Norbu with brother Tenzin Gyatso, in 1996

Thupten Jigme Norbu on the cover of his book Tibet is My Country: Autobiography of Thupten Jigme Norbu, Brother of the Dalai Lama in the 1960s

Thupten Jigme Norbu (1922 - ), the current Taktser Rinpoche, is a Tibetan lama, writer, civil rights activist and professor of Tibetan studies and is the eldest brother of the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. He was one of the first high-profile Tibetans to go into exile and was the first Tibetan to settle in the United States. Tenzin Gyatso (Tibetan: བསྟན་འཛིན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་; Wylie: Bstan-dzin Rgya-mtsho) (b. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... The Tibetan people are a people indigenous to Tibet and surrounding areas stretching from Central Asia in the West to Myanmar and China in the East. ... Lama (Tibetan: བླ་མ་; Wylie: bla-ma) is a title for a Tibetan religious teacher. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. ... The meaning of the word professor (Latin: one who claims publicly to be an expert) varies. ... The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933). ... Tenzin Gyatso is the fourteenth and current Dalai Lama. ... The history of Tibetans in the United States is relatively short, as the remote kingdom of Tibet for centuries had few relations with other countries. ...

Biography

Early life

Thupten Jigme Norbu was born in 1922 in the small, mountain village of Tagtser in the Amdo County of Eastern Tibet. At the age of three, he was recognized by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of Taktser Rinpoche. At the age of eight, he was taken to Kumbum Monastery in Amdo, the birthplace of Lama Tsong Khapa who is the founder of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Location in Nagqu Prefecture Amdo County. ... Tibet (see Name section below for other spellings) is a plateau region in Central Asia and the indigenous home to the Tibetan people. ... The 13th Dalai Lama Thubten Gyatso (1876 – December 17, 1933), also spelled Thupten Gyatso, was the 13th Dalai Lama of Tibet. ... Kumbum Monastery (sKu-‘bum Byams-pa gling) (also known as Taer) located in a narrow valley about seventeen miles southwest of Xining is a Buddhist monastery in Qinghai, China formerly in the Tibetan province of Amdo. ... Situation of the east Tibetan region of Amdo Amdo (Tibetan: ཨ༌མདོ, Chinese: 安多, Pinyin: Ānduō) is one of the three former provinces of Tibet, the other two being Ü-Tsang and Kham; it is also the place from which Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, comes from. ... Je Tsongkhapa (Btsong-kha-pa) in the fifth vison of Khedrub Jey (Mkhas-grub) Tsongkhapa (Wylie transliteration: Btsong-kha-pa) (1357 - 1419) , whose name means The Man from Onion Valley, also known as Je Rinpoche (Rje Rin-bo-che) and by his ordained name Lobsang Drakpa (Blo-bzang Grags-pa... The Geluk (dge lugs) School was founded by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), Tibets best known religious reformer and arguably its greatest philosopher. ... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ...

Historically, Kumbum was also the frequent residence of previous Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas. At Kumbum, Norbu began his training as a monk. At the age of 27, he was selected to serve as the abbot of Kumbum Monastery. At this time, Kumbum was one of the largest monasteries in Eastern Tibet. Exterior of the Gyantse Kumbum Artwork on the exterior of the Kumbum in Gyantse A Kumbum (Tibetan: སྐུ་འབུམ་; Wylie: Sku-bum) is a multi-storied aggregate of Buddhist chapels in Tibet. ... The 9th Panchen Lama (1883–1937) The Panchen Lama (Tibetan: པན་ཆེན་བླ་མ་; Chinese: 班禪喇嘛) is the second-highest-ranking lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa (Dge-lugs-pa) sect of Tibetan Buddhism (the sect which controlled Tibet from the 16th century until the Communist takeover). ... Abbots coat of arms The word abbot, meaning father, has been used as a Christian clerical title in various, mainly monastic, meanings. ... Kumbum Monastery (sKu-‘bum Byams-pa gling) (also known as Taer) located in a narrow valley about seventeen miles southwest of Xining is a Buddhist monastery in Qinghai, China formerly in the Tibetan province of Amdo. ...

Kumbum, however was one of the first areas to be invaded by the army of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC held Norbu under house arrest in the monastery, sleeping in his room and following him 24 hours a day. The PRC demanded that he travel to Lhasa, denounce the Tibetan government, and denounce his younger brother the Dalai Lama, who was then about 15 years old. Norbu pretended to agree with the PRC’s demands and, as a result, was able to reach Lhasa to warn his brother of the seriousness of the Chinese invasion. People on the stairs to the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago In general, the English word people refers to a specific group of humans, or to persons in a general sense. ... Lhasa (Tibetan: ལྷ་ས་; Wylie: lha sa; Lhasa dialect IPA: [; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), sometimes spelled Llasa, is the traditional capital of Tibet and the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

In exile 1950-

Rinpoche worked as a Professor of Tibetan studies at Indiana University

Norbu decided in 1950 that he would leave Tibet and attempt to educate the world about the atrocities in Tibet and the actions of the PRC. The initial Peoples Liberation Army invasion of Tibet in 1950 met little resistance in the heart of the country. ...

After leaving Tibet, Norbu worked continually for Tibet in the Tibetans in exile. He served as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile to Japan and North America. He also served as Professor of Tibetan Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He wrote a number of books, including his autobiography, Tibet Is My Country as told to Heinrich Harrer. During the years, Norbu frequently lectured about the Tibetan situation at seminars throughout the world. Official language Tibetan Headquarters Dharamsala, India Head of State Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama Head of Government Professor Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche National Anthem Tibetan National Anthem, (Link) The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), officially the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is a government in exile headed by... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Indiana University is the principal campus of the Indiana University system. ... Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: County Monroe Mayor Mark Kruzan Area    - City 51. ... Heinrich Harrer Heinrich Harrer (July 6, 1912 – January 7, 2006) was an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer, and author. ...

