The 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, also known as Tenzin Gyatso and born Lhamo Thondup, is recognized by the Tibetan people as Gyalwa Rinpoche and serves as the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibet. He embodies a living Bodhisattva, specifically an emanation of Avalokiteśvara in Sanskrit, and Chenrezig in Tibetan. As a leader and monk of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism, he was formerly at the helm of the Ganden Tripa. The Ganden Phodrang, the central government of Tibet, imbued the Dalai Lama with temporal duties until his exile in 1959.

He was born to a farming family in Taktser, within the traditional Tibetan region of Amdo. In 1937, he was selected as the tulku of the 13th Dalai Lama, and in 1939, formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in a public declaration near Bumchen. His enthronement ceremony in Lhasa on 22 February 1940 marked the start of his journey, assuming full temporal duties in 1950 after the People's Republic of China's occupation of Tibet.

Following the annexation of Tibet by China and the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama sought refuge in India, where he continues to live in exile and remain the spiritual leader of Tibet. He established the Tibetan government in exile in 1959, which later moved to Dharamshala. In 2011, he retired as political head, paving the way for a democratic government, the Central Tibetan Administration.

Throughout his life, the Dalai Lama has been an advocate for the welfare of Tibetans, promoting the Middle Way Approach with China to resolve the issue of Tibet peacefully. He travels globally to teach Tibetan Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. His teachings, particularly the Kalachakra teachings and initiations, attract international attention. He also engages in interfaith dialogue, focusing on a wide array of subjects such as the intersection of religion and science, environmental conservation, economics, women's rights, nonviolence, and more.

His contributions to peace and humanitarian efforts were recognized in 1989 when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Time magazine has honored him as one of the "Children of Gandhi" and his spiritual heir to nonviolence.