Thubten Jigme Norbu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thubten Jigme Norbu |
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Norbu with his brother, the 14th Dalai Lama, in 1996
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| Religion | Tibetan Buddhism |
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| Nationality | American |
| Born | August 16, 1922 Taktser, Tibet |
| Died | September 5, 2008 (aged 86) Bloomington, Indiana, United States |
Thubten Jigme Norbu (August 16, 1922 – September 5, 2008) was an important Tibetan leader. He was known as the Taktser Rinpoche, a respected spiritual teacher. Norbu was also a writer and a professor who taught about Tibet. He was the older brother of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. Thubten Jigme Norbu was one of the first well-known Tibetans to leave his home country. He was also the first Tibetan to live in the United States.
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Early Life in Tibet
Thubten Jigme Norbu was born in 1922. His birthplace was a small mountain village called Taktser. This village is located in the Amdo County of Eastern Tibet.
Walking for Freedom
In 1995, Norbu helped start a group called the International Tibet Independence Movement (ITIM). This group worked to make Tibet an independent country. He led three long walks to support Tibet's independence.
His first walk was in 1995. It lasted a week and covered 80 miles. He walked from Bloomington, Indiana, to Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1996, he walked 300 miles over 45 days. This walk went from the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
The next year, in 1997, he led another walk. He was joined by a singer named Dadon and her young son. This walk was 600 miles long. It started in Toronto, Canada, on March 10, which is Tibetan Uprising Day. The walk ended on June 14, which is Flag Day in the U.S.
Life in the United States
Norbu lived at the Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center. He lived there with his wife, Kunyang. They had three sons: Lhundrup, Kunga, and Jigme Norbu. All of their sons were born in New York.
In late 2002, Norbu became very ill after having several strokes. He passed away on September 5, 2008, at the age of 86. He died at his home in Indiana. His body was cremated in a traditional Buddhist ceremony.
His youngest son, Jigme, continued his father's work. Sadly, Jigme died at age 45 on February 14, 2011. He was hit by a car in Florida while on a walk. He was walking to promote freedom for Tibet and to raise awareness about the country.
Books by Thubten Jigme Norbu
Thubten Jigme Norbu wrote several important books.
- Tibet Is My Country is his autobiography. He told his story to Heinrich Harrer in 1959.
- Tibet: Its History, Religion and People was written with Colin Turnbull in 1968.
- Tibet: The Issue Is Independence is a collection of essays from 1994. It includes an introduction by Norbu.
- Norbu also helped translate a Tibetan play into English. The play was called Younger Brother Don Yod. It was originally written by the fifth Panchen Lama, Lobsang Yeshe.
