I’m confused about the Dalai Lama’s role. A lot of people think he’s like the Pope, i.e., the world leader of Buddhism. Is that true?

Illustration by Nolan Pelletier.
The Dalai Lama is the world’s leading Buddhist voice, but he is not the world leader of Buddhism. There are many different traditions of Buddhism and each has its own leaders. There is no overall head like the Pope. Technically, the Dalai Lama is not even the leader of the Tibetan Buddhist school he’s a member of. But he is the unquestioned leader of the Tibetan people, and until recently was the head of state in exile. There is no question the Dalai Lama is the most famous Buddhist teacher in the world and one of humanity’s moral and spiritual leaders. That’s the result of many factors—his deep realization, his engaging personality, his courageous leadership of an oppressed people, and a message the world needs and wants to hear—but not because he has any formal position or title in world Buddhism.
Can you help us at a critical time?
COVID-19 has brought tremendous suffering, uncertainty, fear, and strain to the world.
Our sincere wish is that these Buddhist teachings, guided practices, and stories can be a balm in these difficult times. Over the past month, over 400,000 readers like you have visited our site, reading almost a million pages and streaming over 120,000 hours of video teachings. We want to provide even more Buddhist wisdom but our resources are strained. Can you help us?
No one is free from the pandemic’s impact, including Lion’s Roar. We rely significantly on advertising and newsstand sales to support our work — both of which have dropped precipitously this year. Can you lend your support to Lion’s Roar at this critical time?