The global spiritual icon, the 14th Dalai Lama, has etched his name in music history by winning a Grammy for Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling. At 90, this Nobel laureate outshone stars like Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli fame, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Trevor Noah, and Kathy Garver in a star-studded field.
Rufus Wainwright collected the award for the Dalai Lama during the YouTube-streamed event. ‘Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’ fuses timeless insights with Indian classical music, captivating listeners with its depth and melody.
In response, His Holiness remarked with characteristic grace: ‘This is a humble acceptance. It’s a nod to our collective duty worldwide. Peace, compassion, environmental stewardship, and human interconnectedness are vital for the well-being of all eight billion of us.’ He expressed thanks for the platform to broadcast these principles further.
Tracing back, the Dalai Lama’s path to this moment is one of unyielding fortitude. In March 1959, amid China’s crackdown on Tibetan resistance, he escaped in soldier’s garb from Lhasa, trekking 14 arduous days to India.
Tenzin Gyatso has since resided in Dharamshala as India’s most distinguished exile, advocating religious tolerance, human rights, and Tibetan heritage drawn from Nalanda’s scholarly lineage. He often quips about savoring every freedom to promote these causes.
Globetrotting and embodying compassion, he embodies the Buddha’s essence. His recent publication, ‘In Voice for the Voiceless,’ exposes China’s enduring tensions with Tibet, chronicling personal losses—a homeland seized, a life in diaspora—and visions for cultural survival.
Key milestones: Invaded Tibet at 16, Mao encounter at 19, exiled leadership at 25. Post-arrival, Mussoorie sheltered him briefly before Dharamshala became home in 1960. He urged exiles: ‘Resettlement and cultural continuity are key. Tibet’s liberation awaits us.’
Over 100,000 Tibetans in India sustain this flame, inspired by a leader whose Grammy victory symbolizes enduring hope and harmony.