Dalai Lama baulks at Sharon Stone's 'karma' quake remark

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

SYDNEY (AFP) — The Dalai Lama distanced himself Thursday from Hollywood star Sharon Stone's controversial comment that China's earthquake was bad "karma" for its handling of Tibet.

Stone cited the Tibetan spiritual leader as her "good friend" when she made the remark at the Cannes film festival last month.

Confirming "yes, I've met that lady", the Dalai Lama told a news conference in Sydney he did not share her viewpoint on the May 12 quake that killed nearly 70,000 people.

"Of course from a Buddhist viewpoint, every event is karma," the 72-year-old monk said.

"Tragedy in Tibet, tragedy in Burma (Myanmar), tragedy in China, all this is karmic ... but her particular sort of comment -- that I don't know."

Stone has apologised for the remark,...