The Dalai Lama has received considerable criticism from the People's Republic of China, which views his activities as subversive and dangerous. The PRC also attempts to keep the Dalai Lama from gaining entry into nations with which it has foreign relations. An example of this was in November 1999, when the Dalai Lama was granted access to visit Israel by the Israeli government, which the PRC immediately criticized. The PRC also claimed in 2001 that the Dalai Lama was supporting Taiwanese independence during his visit to Taiwan in 2001. The Dalai Lama characterized the visit as a spiritual mission. The Dalai Lama has also received criticism for his interest as a child in war toys and as an adult with his interests in World War II monuments.

Originally, there was criticism that feudal theocratic Tibet was not as benevolent as the Dalai Lama had portrayed. In response, he has since condemned some of ancient Tibet's feudal practices and has added that he had been willing to institute reforms before the Chinese invaded.

Though the Dalai Lama asked the White House to "think seriously whether a violent action is the right thing to do" prior to the invasion of Iraq, he has since expressed a longer term view on whether the Iraq war is justified, refusing to condemn it. He has reiterated this position a number of times since the original New York Times report. This is a stand which pacifists and anti-war protesters have found fault with.

The Dalai Lama is sometimes criticized for modifying his message to be as palatable as possible to his audience, sometimes changing viewpoints according to the situation. He is also sometimes reproached for taking one side of an issue at one time and changing it later on, usually in response to criticism. This however could be seen in context with Buddhist teachings, where a teaching may benefit one person, while not the other.