Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, holding a jewel between his folded hands.
Debbie Hemenway/Moment via Getty images
On World Kindness Day, a scholar of Buddhist studies explains its idea of compassion and the diverse ways to think about and express kindness.
The current dalai lama was enthroned when he was about 4 years old.
AP Photo/Antonio Calanni
For Tibetan Buddhists it is important that they are in charge of the selection process for the next dalai lama, but China wants to appoint its own.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama sits on his ceremonial chair at Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India.
AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia
Winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize and one of the most recognizable faces of Buddhism, the Dalai Lama has turned 84 and the question of a successor is pressing – and controversial.