Invited to speak before the crowd of six
thousand – the seekers, the curious, and the skeptical - at Arizona State
University,
Dalai
Lama entered the lecture hall and walked through the crowd smiling
broadly and greeting people as he passed by, writes Howard C.Cutler in the
Art of Happiness.
"Finally passing through a curtain, he walked on stage, bowed, folded his
hands, and smiled. He was greeted with thunderous applause. At his request,
the house lights were not dimmed so he could clearly see his audience, and
for several moments he simply stood there, quietly surveying the audience
with an unmistakable expression of warmth and goodwill. For those who had
never seen the Dalai Lama before, his maroon and saffron monk's robes may
have created a somewhat exotic impression, yet his remarkable ability to
establish rapport with his audience
was quickly revealed as he sat down and began his talk."
