On Saturday afternoon, President Obama met with the Dalai Lama, who was in Washington for the Kalachakra for World Peace, for a private meeting in the White House’s Map Room.
Photo via The White House
The Washington Post reports:
The 45-minute session in the White House Map Room broke little ground on policy. In a statement released after the meeting, the White House said Obama reiterated the U.S. position that Tibet is a part of China but that he supports “the preservation of the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic traditions of Tibet and the Tibetan people throughout the world.”
Obama restated that the United States does not support Tibetan independence.
But Chinese officials complained about Obama meeting with the influential spiritual leader, as they have when other U.S. presidents have met with him.
Read the Post’s complete story here. (At the time of the publishing this post, an official account or statement was not available via WhiteHouse.gov.)
What did Padmasambhava say to the Emperor of Tibet?
It doesn't matter.