UA philosophy professor 'extraordinary,' 'life-changing,' colleagues and students say
Profile
Pamela Acosta
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: News
His birth name is not really Thupten Dorjee and he's unsure of his exact birth date, but those who know him call him their teacher.
"I don't really exactly know what time [my birth date] is," he said. "The date is not important. The meaning of life is more important."
Born Sonam Palden in Tibet during the Chinese Communist invasion, Dorjee picked April 15 as his birthday for the historical significance. It was then that more than 80,000 Tibetans emigrated to escape the Chinese invasion.
In 1951, China and Tibet drew up an agreement incorporating Tibet into China with guarantees of no change to Tibet's political, cultural and religious institutions, according to an April 25, 2006, BBC News Web site article.
When China failed to follow the agreement, Tibetans resisted and in March 1959 took to the streets to demand an end to Chinese rule. Thousands of protesters were killed when troops crushed the revolt.
While in exile, Dorjee and his family crossed rivers and mountains to get to their destination. On one occasion, he said, they came across a river with no bridge. He and his family made a bridge using a tree and while crossing Dorjee fell. He remembers his grandfather saved him from drowning. His mother was pregnant with his brother at the time.
"Geshe is a survivor. The story of his life that he just gave you is a thumbnail sketch," said Sydney Burris, chairman of the honors department. "He has survived everything that this earth could throw at you. He has survived extreme weather, disease, starvation and exile. Not only that, but he turned that around and learned from it.
"He's always smiling. After talking to him, you feel like he's the luckiest person alive."
Dorjee doesn't see his struggles in life as a burden, or even as hardships.
"Hardships are part of the journey," Dorjee said. "It doesn't matter if you end up in India, Tibet or North America. It's part of life."
As Tibetans began to settle down in exile camps in Bhutan, the first thing they did was start studying. "I began to fall in love with it," Dorjee said.
"I don't really exactly know what time [my birth date] is," he said. "The date is not important. The meaning of life is more important."
Born Sonam Palden in Tibet during the Chinese Communist invasion, Dorjee picked April 15 as his birthday for the historical significance. It was then that more than 80,000 Tibetans emigrated to escape the Chinese invasion.
In 1951, China and Tibet drew up an agreement incorporating Tibet into China with guarantees of no change to Tibet's political, cultural and religious institutions, according to an April 25, 2006, BBC News Web site article.
When China failed to follow the agreement, Tibetans resisted and in March 1959 took to the streets to demand an end to Chinese rule. Thousands of protesters were killed when troops crushed the revolt.
While in exile, Dorjee and his family crossed rivers and mountains to get to their destination. On one occasion, he said, they came across a river with no bridge. He and his family made a bridge using a tree and while crossing Dorjee fell. He remembers his grandfather saved him from drowning. His mother was pregnant with his brother at the time.
"Geshe is a survivor. The story of his life that he just gave you is a thumbnail sketch," said Sydney Burris, chairman of the honors department. "He has survived everything that this earth could throw at you. He has survived extreme weather, disease, starvation and exile. Not only that, but he turned that around and learned from it.
"He's always smiling. After talking to him, you feel like he's the luckiest person alive."
Dorjee doesn't see his struggles in life as a burden, or even as hardships.
"Hardships are part of the journey," Dorjee said. "It doesn't matter if you end up in India, Tibet or North America. It's part of life."
As Tibetans began to settle down in exile camps in Bhutan, the first thing they did was start studying. "I began to fall in love with it," Dorjee said.
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