Context: 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 TrusteeEmily A. Abrera, presented the award to the Dalai Lama.
- The awards was given in August 1959 by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in the Philippines.
- The Dalai Lama’s elder brother GyaloThonden 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 awards 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”
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