A beautiful but cold morning and I drove the 8 minutes down the hill from our house to 'Australia Zoo'.
The Dalai Lama was to give a talk at 9.30.
He was introduced by Terri Irwin - who spoke very well - and who was accompanied by Bindi & Bob.
The man himself came into the auditorium - the open air 'Crocoseum' and captivated his audience for the next hour.
He was enigmatic, charming, witty and profound. An incredible presence. His words were mesmerising.
I was impressed to simply be seeing this individual of truly historic importance. I knew his story so well - from his books and from the film-biography 'Kundun'. I'd seen his rooms in Lhasa at both the Potala and the Norbulingka and could imagine the upheaval of leaving there to become a refugee. Yet this man bears no malice and carries no bitterness. What an example.
I managed to get some great photos - the new zoom lens for the Canon Eos performing well.
Terri, Bob & Bindi, plus koala, came to say goodbye and were presented with ceremonial khatas.
There were only 3000 people allowed at the Aus. Zoo talk (The auditorium there takes 5000). In the afternoon His Holiness spoke in Brisbane to an audience of 15,000!
Apparently he meets the Prime Minister, John Howard, in the next couple of days, and the Chinese are most unimpressed.
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