MINNEAPOLIS -- The Dalai Lama says the U.S. mission that killed Osama Bin Laden was understandable. However, it still saddened him because of his commitment to non-violence.
He made the comments Saturday in Minneapolis during one of many appearances around the Twin Cities this weekend.
There are approximately 3,000 Tibetans living in Minnesota.
The Dalai Lama spoke to a number of them at a celebration at the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul on Saturday morning.
For Tibetan Buddhists like Sonam Doma, who has been living in Minnesota for 18 years, it's a time of great joy. She said, "For us it's everything he is our god and he is our leader."
But it wasn't just Tibetans who wanted to meet His Holiness.
At a morning press conference in Minneapolis, 11-year-old Lachlan Anders-MacLeod of Minneapolis managed to get a special pass to a press conference so he could ask questions. Anders-Macleod was inspired to meet the Dalai Lama after his older brother did a school report on Tibet.
The Dalai Lama seemed tickled. As soon as he walked in the room he noticed Anders-MacLeod, laughed, and went up to him and shook his hand.
At the press conference, His Holiness first brought a message that cultivating inner peace can help bring world peace. He said, "The inner value is very, very important to build. Happy individual, happy family, happy community."
He said the main reason for his visit is that while he is maintaining his spiritual leadership role, he will soon give up his role as political leader of the Tibetan people, passing that duty on to a newly elected prime minister.
He said, "I always was telling people the religious institution and political institution must be separate. While I'm telling people that, I myself am combined. That's hypocrisy." He said the first four Dalai Lamas served only as spiritual leaders. So as the 14th Dalai Lama, he's returning to that.
Then he took questions. One was about his opinion on the killing of Bin Laden. He said, "It's understandable." But he added that violence is the wrong method because it can get out of control.
The Dalai Lama said, "I think from [a] certain view point it is better to keep them alive so eventually they see their own past fault."
Then Anders-MacLeod posed a question. He said, "What is the message to people of my generation about kindness in today's society?"
His Holiness responded that the 20th century, while it was about advances, also included bloodshed. He said he has hopes for the 21st century. He said, "You should try to build this century, [it] should be [a] century of dialogue."
It's that philosophy that inspires tibetan Buddhists in Minnesota and around the world.
Anders-MacLeod said he will post his report on CNN's iReport and You Tube.
The Dalai Lama speaks Sunday, May 8th 2011 at two pubic events at the University of Minnesota. Limited tickets are still available.
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