Dalai Lama Charms and Counsels Crowd at University of Maryland

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama spoke to a packed house Tuesday at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center, touching on everything from shared religious values to eschewing violence to his desire for global demilitarization.

The speech, part of the university's Anwar Sadat Lecture for Peace series, drew a crowd of some 15,000. Many waited outside of the arena for hours in order to hear from Tenzin Gyatso, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism better known as the Dalai Lama.

The wife of the late Egyptian president, Jehan Sadat, was in attendance Tuesday along with Gov. Martin O'Malley, University of Maryland President Wallace Loh, and other dignitaries.

An advocate for world peace, religious harmony, and scientific discovery, the Dalai Lama charmed and counseled spectators, drawing occasional laughs and rounds of applause.

As he spoke from the lectern, occasionally turning to an aide for help with English translations, audience members listened in near silence—a far cry from the roar that typically fills the Comcast Center during Maryland basketball games.

"The worst aspect of violence is unpredictability," the Dalai Lama told the crowd of mostly students. "Once committed, violence—even though … your aim is good—but because of the method, the violent method, it may create unexpected consequences."

Sporting a Maryland Terrapins visor given to him by the university, the Dalai Lama talked at length about different faiths and said that all religions are organized around a message of love despite their philosophical differences.

"Peace must come through inner peace. So the source of inner peace is compassion, forgiveness—these things. So therefore, all religious traditions have same potential to create peaceful worlds, peaceful individuals, peaceful family," he said.

The Dalai Lama also urged the audience to make the 21st century a time of peace and demilitarization.

"You have the opportunity … to create new world, better world, happier world on the basis of firm convocation of oneness of humanity," he added.

At the end of his remarks, the Dalai Lama was awarded an honorary degree by President Loh before taking several questions submitted by audience members.

Loh also presented the Dalai Lama with "Tangible," a small sculpture created by University of Maryland graduate student Mark Earnhart to commemorate the Sadat lecture.

The artwork, composed of bronze and leather in the shape of a sandwich, "is a visual affirmation of a moment where dignity is on the verge of being lost," according to a description published in the lecture program.

Before departing the arena, the Dalai Lama gave out long, white shawls to the officials and luminaries on stage. He stopped to receive kisses on the cheek from Jehan Sadat and Prof. Shibley Telhami and—in a surprising moment—touched noses briefly with Gov. O'Malley.

The Dalai Lama was set to participate in a smaller event Tuesday afternoon on the UMD campus titled "A Meeting of Two Oceans: Dialogue on Sufism and Buddhism."

Did you attend Tuesday's speech? What was your reaction to the Dalai Lama's words? Let us know in the comments.