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BERKELEY =E2=80=94 Tibet's exiled = spiritual leader,=20 the Dalai Lama, struggled with his English and a touch = of the=20 flu Saturday, but he still kept a crowd of more than = 6,000=20 focused and laughing as he talked about peace through=20 compassion at UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre.
In his third visit to UC Berkeley since 1994, he = left the=20 stage to a standing ovation and wearing a blue Golden = Bears=20 visor and his giant, infectious smile.
The Dalai Lama talked about "peace through = compassion"=20 during his speech, which at times was difficult to = understand,=20 despite an interpreter helping him with English words = he could=20 not recall.
"Sorry," the 73-year-old said at one point. "I've = become=20 old. My English also (has) become older."
He peppered his talk with personal stories about = his gall=20 bladder surgery, a couple caring for two young = children on an=20 international flight (the spiritual leader said he = flies=20 business class because first class is too luxurious), = and how=20 he believes people will live longer if they stop = focusing so=20 much on their own problems.
"People who use (the words) I, my and mine have a = greater=20 risk of a heart attack," he said. "My conclusion is a = more=20 self-centered attitude makes our minds become more = narrow and=20 then even a small, tiny problem becomes unbearable. = There are=20 thousands, millions of people facing similar problems. = Don't=20 take oneself as the center of the world. Think of = others, then=20 your health will become better. That's
The spiritual leader said he recently had to have = his gall=20 bladder removed =E2=80=94 usually a fairly = straightforward operation =E2=80=94=20 but his became complicated when doctors discovered his = gall=20 bladder was infected and swollen to three times its = normal=20 size.
Back on his feet in five days, the Dalai Lama said = he was=20 surprised to hear his surgeon say he had the body of a = man of=20 60. "Taking care of (your) inner peace is one of the = best=20 medications without much money."
In talking about compassion, the Nobel Peace = laureate said=20 there are two kinds of compassion: biological and that = which=20 is learned. Biological compassion can only go so far = =E2=80=94 a=20 parent caring for small children, and turtles, birds = or dogs=20 caring for their offspring are natural cycles of life, = he=20 said.
"But that level of loving kindness or compassion is = limited," he said. "The second level of compassion is = beyond=20 the biological factor and (it comes about) by using = your=20 intelligence."
The sold-out talk was sponsored by the American = Himalayan=20 Foundation and the Richard C. Blum Center for = Developing=20 Economies. Blum, a San Francisco investment banker and = philanthropist who is married to U.S. Sen. Dianne = Feinstein,=20 founded AHF to help the Tibetan people and the center = that=20 bears his name to find solutions to global poverty. = Blum, UC=20 Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and actress Sharon Stone, = who sits=20 on the board of directors of AHF, all gave remarks = before the=20 Dalai Lama's talk.
Josie Grant of Marin said this was her sixth or = seventh=20 time seeing the spiritual leader speak.
"He's a spokesman for the world and I think he's a = catalyst=20 for world peace, compassion and the Tibetan freedom = movement=20 and he needs to be listened to," she said.
"You know, what I love about him is he is always = happy and=20 he has an infectious laugh," she said. "Just being in = his=20 presence is a blessing."
Some attendees said they camped out in front of the = box=20 office for 20 to 30 hours to get tickets.
Scalpers on Craigslist were selling tickets for = $150=20 Saturday.
The audience was about 30 percent students.
The Dalai Lama, who answered only three prearranged = questions, gave a few words of advice for young = people: "Hope=20 for the best, but prepare for the worst."
Asked his thoughts on whether the Internet isolates = people,=20 he said, "I have no experience with the Internet. I = don't=20 know. Next question."
That remark garnered a roar of laughter from the = crowd.=20
He was also asked for his advice to students = approaching=20 graduation. "After finishing your studies, you have to = find=20 jobs and eventually you have to find your partner. So = a lot of=20 problems there," he said, garnering more laughter.
The Dalai Lama arrived Thursday in the United = States for a=20 week of public and private talks and events, including = two in=20 Berkeley on Saturday.
He also spoke at a private event at the Berkeley = Community=20 Theater. On Sunday, he is scheduled to serve lunch at = a San=20 Francisco soup kitchen.
He will then head to New York and Boston, where he = is=20 slated to dedicate a research center bearing his name = at the=20 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India for 50 = years=20 after the Chinese military occupation of Tibet in = 1959.
Kristin Bender covers Berkeley. =
Reach her at=20
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