How has the 14th Dalai Lama maintained his religious leadership while living in India?

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Since fleeing to India in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama has maintained his religious leadership through several key actions and transitions:

  • Establishing a Base: In 1960, he established a government-in-exile in Dharamshala, India, which served as a central hub for his leadership and the welfare of Tibetan refugees.12
  • Supporting the Community: He assisted refugees in establishing farming communities and building monasteries across India to preserve Tibetan culture and religious institutions.12
  • Global Advocacy: He traveled extensively to lecture on Buddhism, promote interreligious harmony, and advocate for the rights of the Tibetan people. He authored numerous books and presided over Kalachakra initiations worldwide.1345
  • Religious Authority: He continued to provide guidance on Buddhist practice, including speaking out on specific theological matters within the Dge-lugs-pa school.5
  • Transition to Solely Religious Role: In 2011, he stepped down as the political head of the government-in-exile, formally ending the Dalai Lama's traditional temporal authority to focus exclusively on his role as a spiritual leader.546

He remains revered as the human incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.35