Audience of 10,000 listens to Dalai Lama speaking in Zürich

Zurich's largest hall, known as the Hallenstadion, was packed yesterday with 10,000 people who heard the Dalai Lama speak about the situation and suffering in Tibet, while he also thanked Switzerland for harboring a large number of Tibetan refugees.

Zurich, Switzerland - Over 10,000 people filled Zurich city’s largest hall called Hallenstadion yesterday afternoon to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama speak on Universal Responsibility. In a move that will certainly anger some Chinese politicians, the website Tibet Custom reports that the Tibetan national anthem was recited, during which the Dalai Lama stood in deep thought and with the for Buddhists typical gesture of putting both palms together at approximately chin-height. After the public talk, His Holiness took questions from the audience, and when one questioner asked about the present situation in Tibet, the Dalai Lama had this as an answer: “We are not seeking one side win and one side lose. We are seeking mutual benefit (for China and Tibet) through dialogue.” He followed this up by saying that there should be more transparency in China, since the one billion Chinese had the right to know the truth of what is going on in order to form their own judgement. Among the 10,000 listeners were about 4,000 Tibetans who live in Switzerland, Liechtenstein and other Tibetan communities across Europe. The Dalai Lama congratulated the especially the Tibetans of Switzerland for being able to maintain the Tibetan religion, culture, language and identity in this mountainous country. Speaking to all displaced Tibetans, he said that that all of them, including himself, became refugees not because of a civil war or a natural disaster, but because a new guest came to Tibet without invitation. A man now aged 74 (born 6 July 1935), he finished his speech with the chilling sentence: “Till we die, we are Tibetan.” For detailed information about the 5-day event that ended yesterday, and or a variety of great photographs, visit the website dalailama.com.