© Rusty Stewart - Dalai Lama In Australia Limited 2007

There's a telling quote in Man Monk Mystic, the new authorised biography of the Dalai Lama, from a local observer of His Holiness's first arrival in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa as a little boy of four. "I did not see a single face without a smile on it," the man said.

Sixty seven years later, as we sit expectantly in the cavernous interior of the Burswood Dome in Perth awaiting our "audience" with His Holiness, I'm conscious I'm smiling - and so is everyone around me. And I suspect we've all been feeling that little burst of joy in our hearts for days since we were lucky enough to secure our tickets to this event. I've since thought it must be this compelling quality that brings a glow into our lives and hearts that explains the extraordinary drawing power of this ochre- robed septuagenarian. In our town, all 15,000 tickets were snapped up in a day!

When the curtain comes down almost two hours later, we know our expectations have been fulfilled and we have been given a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of a truly enlightened being. Not, of course, that the Dalai Lama himself would ever concede any such thing.

As if to instantly bring us all down to earth after the standing ovation that marked his entrance, His Holiness begins by stressing his ordinariness and warning us against unrealistic expectations. If we've come here today out of "curiosity", that's "perfect - no problem"; if " just to listen - that's okay". But if we're here with "great expectations, that's not good - I have nothing to offer you and that leads to great disappointment". And "worst thing", he tells us, is to expect for him "some kind of miracle power". The resonant, deep voice is kind but firm: "that's nonsense". Even though he comes to the West from the "roof of the world" with a "bit different culture", we are "basically the same". And while we know he is very different from all of us, we're touched by his willingness to embrace us in all our limitations - and love him all the more!

The theme of this, the first major talk of the Dalai Lama's "Open Arms Embracing Kindness tour of Australia last month, is Ethics for the New Millennium. Settled comfortably in an armchair with those elegant and expressive hands joined in front of him, His Holiness comes straight to the point. There are those, he suggests, who believe that moral ethics should be based on religious faith. "But I am of the view that moral ethics are not necessarily based on religious faith. Every sentient being has the right to overcome suffering and experience happiness and joyfulness. That is something good to cultivate - and activities that promote these feelings I consider ethical."

This opening statement echoes his widely expressed view and one that has been credited with drawing so many millions around the world to seek at least some superficial understanding of Tibetan Buddhism - the sense that spiritual enrichment can be found outside the confines of institutionalised and congregational religion. His authorised biographer Mayank Chhaya quotes His Holiness thus in Man Monk Mystic: "Religion is not necessary for a person to become decent, honest, compassionate and loving. You don't have to be a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu or a Jew or Buddhist to be decent, honest, compassionate and loving. These qualities are irrespective of any religion." Leaning forward in his armchair and, from time to time, turning to his smiling and unflappable private secretary seated next to him for exactly the right word, His Holiness expands on his theme - and inadvertently contributes his view on another of Western society's current dilemmas, the medicalisation of childbirth. Certain values, he tells us, bring us a happy life and paramount among them is maternal affection, a quality that binds us to the rest of the animal kingdom. "The moment just after birth is the greatest moment of affection. Our deepest experience of love and compassion occurs at that time and remains for the rest of our life." While I know it is not what His Holiness intended, I find myself thinking that anaesthetisation after a Caesarean section does present some sort of foggy barrier to that supremely joyful bonding experience!

As his whole life has demonstrated since forced into exile at the age of just 24, the Dalai Lama is not one to skirt around unpleasantness and here, today, he's happy to throw the names of Hitler and Himmler as a jarring note into our afternoon of quiet joy. "Everyone has the potential for compassion, no matter how cruel. Even Hitler or Himmler were just the same on the basic human level - full of affection towards their mother. But circumstances subdued these basic human values." A masterstroke of understatement if ever there was one!

I've begun to realise that it's the Dalai Lama's style to use examples in this way to build towards the point he is seeking to make, in this instance: "The most important human values come from biological factors, not religious faith." In answering a later question, though, he is remarkably accommodating of the capacity for religious faith to promote happiness and an ethical life - even God has his place for many, says this leader of a philosophy that "has no concept of God or a Creator".

When asked by our MC, television personality Jamie Drury, how we can achieve respect for the world's religions when they have so much difficulty accepting each other, His Holiness responds without a moment's hesitation: "Love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance are common to all religions. What happened? Power, money and manipulation. Religion is used to manipulate human emotions."

