Photographing the Dalai Lama for 35 years: Inside Manuel Bauer's rarely seen archive

Mint

19-07-2025

Swiss photographer Manuel Bauer first met Tenzin Gyatso, better known to the world as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, in 1990. Back then, Bauer was a 23-year-old rookie journalist, hungry to make an impression in his first job. As luck would have it, he didn't have to try too hard for a big break.
Early on in his career, Bauer was sent on an assignment to photograph the Dalai Lama, an encounter that would change the course of his life. For one, it was an unusual initiation into the world of photojournalism, where the familiar rules of engagement seemed to have turned topsy-turvy. Unlike most other celebrities, here was one who was neither pricey nor given to throwing tantrums. The great Tibetan leader didn't at all seem to mind being trailed by a restless young man with a camera. In fact, he welcomed Bauer to photograph him in his private chambers, too, a rare privilege then and since.
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'At the time, I thought it was normal for all photojournalists to get such close access to him," Bauer says when we meet in Delhi for the launch of his new book, Dalai Lama, with texts by Thupten Jinpa and captions by Christian Schmidt (Roli, ₹4,995). 'It was only much later that I realised how fortunate I had been," he adds. His gratitude has only deepened in the last 35 years, while his fascination with his subject, who recently turned 90, remains undiminished.
Inspired by his early meeting with the Dalai Lama, Bauer began to study Tibetan history and culture, which grew into a lifelong interest in Buddhism and social justice, igniting a mission to highlight the exiled community's suffering to the world. In 2001, Bauer decided to devote focused time to documenting and archiving the Dalai Lama's life, acting as his uncrowned 'official photographer".
It has been a difficult, often expensive, project but Bauer continues to do it, undeterred. He has done freelance work as a photojournalist, teacher and artist to fund his trips to India to spend time with the Dalai Lama at his home in Dharamshala or to follow him around the world on his travels. In fact, he spends the most of his time editing, researching, sorting and organising the vast archive of photographs he has amassed. 'I believe in the power of the image as an icon," Bauer says. 'When someone looks at my photographs of the Dalai Lama 20 years from now, I want them to see something new and fresh."
Looking at the rich selection of images in the book, one is struck by the truth behind Bauer's statement. The Dalai Lama, like all spiritual leaders, has a strong presence in photographs, many of which are ubiquitous on the internet. Public figures are meant to smile, look serious, impress the crowds with their charm and wit. The Dalai Lama does all these things too. But then, Bauer also shows us aspects of his personality that we don't commonly expect to see: The Dalai Lama exercising on a treadmill, eating a meal while immersed in his studies, bursting into uproarious laughter, or meditating on a bed in a hotel room.
While dozens of Bauer's photographs feel candid and effortless, the images are a testimony to his perseverance. 'Although His Holiness was open to be shadowed by me, it was tough to navigate the tight security protocol around him," he says. To begin with, Bauer had to be on top of the Dalai Lama's schedule. 'I had to be at the right place at the right time," he says. 'If he went into an elevator with his security and I had no idea where he was headed, the entire day could be a waste for me."
Then there was always the risk of running into the unpredictable—such as the time when the Dalai Lama had to be whisked out of the University of Zurich following a bomb scare. Bauer writes about this incident with wry humour in the book, but at the time, it must have felt terrifying being trapped in the basement of the building, as the guards went looking for the key to the emergency exit.
Bauer may be as enterprising and daredevil as any photojournalist worth their salt, but he isn't trigger happy. 'I've an ambivalent relationship with the camera," he says. 'It is an aggressive machine that can be used to manipulate others." From the beginning, he made some ground rules and stuck to them. For instance, he would not shoot the Dalai Lama when he was leading a retreat or interrupt him when he was deep in meditation. 'I used to ask him if I disturbed him with my clicking," Bauer says. 'But he always said, 'No problem, I just ignore you.' He can get back his focus in seconds."
What's even more fascinating for Bauer is the seemingly unchanging aspect of the Dalai Lama's personality. 'He is the same person on and off stage," he says. 'He may be delivering a complex lecture on tantra before an audience of 30,000 or joking with me on the sidelines, but he is always the same person, inside and outside."
When he first started following the Dalai Lama, Bauer was mentally prepared to lose his ideal image of the man. Instead, that image has grown only stronger over the years. 'His daily practice of analytical meditation has given him an incredible ability to focus on logic over emotions," Bauer says. 'He can understand in a flash whether he is acting out of compassion or egotism and control his feelings swiftly."
One time, Bauer tells me, after landing in Madrid, the Dalai Lama found that his suitcase, which contained his pain medication, had been lost in transit. Already experiencing considerable discomfort, he lost control for a moment, wondering why it hadn't arrived at the destination. And yet, in the very next second, he had accepted his predicament with equanimity. 'What's the point of being unhappy when there is no medication at hand anyway? His Holiness said," Bauer recalls.
Spending long stretches of time, even though intermittently, with an iconic spiritual leader does enrich one's repertoire of experiences. At the same time, especially for a photographer, prolonged proximity to a subject may feel daunting. How do you bring in novelty and fresh appeal to your art when the focus of your work remains unchanging and evergreen? 'Scientifically speaking, a photograph is just reflected light," says Bauer. 'But some pictures manage to look inside, go beyond the surface." As someone who believes in the power of the 'decisive moment"—when the stars align to enable the perfect choreography of beauty and mystery—he is always grappling with one key question. 'How can I photograph the Dalai Lama's huge knowledge, his deep presence, and his endless compassion for the world?"
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