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Dalai Lama Shares Message Of Compassion At Eden Prairie Event

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Dalai Lama brought his message of compassion and conscious kindness to the Twin Cities.

Bill and Tani Austin of Starkey Hearing invited His Holiness to share his beliefs before business and political leaders in Eden Prairie Friday morning. Actor and humanitarian Forest Whitaker moderated the conversation.

The Dalai Lama believes every road leads back to compassion. His Holiness calls it a sincere concern about others, including enemies.

dalai lama
(credit: CBS)

"Occasionally I find it difficult to keep compassion toward mosquito," the Dalai Lama said.

The laughter parted ways to his message of how caring and kindness can lead to a richer, happier existence.

"Practice of compassion you gain inner strength, reduce fear and you find more friends," the Dalai Lama said.

The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people said leadership begins with trust which develops from compassion.

"In order to see fuller picture you have to look from various angles from just one angle you can't see reality," the Dalai Lama said.

His Holiness spoke of our materialistic culture and how it must change.

"Material only provides physical comfort not mental comfort so now our only experience tell us very clearly that physical pain can subdue by mental joyfulness," the Dalai Lama said.

And giving comes from something that is not tangible, but instead is comprised of giving fearlessness, love and education.

"I think genuine expression of love is smile," the Dalai Lama said.

The Dalai Lama said when you show kindness it should be out of a sense of concern, not what you will get in return. His Holiness and the Austin's had previously met through their international philanthropic work.

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