But yet again, we see his legendary capacity to empathise with all of his fellow human beings, a quality that has made his personal expression of Buddhist philosophy such a powerful drawcard around the world. While Buddhism, along with its near contemporary Jainism, has no such concept, His Holiness nevertheless allows that most religions do encourage a belief in God and, in fact, "God is useful to promote compassion and other values." Buddhism does win out though. He then mentions that we determine our own karma - "Ultimately you are your own master, so behave well!" His final advice to us on this vexed question is simple but profound: " Once we accept religion, we should be serious and sincere. And then we can have more contact with other religions." It's interesting to note that Mahatma Gandhi, whom the Dalai Lama acknowledges as his own guide on the issue of peace (and who, in an extraordinary oversight was never awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, unlike the Dalai Lama) was a Jain, a belief system that espouses extreme non violence.

Cultivating a harmonious and nurturing "inner world" is at the heart of the Dalai Lama's teachings on ethics and it can only be achieved, he tells us, through "a circular approach involving compassion". Again, he adopts his own circular approach and works his way towards the point he wants to leave lingering in our thoughts when our afternoon has come to an end.

"Fighting, anger, hatred, goes with fear, insecurity, suspicion. Compassion, genuine friendship, brings calm, security, less fear. Honesty, truthfulness, compassion lead to full self confidence which brings inner strength." And it is "inner strength and self confidence that ultimately reduces fear and self doubt. So we can see" - and once again the expressive hands make his point even more eloquent - "it is a circular approach involving compassion."

Putting the essence of his lengthy talk with us and the Q&A that followed into a nutshell is surprisingly easy, simply because the Dalai Lama, perhaps like no other, can strip away the artifice that mars so much of our thinking and communication. In talking of 21st century ethics, there's no mention of accountability, transparency, equity, integrity, not even carbon credits! It all comes down, in the view of His Holiness, to "warm heartedness" and its handmaidens of love and compassion. And it's in paying attention to our own inner world, rather than falling for the trap of focusing "90 per cent of our attention outside of ourself", that is the key to our health and happiness.

"Where there is warm heartedness, society becomes happier. Look at your own world of emotions," he suggests in that gently, but firmly, prodding way. "Some emotions are very useful - compassion, forgiveness, the spirit of reconciliation. They lead to an open mind and wisdom. But when our mind is influenced by anger, fear, hatred, we cannot judge properly. Negative emotions distort reality so any action taken during that moment is unrealistic. Buddhism agrees exactly." The need we all face for our own equanimity and bountiful health is to reduce the gap between the appearance we present to the world and the reality of our emotions running unchecked and destructive beneath the surface. "We are not talking about the future or Nirvana- these are very important for now. Neurologists say a calm and peaceful mind is very good for our immune system, but hatred, fear reduces the effectiveness of our immune system. It eats at our immune system."

It's clear His Holiness is determined that we leave this teaching with a preparedness to face up to the realities that life dishes out to us all because that engenders its own strength. "If we accept factors like old age and illness as part of our life, it's easier. Even illness can transform itself into benefit." And how many times have we all heard someone say exactly that! "The mind is totally unprepared if we ignore these things," he continues. "When our happiness is totally dependent on the external, we won't get satisfaction. The power of the mind can overcome physical discomforts but not the other way around. We need to pay more attention to our inner world. With inner values, our life will be more balanced."

The subject of hardship also surfaces in a question Jamie Drury poses at the end of the session. When asked for his solution to the poverty facing so much of the world, the Dalai Lama treads where others would not dare to go! While the growing gap between the rich and the poor is a "serious problem", on a global level but also in pockets in the affluent First World - " there are many poor in Washington itself" - looking to anger and violence for a solution is "totally wrong". "The poor must work hard and the rich pay more attention to things like education. Rich countries need to change their lifestyle to overcome that gap. It is difficult for prayer or meditation to overcome poverty."

A question on climate change and whether we should focus on environmental or economic factors - a touch of politics intruding into a forum where it has no place - is our final chance to glean more wisdom from this wonderful teacher. "I don't know - but my advice is please think in a more holistic way. It is not holistic to focus on only an individual country's economy. It is a global economy. With more population and better communications, the world is really one entity. We need to think of the oneness of this small planet."

And with that, the Dalai Lama's time with us is over. As we stand as one knowing we have each been touched in our own hearts and minds even though we're one of 15,000, His Holiness bends to pick up a piece of paper that's fallen off his table (that childlike informality we hear so much about!), bestows a gracious bow and deep namaste blessings and, as he would say, "That's all. Thank you!".

Image: C Rusty Stewart - Dalai Lama In Australia Limited 2007