocean, and the Tibetan word "lama," meaning master, teacher, or mentor.

• The Dalai Lama is believed to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

• The current 14th Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, who was born in Tibet in 1935.

• He was recognized as the Dalai Lama at the age of two and was enthroned in 1950.

• In 1959, he had been living in exile in India since a failed rebellion against Chinese rule.

About Ramon Magsaysay Award

• It is an annual award that recognizes individuals and organisations in Asia for exceptional courage, integrity and service to their communities.

• The award was established in 1957 and is named after the late Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay.

• The award is given in six categories: government service, public service, community leadership, journalism, creative arts, and peace and international understanding.

• The award has recognized individuals and organisations from various fields and is known as the "Nobel Prize of Asia".