The visiting Dalai Lama said in a speech in the city of Kumamoto on Sunday that world peace begins with peace of mind of individuals.
It was the first time for the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, who is on a 12-day visit to Japan, to give an address in Kyushu, organizers said.
The Dalai Lama told about 1,800 people in the audience that values are diverse but that dialogue with other people, in which people talk sincerely of their feelings with respect and consideration of others, is necessary, adding that the process applies to dialogue between individuals and nations.
Referring to Pope John Paul II, who died on April 2, the Dalai Lama, criticized by Beijing as leading a secessionist movement, said he felt sympathy for the pope from the first time they met each other as he felt there were common points in the problems both faced as spiritual leaders.
The Dalai Lama arrived in Japan on Friday from India. During his trip, he will give speeches, and visit shrines and temples.
