(31 Jul 2021) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4337654

Born in a suburb of Minneapolis, Jalue Dorje grew up loving football, Pokémon, and rap music.
But once the 14-year-old graduates from high school, he looks forward to joining a monastery in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains where he will continue his religious studies.
"I want to be a leader of peace like the Dalai Lama or Gandhi or something like that," said Dorje, who's father is also a monk.
Unlike most westernized children, Dorje began studying Buddhist religion and culture as a young child after he was recognized as the eighth reincarnation of the lama Terchen Taksham Rinpoche.
His uncle remembers him being a very young when this was discovered and confirmed.
"Seeing him growing up into a teenager it's a lot of things to take in because he's a Buddhist master but at the same time he's a normal person as well," said his uncle, Tashi Lama. "So we get to see the two sides of it."
Alongside his religious studies, he follows American sports like football and basketball closely.
"I have great friends, they all love sports like me," he said.
He will be entering his first year of high school in the fall and looks forward to subjects like history, but says "I've always put religion first."
As a monk and Buddhist lama, Dorje has many tutors and mentors that train him in Tibetan language, prayer memorization and Buddhist tradition.
One of them being his close friend and mentor, Khenpo Kunga.
"All Tibetans will feel proud," said Kunga. "Since many young Tibetan children attend English medium schools, they can't speak Tibetan properly.
He not only speaks Tibetan properly, he is also well versed in prayers, and ritual practices such as ringing bells and drums."
When he was first recognized as a reincarnation by the Dalai Lama, he was advised to study at a monastery at the age of ten, however his parents are eager for him to have a well rounded education, so after much thought, "we decided stay here until 12th grade," said Dorje.
"Graduate and then balance Tibetan and western studies and then when I go to India, then just Tibetan," he said.
Family members like his uncle Tashi Lama are glad Dorje will be with them longer, but have also prepared themselves for his departure and are eager for him to have a chance to lead the world in compassion and peace.
"We would really like him to see, to become a monk and then become a Buddhist master and then lead the world, but the choice is up to him once he's old enough to make that decision."
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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