text: what are some similarites between the pope and the dalai lama?   i know a difference. his holiness the dalai lama is the leader of only one sect of buddhism, while the pope is the leader of the whole catholic church. the dalai lama is the most famous lama because he was made the leader of tibet after they were forced to flee to india during the chinese invasion. they both work for peace and tolerance and encourage peaceful demonstration over armed conflict whenever possible.