Bonded by Experience as Refugees

LONG BEACH —  In his first address to Vietnamese Buddhists, the Dalai Lama on Saturday urged the audience, as individuals, to live with compassion, and as a group, to focus on education for the younger generation, because therein lies the strength of their future.

But what drew the most applause and even a few tears from spectators was a reference in his speech that compared Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader to the Vietnamese expatriates in the audience of nearly 5,000 at the Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach.

“We both remain in other countries as refugees,” the Dalai Lama said, sharply punctuating his words as he referred to his ongoing struggle to free Tibet from China’s grasps.

“But on this earth, in these modern times, democracy and freedom is almost like an unstoppable force. . . . I feel that, definitely, there will be a change.”

Sitting comfortably in a maroon armchair set at center stage, the Dalai Lama spoke for about 40 minutes to a crowd that waited on line for hours to see him, some arriving as early as 7 a.m. to make sure they had a seat for the free event, which began at 4 p.m.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Phu Nguyen, 67, of Santa Ana, who arrived early and stood for hours in a line that snaked through a parking lot.

“I have always dreamed for a chance to hear him speak and I can’t believe it’s really happening,” he said. “This is one of the luckiest days of my life.”

The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed revolt against the Chinese government, is widely admired throughout the world. But he has especially endeared himself to Vietnamese expatriates because they see him as a reflection of themselves--exiles whose countries were taken over by a Communist regimes.

His stop in Long Beach to address the Vietnamese community, which has a cultural base in Little Saigon, was part of a tour to the United States that also included lectures at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara.

As the 1989 Nobel laureate entered the auditorium dressed in a sleeveless maroon and mustard-colored monk’s robe, audience members placed their palms together as if in prayer and bowed their heads.

Then there was a loud applause when he returned the gesture to the audience, which represented many different facets of society. There were college students in dreadlocks and baggy jeans and Catholic priests in white collars.

Donning a bright yellow ao dai, a traditional Vietnamese garment, Thao Duong, 25, of Anaheim, said she savored every word. At the end of the lecture, she was among dozens who raised their arms to the stage.

“He reached out and grabbed my hand,” she said, smiling broadly. “I feel that it’s a blessing.”

But not all who came to the event were so inspired by the spiritual leader. In front of the auditorium, two men calling themselves members of the Christian Anti-Defamation League carried placards that read: “Only Jesus Christ Can Save You From Hell.”

The men drew criticisms from some bystanders, who told them they were being rude.

But several monks walked past the men and said nothing, later pointing out that they were there to honor the Dalai Lama, who preaches tolerance.

The Tibetan spiritual leader also told the crowd that they must take their future in their own hands and warned that chanting and prayer alone does not make a good practicing Buddhist. What is essential is that one must act with compassion, strive to understand life’s complexities, and have faith in Buddha, he said.

Without those three elements, everything else can only hold “very limited” benefits to a spiritual life, the Dalai Lama said.

Asked by organizers to bless the crowd, the Dalai Lama quipped: “As a Buddhist, blessing must come from within, not from outside.” Then he broke into an almost mischievous laugh that reverberated throughout the audience.

“He doesn’t say a lot,” said Trang Ngoc Phan, 74, who traveled from San Jose. “But within those few words are the essence of the Buddhist teachings.”