(See Dalai Lama: A Call to Compassion.) [1] When Aang was trying to open his chakras, he needed to release all his grief in order to open the air chakra located in his heart. In February 1959, despite the turmoil, the Dalai Lama sat for his examination for the rank of geshe (“spiritual friend”), the highest scholastic achievement in the Dge-lugs-pa sect. Against the advice of some members of his circle, he returned to Tibet, where the situation continued to deteriorate. It is said that the previous incarnations of the 14th Dalai Lama extend not only to the previous 13 but further back into Tibetan history to include the first Buddhist kings (chos rgyal) of the 7th, 8th, and 9th centuries. Due to this, Aang always missed the tales the Air Nomad elders used to tell, though Gyatso assured him that he would have "plenty of time" to learn of Air Nomad history later in his life.[5]. Arrested for protesting during the Chinese invasion of Tibet, he spent 33 years in Chinese prisons and labor camps, where he was extensively tortured, and served the longest term of any Tibetan political prisoner. In his earlier years, Gyatso also had a strong friendship with Aang's previous incarnation, Roku. When a shaved-headed Buddhist nun dressed in red robes walked into Sally Myers clothing shop in Williams, Arizona in 2017 hoping to distribute flyers, Sally politely turned her away. Monk Gyatso was Avatar Aang's guardian, mentor, and father figure before the beginning of the Hundred Year War, as well as a member of the Council of Elders. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The temple elders chose to tell him that he is the Avatar sooner than was customary, fearing that war was near. ... and is the real beginning of the development of Zuko, one of the best characters in the history of animation. [3], Eventually, Gyatso became a master airbender and was promoted to one of the five head monks at the Southern Air Temple. Gyatso held a great adoration for Aang, desiring to keep him close by his side and shelter his childhood to the point that th… Gyatso and Roku smiled at one another after crashing their gliders. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Omissions? Donald S. Lopez, Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan. a path with no return since he left home at the age of 19 and became a monk in Tsangar Monastery, in Tongde County, Hainan . However, Monk Gyatso also embodies Buddhist idealism and tradition. Guerrillas fought Chinese troops in eastern Tibet, and a significant number of refugees flowed into the capital. Monk Gyatso? On March 31 he and his escorts arrived in India, where the Indian government offered them asylum. According to Aang, he was the greatest airbender in the world of his time. Observant fans will realize that Monk Gyatso, seen in flashbacks in Avatar: the Last Airbender, also got his name from this real-life monk. Since then, he has always dreamed to be a respectable monk through hard work. Avatar: The Last Airbender is full of interesting characters and deeply fleshed-out character arcs. The two shared a small rivalry with each other, each of them trying to outdo the other by using air gliders to race each other. He started off as a supermodel before becoming an actor in the mid 1970s. Monk Gyatso was an airbending master who eventually became a member of the Council of Elders. Tibetan monk Geshe Kelsang Gyatso has proven a popular and accessible authority on the spirituality of Buddhist Tibet, and his newest work is intended as a practical guide to transforming one's life by understanding the nature of love and managing one's anger. [4], Gyatso had a great sense of humor; he often played pranks on his peers with his pupil, Aang,[1] and even used his airbending to cheat during a Pai Sho game. During his childhood, Aang was housed, raised and educated at the Southern Air Temple hidden in the Patola Mountain range--one of the four Air Nomad temples. [3], Gyatso had a good relationship with the other Air Nomad boys, who were rather fond of him. Updates? Until the 17th century the Dalai Lamas were prominent religious teachers of the Dge-lugs-pa sect (commonly called Yellow Hats), one of the four major sects of Tibetan Buddhism. Sally’s intuition was right. “She said it wasn’t Buddhist or religious, it was just about mindfulness and meditation,” Sally told me. You’ll have only Roku with you, forever.” Sozin tired to keep his face blank as he stared down the Air Nomad. Gyatso managed to fend off and defeat many firebenders, despite their enhanced abilities as a result of Sozin's Comet. I may not be the avatar, but I knew where I was now. “I will reincarnate when Aang needs me most. According to custom, executive authority was given to a regent, whose chief task was to identify and educate the next Dalai Lama, who would typically assume control at about the age of 20. In 1642 the fifth Dalai Lama was given temporal control of Tibet, and the Dalai Lamas remained head of state until the flight of the 14th Dalai Lama into exile in 1959. