---

Tenzin Gyatso was born on July 6, 1935 in Taktser, Amdo province, Tibet. At the time, Tibet was an independent nation. Acting upon a grand vision by the Regent, a senior lama, he was picked as the successor to the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of three. Although he did not become the official 14th Dalai Lama until 1950, at the age of 15. After the 1949 Communist revolution in China, Tibetans became fearful. In October 1950, 80,000 Chinese soldiers invaded Tibet and took over the eastern part of the country. Negotiations with the Chinese, over the next few years, proved futile.

In 1959, there was an unsuccessful popular uprising against the Chinese. The 14th Dalai Lama secretly left the Potala Palace complex, Lhasa (shown on the Mini-sheet) and fled south to India, along with thousands of his followers. He has lived there in exile ever since. As the spiritual leader of Buddhism in Tibet, he is very much revered around the world. There are many Buddhists who live in Hawai’i. His visit there on April 14-15, 2012 was widely greeted with standing room only crowds wherever he went.

The $6 stamp (above left) prepays the Overnight rate. It shows the emblem of Tibet. Two snow leopards hold a dharma wheel aloft (see postmark), with the mountains in the background. A sun and moon are in the sky. A red ribbon displays in Tibetan "bod gzhung dga' ldan pho brang phyogs las rnam rgyal" which translated means "Tibetan Government, Gaden Palace, victorious in all directions". The Gaden Palace was the home of the Dalai Lama until the Potala Palace was built.

The special postmark for this issue (above) depicts a dharma wheel which symbolizes the wheel of Buddhist law, the endless cycle of birth and rebirth. The eight spokes represent the Nobel Path - beliefs, aspirations, speech , conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and meditation.