Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has opened a conference in the U.S. city of Seattle on the need for more compassion in the world.
The Dalai Lama did not make any comments about recent unrest in Tibet during his remarks Friday at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Instead, he took part in a public forum with scientists about the importance of instilling compassion in children during their early development. Thousands of people attended the event.
Organizers of the five-day "Seeds of Compassion" conference say it is essentially a non-political gathering.