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Dalai Lama caps off UCSD commencement ceremony

Posted at 1:09 PM, Jun 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-17 16:15:21-04

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The Dalai Lama delivered the keynote address to 9,000 UC San Diego graduates Saturday morning, encouraging the new graduates to build a happier world.

"You have the opportunity to create a better world, a happier world," the Dalai Lama said before 25,000 graduates and their families Saturday.

The Dalai Lama talked to graduates about the power of compassion and importance of emotional knowledge.

"Whether believer or nonbeliever. Whether this religion, that religion. These are personal matters. But knowledge about emotion, about [the] mind. This is relevant to entire human beings," the Dalai Lama said. 

The Dalai Lama's speech capped off commencement weekend at UCSD, where he delivered a public address Friday to a crowd of 25,000 people.

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Even in the midst of a slight wardrobe malfunction in which a commencement medallion fell onto the podium in front of him - drawing a hearty laugh from the keynote speaker and the crowd - the Dalai Lama continued his emphasis on fostering a more peaceful world through kindness toward others and education.

"In order to create a peaceful mind, inner peace, you should know the nature of [the] system of these emotions," the Dalai Lama said. "With full knowledge of the full system of emotion, then [you'll be in] better position to tackle destructive emotion."

For those not in attendance for either the Dalai Lama's public address or commencement ceremony, UCSD has made both speeches available to view online here.

The Dalai Lama's trip to UCSD was organized by the Friends of the Dalai Lama Foundation. Organizers cited the spiritual leader's "message of compassion" and how it "aligns with UC San Diego’s mission of education, research, and public service" made it important to him to campus to speak.

“I had the honor of meeting His Holiness for the first time last October; peace and positivity radiate from him,” UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said during the ceremony. “His wisdom inspires us to be better caretakers of the world and better caretakers of each other.”