Awards

Distinguished International Service Award - 2003

Bloomington, Indiana

Presenter: Patrick O'Meara

About Thubten J. Norbu

Thubten Jigme Norbu, also recognized as the Taktser Rinpoche, was a Tibetan lama, writer, civil rights activist, and professor of Tibetan studies. He was born in 1922 in Taktser, Tibet, and passed away in 2008 in Bloomington, Indiana. Norbu was one the first high-profile Tibetans to go into exile and the first to settle in the United States. He was deeply involved in the Tibetan independence movement and led several walks to raise awareness for Tibet’s independence. His autobiography “Tibet is my country”, dictated to Heinrich Harrer, provides a personal account of his life and the Tibetan struggle.

In the United States, he lived at the Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana, with his wife Kunyang and their three sons. Later in life, Norbu suffered a series of illnesses and his youngest son, Jigme Norbu, continued his father’s work until Thubten’s death at a walk to promote Tibetan independence. Thubten Norbu is the epitome of excellence, and his efforts to promote national freedom will always be remembered across the globe.

In recognition of his remarkable work as a well-known social justice advocator, Norbu was presented with the Distinguished International Service Award by Patrick O’Meara in 2003.