The Dalai Lama spoke on Saturday to a crowd of thousands who filled the West Lawn of the Capitol. Whoopi Goldberg introduced the Buddhist leader in a playful tone, “I bet you’re sitting there thinking, ‘What, seriously, Whoopi Goldberg?’ ” she said, drawing a laugh. Goldberg set the humor aside for a bit to show her respect for the Tibetan spiritual leader and his teachings, offering a pithy summary: “I actually believe that if you are nice to people, generally they are nice to you. And the day gets better.”
Following her reflection, “The View” co-host introduced Skylar Grey, the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer who wrote Eminem’s hit “Love the Way You Lie.” For the first time in public, Gray sang her song “Coming Home,” which she dedicated to the people of Tibet.
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Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivered a video message to the crowd, urging listeners not to despair of their ability to work as individuals toward world peace.
“Think of the effect of all of those ripples,” he said. “Think of the tremendous wave being crafted. With this amount of people, that wave is unstoppable.”
He also invited the Dalai Lama to visit his home in South Africa so the two could sit on his porch, drink tea and reminisce.
Finally, the Dalai Lama spoke, saying he dislikes formal meetings and prefers to talk with people in a relaxed setting. During his speech (which was delivered mostly under the shade of a big umbrella) he encouraged his audience to be compassionate and warmhearted.
