An incredible person … but where to start?!

There is an enormous wealth of information on The Dalai Lama which it would be impossible to share in this post, but in very brief summary (that will in no way do justice to His Holiness):

The Dalai Lamas are believed by Tibetan Buddhist followers to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are believed to be enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.

The current Dalai Lama is the 14th reincarnation.  His Holiness is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

He frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments:

the promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the preservation of Tibet’s Buddhist culture, a culture of peace and non-violence.

To understand how His Holiness fulfils these commitments through his various activities, his public talks, widespread international visits and publications take a look at his official website (click here) or you could do worse than starting by reading his entry on Wikipedia (click here)