New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) Not many would know that Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is an honorary professor at Delhi University. On Saturday, however, not only did he reveal the little known fact to hundreds of students and others at a conference here, but also admitted that he was a "lazy" person and "useless" as a professor.

Even as an awestruck audience -- many of them Tibetan youngsters and staff of Delhi University (DU) -- listened intently to his speech, the Dalai Lama, in a light hearted moment said that he has just not been able to live up to the honorary post awarded to him. 

"Delhi University may call me its honorary professor but the reality is that I am a useless professor. And there are two reasons for that," Dalai Lama said while giving the valedictory address at the three-day international conference on Tibetan history and culture in DU here. 

"Firstly, I have no time to do my duties as a professor and secondly, I am very lazy, so I don't do any homework. So here you have, a useless professor with a big name," he smiled, even the DU convocation hall, where he was speaking, erupted with laughter and applause. 

Back from his visit to Italy, the Dalai Lama has been attending a number of programmes since his arrival in Delhi Friday. He gave the Justice Sunanda Bhandare Foundation Lecture on Women and Peace Friday evening at the Siri Fort auditorium in south Delhi. 

At DU, more than 500 people attended the valedictory session that the Dalai Lama addressed. 

Deepak Pental, DU vice chancellor, said: "We have had the Dalai Lama come and speak to us many times and each time he comes, something good happens in the university. So here's welcoming the honorary professor of DU." 

Dalai Lama hopes PM will raise Tibet issue in US

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Saturday described Manmohan Singh as a "clean politician" and said he was hopeful the prime minister would do whatever possible on the Tibetan issue when he meets US President Barack Obama next week.

"The Indian prime minister is a very honest person and a clean politician. India and Tibet have a very close unique spiritual relations. I am sure that whatever the prime minister can do and appeal to his friend (Obama), he will do," the Dalai Lama said here when asked what his hopes were from Manmohan Singh's four-day trip to Washington.

The prime minister left for the US Saturday as the first state guest of Obama at the White House.

"I have no worry but I understand that he should be practical and realistic. The government of India and the US have certain limitations and that is also a reality," the Dalai Lama told reporters at the launch of a cancer centre at Max hospital in Saket, south Delhi.

During his visit to Italy earlier this week, the Dalai Lama had appreciated Obama's appeal to Chinese leaders to hold talks with him over the Tibet issue.

"The government of India and we have accepted Tibet as an autonomous region of the Republic of China. President Obama must have had serious talks with the Chinese leaders (on the Tibet issue) and I must appreciate that," he said. 

The Dalai Lama later spoke at a seminar on Tibetan history and culture at Delhi University and emphasised that globally he was known as the Dalai Lama of Tibet, yet Chinese claimed he was the Dalai Lama of China's Tibet. 

"Wherever I go (in the world) they call me the Dalai Lama of Tibet they never say the Dalai Lama of China. Only the Chinese call me the Dalai Lama of China's Tibet," he said. 

The Dalai Lama also exhorted Tibetan communities to disseminate more information on Tibetan culture and political history by bringing out books and texts as there was a growing interest on the issue. 

Tibetan medicine popular among Chinese too: Dalai Lama

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) Tibetan medicine is sought after the world over now and even officials in Communist China are keen followers of the system of treatment, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said here Saturday.

"There is a lot of interest in Tibetan medicine all over the world... even Communist officials in China have shown interest, and many even take treatment," the Dalai Lama said at the launch of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Institute and Cancer Centre at Max Healthcare hospital in Saket, south Delhi. 

He said that while advanced healthcare services provide "immense service" to the public, there was need to extend the facilities to rural areas also in India. 

"India still needs a lot of facilities for health, specially in rural areas," he said, adding that compassion was an integral part of providing healthcare services. 

The Dalai Lama in October 2008 had undergone a surgery at the Gangaram Hospital for removing his "problematic" gall bladder which had agonised him for 15 years. Referring to the surgery, the Tibetan spiritual leader laughed and said that Tibetan medicine had failed in his case, but it was especially useful in digestive and respiratory ailments. 

Pradeep Chaubey, the doctor who performed his surgery, is now with Max's new centre. 

Speaking about the centre, Chaubey said: "This institute has a team that has developed the frontiers of least invasive surgery in the country. Our foremost priority is to train doctors and also develop and provide the most advanced laparoscopic procedures." 

On Tibetan medicine, the Dalai Lama said that during the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 in South Asia, "many Chinese officials had resorted to preventive Tibetan medication, and that was successful". 

He said that a Tibetan medicine clinic was recently established in Poland's capital Warsaw.

"The Chinese Medical Organisation has conducted research on Tibetan medicine and ascertained that the mercury used in many medicines is really purified and not poisonous. For centuries-old treatment like Tibetan, Unani and others, research through modern techniques is essential," he added. 

The Tibetan leader also spoke of "analytical meditation" as a way to attain inner peace and spirituality. He emphasised that secular ethics needed to be promoted in modern education as "just relying on religious faith is not enough". 

"In the West more and more people are showing interest in this. India should be the leader in promoting this," he added.

Present Tibetan history to world: Dalai Lama tells students

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) With more and more people across the world getting interested in Tibet, especially in the current political scenario, this is the right time to research Tibetan history and reveal the truth to the world, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama told students at the Delhi University (DU) Saturday.

Addressing an audience of more than 500 people, most of whom were from the Tibetan community and students, the Dalai Lama said: "A lot of times truth is distorted. Since a lot of people are now interested in Tibet, it is necessary that all information about Tibetan history and Tibet is collected and the truth be told to the world. 

"A clear picture of the past history, government system, social field must be researched on and revealed in the form of texts and books." 

While giving the valedictory address on Tibetan history and culture at the end of a three-day international conference on the subject in DU, the Dalai Lama sought permission from the vice chancellor of the university to speak to the Tibetan students in their language. 

"Modern education is very important, but so is traditional knowledge. Therefore don't waste your time. Concentrate on both modern education as well as learning more about Tibetan history and culture and Buddhism to fight all challenges in your lives," the spiritual leader said, translating what he told the students earlier. 

Mesmerised, Tenzin Tsering, a Tibetan student who had attended the talk said: "Every time I hear His Holiness speak, I am enthralled. He is so simple and gentle. Never does he sound harsh or preach violence. Not only is he our spiritual leader, he is also my role model". 

Tsering's was the popular sentiment. When the Dalai Lama walked in and when he got up to leave, all the hundreds present in the hall -- mothers with babies, young students, old Tibetan women and monks -- stood up with their hands folded and eyes fixed on their leader. 

More than 40 scholars from across the world, who took part in the conference, were also a part of the audience. The conference was jointly organised by the Central University for Tibetan Studies, Varanasi and DU.