He smiled and giggled as he shook hands with well-wishers before making for the stage for his only public address of his visit. Only 2,000 or so people gathered, but the applause was warm enough. Afterwards some even admitted feeling somehow uplifted. As always, the Dalai Lama spoke without notes. Two contradictory forces can synthesise and find something more meaningful.
Dialogue is important.
Just as the politicians reacted in predictable fashion, so did most news outlets. The most familiar joke in the plethora of colour pieces was whether the Dalai Lama was a Protestant Buddhist or a Catholic one.