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. After they took control of China in 1949, the communists asserted that Tibet was part of the “Chinese motherland” (the non-Chinese Qing rulers of China had exercised suzerainty over the region from the 18th century until the dynasty’s fall in 1911/12), and Chinese cadres entered Tibet in 1950. "We can't concern ourselves with what was. 1. Gyatso was Aang's father figure and mentor. This information disrupted Aang's comfortable and carefree life considerably. Gyatso held a great adoration for Aang, desiring to keep him close by his side and shelter his childhood to the point that the council saw fit to separate the two. Avatar: ... Reddit user PM_ME_SOME_ANY_THING argues Momo is the reincarnated form of Monk Gyatso, Avatar Aang’s previous guardian and mentor. 1 He knows all about spirits Although Tenzin doesn't share Unalaq's spirit bending style, he is quite well versed in the ways of the Spirit World and the spirits who walk among mortals. The third incarnation, named Bsod-nams-rgya-mtsho (1543–88), was given the title of Dalai Lama (“Ocean Teacher”) by the Mongol chieftain Altan in 1580. Palden Gyatso’s “The Autobiography of a Tibetan Monk” is a recount of his life and experience from the time before Tibet’s Chinese Communist takeover, through the mid/late 1990s. He and his family were then held for ransom by a powerful Chinese warlord. His name may actually be in reference to Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama — interestingly, Aang's eldest child Tenzin is also likely a reference to the reincarnated spiritual leader. A commentary to Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Image gallery (1) Gyatso probably believed in the sacredness of life as much as any airbender ever did, but in the face of his people being annihilated, and balance being destroyed, he was willing to do something he probably found repellent in the the defense of a greater good. He was a kind and understanding individual who was well-liked by other students in the temple. The unrest caused a breakdown in communications between the Dalai Lama’s government and Chinese military authorities, and during the chaos the Dalai Lama (disguised as a Tibetan soldier) escaped under cover of darkness on March 17. According to Aang, he was the greatest airbender in the world of his … The crash did little to dampen their spirits, however, as they both smiled at one another over what had happened. [3] When the Fire Nation besieged the Southern Air Temple, Gyatso used his airbending abilities to fend off and eliminate numerous Fire Nation assailants, before he was ultimately subdued and killed along with the rest of his people.[1]. [2], After Aang ran away, the Fire Nation launched an assault on the Southern Air Temple, intent on slaughtering the temple's population. During the next seven and a half years, the young Dalai Lama sought to protect the interests of the Tibetan people, departing for China in 1954 for a year-long tour, during which he met with China’s leader Mao Zedong. He served as Aang 's mentor and caretaker until he was killed during the Air Nomad Genocide. A serious full-on study text, I think more for a training monk, but contains much that the ordinary person like myself can benefit from. However, the other monks believed he was holding Aang back in his training, which resulted in Gyatso being forced to separate from Aang. Avatar Roku had just died, and been reincarnated. Roku? The head monk of the Southern Air Temple, Monk Gyatso, even shares his name with the 14th Dalai Llama, Tenzin Gyatso. 6 The Statue Of Monk Gyatso At The Southern Airtemple And The Mystery Behind It The Southern Airtemple holds a lot of significance for Aang. Aang overheard this and, having already been ostracized by his peers after his identity as the Avatar had been revealed, was shocked that the monks wanted to isolate him from his last and best friend. He was a kind and understanding individual who was well-liked by other students in the temple. On May 23, 1951, a Tibetan delegation in Beijing signed a “Seventeen-Point Agreement” (under duress), ceding control of Tibet to China; Chinese troops marched into Lhasa on September 9, 1951. He ultimately decided to run away, furious that he would be separated from his kindly mentor and guardian, Monk Gyatso, to train at another temple. Avatar: The Last Airbender may be a series that follows Avatar Aang on his quest to save the world from the Fire Nation, but eagle-eyed viewers may notice another familiar protagonist in the episode "Sozen’s Comet Part 1: The Phoenix King.". [2], When Aang returned to the Southern Air Temple one hundred years later, he accidentally stumbled upon Gyatso's skeleton, causing him to cross over into the Avatar State, overcome by rage, grief and guilt. [1], Gyatso All the Dalai Lamas and these early kings are considered human embodiments of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion and the protector of Tibet. It is a tenet of Tibetan Buddhism (which traditionally has flourished not only in Tibet but in Mongolia, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and other parts of India and China) that highly advanced religious teachers return to the world after their death, motivated by their compassion for the world.