Tucked high above a valley with snow-capped mountains surrounding it on three sides, the small town of Dharamsala, in northern India, is known worldwide as the home of the Tibetan leader, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama.

Since he left Tibet in 1959, forced into exile after China’s brutal crackdown on a failed uprising, the Dalai Lama has traveled the globe, meeting with world leaders and serving as the identifying force for his homeland. The rallying cry “Free Tibet” has long been one of the most recognizable causes in the world, though its meaning varies from an end to Chinese oppression to outright independence from China.

ABC News correspondent Muhammad Lila traveled to Dharamsala and sat down for a wide-ranging interview with the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. The Dalai Lama, who calls himself a “simple Buddhist monk,” touched on the new leadership in China, violence in Myanmar, Tibet, his successor, and whether it’s possible to live a perfect life.

New