In 1979, Rinpoche founded the Tibetan Cultural Center (TCC) in Bloomington, a center devoted to preserving Tibetan culture and religion. The TCC has a Cultural Building, housing Tibetan works of art such as a Medicine Buddha, sand Mandala, and Tibetan butter sculptures. The Cultural Building also has a library of Tibetan-related works and a gift shop where visitors may purchase articles made by Tibetan refugees in exile. Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Tibetan women demonstrating use of the butter churn at the Field Museum The Tibetan civilization boasts a rich culture. ... Media:Example. ... Buddhist mandala Mandala (Sanskrit circle, completion) is a term used to refer to various objects. ...

His brother the Dalai Lama has visited the Tibetan Cultural Center on four separate occasions. In 1987, he dedicated the Changchub Chorten; in 1996 the Dalai Lama consecrated the corner stone of the Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple; in 1999, he was at the Tibetan Cultural Center for 12 days when he gave the Kalachakara Initiation for World Peace and Harmony; in 2003, the Dalai Lama dedicated the Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple in an interfaith ceremony.

Independence walks

Tenzin Gyatso

In 1995, Norbu co-founded the International Tibet Independence Movement (ITIM). He has led three walks for Tibet's independence. In 1995, he led a week-long walk 80 miles from Bloomington, Indiana to Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1996, this was followed by a 300-mile, 45 day walk from the PRC embassy in Washington, D.C. to the United Nations Headquarters surrounded by New York City. The following year, he led a 600-mile walk from Toronto to New York City, beginning on March 10 (Tibetan Uprising Day) and ending June 14 (Flag Day). In 1998, ITIM walked for independence starting in Portland, Oregon and ending in Vancouver. In 2000, one arm of ITIM walked from San Francisco and another from San Diego. The two branches met in Los Angeles to greet the Dalai Lama who was giving a teaching and empowerment at Thupten Dhargye Ling. Image File history File links Tenzin_Gyatzo_foto_2. ... Image File history File links Tenzin_Gyatzo_foto_2. ... The Tibetan Independence Movement is a movement to establish historical Tibet, comprising the three traditional provinces of Ãœ-Tsang, Amdo, and Kham, as an independent country. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: , County Founded 1821 Government  - Mayor Bart Peterson (D) Area  - City  372 sq mi (963. ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: , Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - D.C. Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2... United Nations Headquarters in New York City, viewed from the East River. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Nickname: Location in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country United States State Oregon County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Mayor Tom Potter Area  - City 376. ... Motto: By Sea, Land, and Air We Prosper Location of Vancouver within the Greater Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia, Canada Coordinates: , Country  Canada Province  British Columbia Region Lower Mainland Regional District Greater Vancouver Incorporated 1886 Government  - Mayor Sam Sullivan (NPA)  - City Council List of Councilors Suzanne Anton (NPA) Peter... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ...

Current status and health

Norbu continues to reside at the Tibetan Cultural Center with his wife Kunyang. He has a son, Jigme Norbu, born in New York in 1968. In late 2002, Norbu suffered a series of strokes and is now well into his eighties is an invalid. In 2005, the Dalai Lama appointed Arjia Rinpoche, another former abbot of Kumbum Monastery, to take over the directorship of the TCC. Norbu is still a part of the daily life of the TCC where is acclaimed as the founder of the Tibetan Cultural Center and the foremost proponent in the world for the recognition and preservation of the culture of Tibet. Stroke (or cerebrovascular accident or CVA) is the clinical designation for a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain. ... Look up invalid in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Writings

• Tibet Is My Country is his autobiography dictated to Heinrich Harrer in 1959, and updated with a new essay in 1987 (ISBN 0861710452) and 2006 (ISBN 1425488587)
• Tibet is a history of his homeland, co-written with Colin Turnbull in 1970 (ISBN 0671205595)
• Tibet: The Issue Is Independence - Tibetans-in-Exile Address the Key Tibetan Issue the World Avoids is an essay collection from 1994 by Tibetans in the diaspora (mainly Tibetan Americans) and features an introduction by Norbu (ISBN 0938077759)
• Norbu and Robert B. Ekvall provided the first English translation of the Tibetan play originally authored by the fifth Panchen Lama Lobsang Yeshe Younger Brother Don Yod in 1969.

Colin Macmillan Turnbull (November 23, 1924 - July 28, 1994) was a prominent British anthropologist who gained fame with his book The Forest People (1962), a detailed study of the Mbuti Pygmies. ... The history of Tibetans in the United States is relatively short, as the remote kingdom of Tibet for centuries had few relations with other countries. ... The 9th Panchen Lama (1883–1937) The Panchen Lama (Tibetan: པན་ཆེན་བླ་མ་; Chinese: 班禪喇嘛) is the second-highest-ranking lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa (Dge-lugs-pa) sect of Tibetan Buddhism (the sect which controlled Tibet from the 16th century until the Communist takeover). ... Lobsang Yeshe (Tibetan: བློ་བཟང་ཡེ་ཤེས་; Wylie: Blo-bzang Ye-shes) (1663 – 1737), also spelled Lobsang Yeshi, was the 5th Panchen Lama of Tibet. ...

External links

• Biography
• Tibetan Cultural Center