BBC The Dalai Lama at 80 (2015)

Today, we celebrate the Dalai Lama as he turns 80,

and, in an extended interview, we ask about his hopes and fears

'for the future of Tibet, his thoughts on China,

'on international terrorism,

'and what it means to live with compassion in the 21st century.'

Do you feel the same leader that you were when you started out?

Are you a different man?

Myself?

Now, firstly, now,

a big difference of age,

and then, when I left, you see, Tibet,

there was a lot of hair here.

Now, now much less.

Of course, you see...

now...

I think I may say...

So, sometimes people say, "Time is money, money is time."

So similarly, I think I want to say,

time is the experience,

or experience, also, you see, is like time.

So time passes...

empirical, really.

Difficult time, difficult period -

that's the best period to gain more experience.

So I can definitely say, now, today, today's this person,

I think, more experienced

than at the time of 1959,

or early '60.

From the very early years, you were recognised as the Dalai Lama

at the age of two...

Do you carry any memories of those early years,

of your childhood? Oh, yes. Yes. Yeah?

I think...

I think as a sort of... I don't usually...

You see the... When...when very young, you see,

you see some experience of frightening...

Hmm. ..or some experience of uncomfortable.

Those events remember more clearly.

One I know I remember is my cousin...

monk, you see, who carry sort of, a lot of, sort of, prayer.

So, some textbook or...

and...so, then, I not yet so...

I mean, I cannot stand, I'd go like this.

So, I approach to him,

and then his prayer books, you see...

suddenly, they toppled.

So, he lost his temper and caught me,

and then, it is here.

Clack, clack, clack, like that.

That, I still remember.

And you've got the prayer book.

Like that.

That, I remember.

And then, I think, one strange thing I remember then,

you see, of course, our village, village, no toilet... Mm-hm.

..proper toilet, just open toilet.

So I went...

I think the hard work...

So while I sort of sit like that...

a huge camel,

black camel, approaching towards me.

Still, I remember, you see, that colour of that camel,

and the size of the camel.

Then, I immediately run away.

My bowel business is stopped.

Disturbed, then I ran away.

The camel?

A huge camel.

And my place, because, you see,

quite close with Mongolia, so a lot of camels there. Mmm.

I said, that was the colour there, you see, huge,

one more to see,

all the normal colour, and then the head and these sides - black.

And you have said that you may be the last Dalai Lama. Hmm.

Explain that thought to us

and any sense you have of your past lives, past beings?

Now, we are 21st-century.

So it's in this, actually, the Lama institution, friendly speaking...

I'd say...I'd say developed during the feudal system.

So, society's changed... have to change,

so some of these institutions, some sort of, obviously,

influence the existing society sort of system.

Now that outdated, therefore...

as early as '69,

I publicly, officially,

I announced the very institution of the Dalai Lama

should continue or not, up to Tibetan people.

If the majority of Tibetan people at the time of my death feel,

now this century-old institution, not much relevant,

then all of it is going to cease.

And then, then, my sort of basic sort of belief -

world belongs to seven billion human beings,

and each nation belongs to the people

who have just spent...

If...may I say so?

Great Britain belongs to the people,

not the royal family.

In Tibet, also, I mentioned that.

'Do you think it's time to end the royal family as well?'

'No, that is your business. I think it's so,'

so long, you see,

you feel that it's some kind of unique symbol.

That? OK, no problem,

but you practice fully democratic system,

so that's quite, sort of...

I'll say, I think, a quite realistic approach.

So, so in any way,

like Tibet's case, then.

Or sometimes in America,

I'm expressing publicly -

America belongs to 300 millions of American people,

not the Republican Party or the Democratic Party.

These parties,

it's a serving to the people,

not the ruler of the country.

So, let's talk about... So, me, now.

So, Dalai Lama, so therefore is a Tibetan...

should govern by Tibetan people, by Tibetan.

So, the proper way is the democratic system.

People choose their leader, after so long,

people's confidence there, they can carry.

Once that sort of confidence no longer, then change.

That's a very good system.

so therefore, 2000...

Actually, 2001,

I already started, you see,

elected political leadership.

And then, my position is a semi-retired position,

and then, 2011, now,

I totally, obviously, retired.

Do you think Tibet will ever be an independent country

in your lifetime?

Now, that, we have to think realistically -

what's the real benefit to our people?

I always say, I admire the spirit of the European Union.

Member states - for example, France and Germany - in the past,

I say, quite also often is fighting each other.

One of my great, sort of, friends, actually, I consider my tutor

of quantum physics, Von Weizsacker,

and David Bohm.

You see, I learned something about quantum physics

from these two physicists.

So, now, he once told me,

when he was young, every German eye, French is their enemy.

Similarly, the French eye, German is their enemy.

We are talking in 1990, in '90s.

So then, he told me, now,

that kind of attitude completely change.

So, in European Union, you see the problem.

So, common interest is more important than individual sovereignty,

or something like that.

So therefore, we are a separate nation,

but you see, for common interest,

China, economically, you see?

I mean, rapidly is developing.

Very good.

So, Chinese also human being.

We also human being.

Is there too much emphasis on Tibetan and Chinese, sort of, differences?

I say, again, you see,

I think we have to think

same human being, same right.

In modern time,

the concept of one-side's victory,

one side's defeat,

is unrealistic. So, you think that...

So, so therefore,

since 1974,

we publicly,

sort of, officially announced that we are not seeking independence.

We are very much willing to remain

within the People's Republic of China,

provided they should respect

Tibetan culture,

Tibetan unique language,

and Tibetan environment.

Do you think now China is doing more good than harm for Tibet?

That may be too early to say, but you see, there is possibility,

now, going that direction.

Preservation of Tibetan culture,

Tibetan rich Buddhist tradition,

and environment is a major benefit.

Now, more and more Chinese, now,

Chinese leaders,

politically, now, present leaders,

seems there is a more realistic look,

a more wider perspective.

I think, unlike other, previous leaders,

they just used to think, "That way."

Now, this person is a more wider sort of perspective,

so...so, we'll see.

You said... But definite answer, you see,

a totalitarian country

sometimes is unpredictable.

So difficult to say definite,

but there is some signs of hope.

You said at one stage

that the CIA funded the Free Tibet movement,

you thought, to fight communism through you.

Did you ever feel that Tibet was being used by the West