2011 Dalai Lama Visit to Australia

Twentyman burst into tears and almost fell off a stage, tearing his pants in the process when the holy Tibetan leader made the shock offer with the giant top-up to his 20th Man fund.

“It’s a great day for the western suburbs. It equals the 1954 Premiership of the Bulldogs,” Mr Twentyman declared.

The fund aims to tackle homelessness and poverty, with education, sport and counselling help.

Mr Twentyman said the Buddhist leader was midway through a morning Footscray talk when he announced his cash donation.

“He just said, ‘I’d like to contribute to your charity. I want to make a donation of $100,000.

“I almost fell off the stage. People had to grab the chair and push it back.”

“It was all in Tibetan so I didn’t understand it at first’,” Mr Twentyman said.

“I split my pants open and had to go home and change.”

“Braybrook boys don’t cry, but I was very teary.”

Mr Twentyman said the crowd of nearly 500 local youths, school children and community workers erupted in cheers.

He said the group had been “riveted” by the hour-long talk in freezing weather, “something I’ve never seen in 30 years of youth work and 10 years of school children”.

Mr Twentyman said the cash would be enough to help 1000 more students back into school, with more available to help homeless youth get a meal over the coming year.

He said it was the biggest ever single donation his charity had ever received and joked he would consider converting to Buddhism as a result.

“I tell you what, it could be a bit cold with a shaved head as a monk, but at lot of what he says makes a lot of sense,” Mr Twentyman said.

He said the Tibetan leader happily fielded questions on the meaning of life, telling youths they were meant to enjoy life, and suggested they should avoid drugs and alcohol as a way of avoiding misery.

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade Local MPs Bernie Finn and Marsha Thompson were on hand to witness the stunning offer, and to see the Dalai Lama give his blessing to the Dogs before their game with the Saints on Friday.

Dalai Lama says it is time act on refugees

A few hours later the Dalai Lama had Australia in his sights as he issues a plea to “smaller nations” to make a bigger impact on the global refugee problem.

In a reference to Australia, he said: “Generally these countries are very peaceful and prosperous. But you have to think of the whole globe”.

“Sometimes a smaller nation can make a more effective role for a better world.”

In an address to the Melbourne Press Club, before refugees who had forged a successful life in Melbourne, he declared the refugee crisis needed to be tackled at its root.

“The source of the problem, unless we tackle that, the refugee problem remains, continuously,” he said.

“I think solving this problem through knowledge, through education, may not solve these problems.

“Ultimately, I believe most of these problems are due to lack of moral principle in the country and relationship with neighbours.

“Greed and hatred … that’s why there are endless refugees.

While he said “sometimes natural disaster” could trigger a refugee crisis, to often it was a matter of leadership and lack of moral principle

The Dalai Lamai, witnessed by refugees who told of their painful journeys to success, not surprisingly took aim at China, which he said had ended Tibetan home rule and led to him being forced from his village more than 50 years ago.

He said while Chinese policies which had repressed democracy, even its own government now accepted the need for change.

“Their battle for control may last a few years, but the human mind is very difficult.”

“By force, the human mind never can change.”

But he predict “things will definitely change”, and that it would have a knock-on effect in Burma, Korea and other Asian nations.

“We have plenty of reasons to be optimistic,” he said, finishing with a giggle.

The Dalai Lama earlier laughed off controversy around his Australia tour before today’s Melbourne talk on refugees.

Already one of the world’s most revered spiritual leaders, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, addressed issue of refugees in Australia before the Melbourne Press Club.

Both Buddhist followers and many who have turned against mainstream Western-based religious will be hanging on the words of the charismatic teacher who manages to cut through to a modern audience.

But even as several Federal MPs pushed the Prime Minister to meet with the Tibetan leader, in an acid spray former NSW Premier Bob Carr dubbed him a “cunning monk” with “a mischievous agenda”.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has committed to meeting with him in Canberra next Tuesday but Ms Gillard still isn’t saying whether she will do the same.

A spokeswoman said yesterday the Prime Minister’s diary for next week was still to be confirmed.

Victorian federal Labor MP Michael Danby has been lobbying her to meet with the respected Buddhist, even though such a meeting might anger China.

The Dalai Lama met with then-prime minister John Howard in 2007 but Kevin Rudd dodged meetings in 2007 and 2009, sparking accusations he was kowtowing to China.

The Australian Tibet Council has also called on Ms Gillard to commit to a meeting.

Today, in a no-holds barred attack Mr Carr argued the Dalai Lama’s agenda was not in Australia’s interest, claiming his definition of Tibet includes provinces China would consider its own.

“It is designed to antagonise the Chinese,” Mr Carr says in his blog.

“The Prime Minister is under no obligation to see him, no more than she would to accept a courtesy call from the Archbishop of Canterbury if he insisted on being here every 18 months.

“No, the case for not seeing the Lama is stronger: behind the self-effacing shuffle and the grins he has a mischievous agenda in pursuit of theocratic power.”

But the Dalai Lama has so far played down the controversy despite having no commitment from Prime Minister Julia Gillard to meet him.

Since handing over political power last month to a democratically elected leader in exile, the Dalai Lama is free to focus on ethical and spiritual questions.

Asked if he was disappointed not to be meeting Ms Gillard, he replied firmly: “I have nothing to say to her.”

One reason for the categorical response is that the Dalai Lama last month relinquished his position as head of the Tibetan government, a role his predecessors had occupied for 300 years.

“Now I am a free man,” he said.

While Australia Tibet Council spokesman Paul Burke said he couldn’t put words in the Dalai Lama’s mouth, he expected he would find time to meet Ms Gillard if she requested it.

He said his statement about having nothing to say referred to the fact “he doesn’t have a political agenda … he hasn’t come with a proposal to put to the Prime Minister.”

He said it was up to Australia to play its part in a solution to the situation in Tibet, along with other national governments.

Reflecting on his unsuccessful campaign for Tibetan autocracy that has led him to live in exile since 1959, the Dalai Lama said he believed he could claim some achievements.

“That doesn’t mean I made no mistakes,” he said.

“But I have no regrets, my life has been quite useful.”

Story. DailyTelegraph

Photos Paul Cush 2011