Dalai Lama: Don't blame Obama for low-key meeting

The Dalai Lama said today he was not offended by the low-key reception he received from President Barack Obama during his visit to the White House.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said he understood that Mr Obama must be practical in juggling his desire for human rights in Tibet, while not angering China, a growing economic power.

Mr Obama played host to the Dalai Lama on Thursday but kept the get-together off-camera and low-key in an attempt to avoid inflaming tensions with China.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to remove Tibet from Chinese rule and objects strongly to all his contact with foreign leaders.

The Dalai Lama says that in the "last six decades my heart hardened" and he considers a face-to-face meeting more important than diplomatic stagecraft.

The Dalai Lama made the remarks while in Los Angeles to support Whole Child International, an organisation that advocates better care for orphans worldwide.

"No disappointment. The last six decades my heart hardened. I do not consider important political gestures. I don't care. The important is meet face-to-face," he said.

"With President Clinton, the first meeting was a 'drop-in'," he said. "People asked me the same question (then). I don't care."

Meetings between the Dalai Lama and US presidents became standard nearly 20 years ago, but they are always delicately choreographed and scrutinised because of China's sensitivity.

This time, China had urged Mr Obama not to meet the 75-year-old spiritual leader, saying the visit "seriously harms US-China relations".

The Dalai Lama said yesterday it was crucial for the US to develop an economic relationship with China without forgoing America's founding principles.

"You should develop cordial, close relations, mainly in the economic field at the same time (as) your principles, these universal values of democracy and rule of law," he said. "In these principles you should stand firm."

The Tibetan leader also briefly addressed the Tiger Woods scandal and the golf star's public comments on Friday about straying from his Buddhist faith.

Woods said he was raised a Buddhist but needed to focus anew on finding balance between his faith and professional life.

The Dalai Lama said although he did not know who Woods was, self-discipline was among Buddhism's highest values.

When it comes to adultery, he said, "all religions have the same idea".

"I think mainly whether you call it Buddhism or another religion, self-discipline, that's important. Self-discipline with awareness of consequences."