Dalai Lama avoids Tibet in Seattle speech

SEATTLE, April 11 (UPI) -- The Dalai Lama avoided politics and the Chinese role in Tibet as he opened a conference on compassion Friday in Seattle.

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists said compassion should infuse every human action, and that even war is less destructive when conducted compassionately, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported.

The five-day Seeds of Compassion conference is being held at the University of Washington.

The Dalai Lama said politics is not "something dirty," although it is made so when politicians lack compassion.

While the Dalai Lama did not mention the recent riots in the homeland he has not seen for almost half a century, Dan Kranzler of the Kirlin Charitable Foundation brought up Tibet in his introduction.

"And may I say personally, the world knows the truth," Kranzler said. "The world knows."

The Dalai Lama gave the keynote speech and then participated in a panel discussion.

Next weekend, the Dalai Lama is to deliver four lectures at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The university announced Friday that actor Richard Gere and composer Philip Glass are to participate in a panel discussion on Buddhism and the arts, the Ann Arbor News reported.