Obama & Dalai Lama voted most popular leaders in survey: Popularity of Buddhist leader grows

In an Internet survey released April 23, 2010 and made between March 31 and April 12, H.H. the Dalai Lama was voted the second most popular leader in the world behind U.S. President Barack Obama. Although the poll only took the opinion of 6,135 adults between the ages of 16 and 64, it did survey people in many countries including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the USA.

So the trend of increasing popularity continues for the exiled Tibetan leader and the young, African-American president – both of whom have emerged from relative obscurity to dominate the world stage. This is particularly unusual for the Dalai Lama as he did not seek that attention, and as he so often reminds people, he is just a “simple monk.”

President Obama had a 77% rating, while the Dalia Lama had a 75 percent rating. They were followed by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at 62%. Another spiritual leader, Pope Benedict XVI came in seventh with a 36% rating.

Other leaders ranked in the pole were
4th - German Chancellor Angela Merkel with 54 percent.
5th (tie) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy 37% and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at 37%.

May we all recognize the equanimity in all things and realize that all people, including ourselves, are equally important.