Jokes and a call to arms

THE Dalai Lama’s first stop in Sydney yesterday was marked by jokes, singing, and frenzied selfies from fans who were eager to pose with the religious leader before his minders hustled him away.

The Dalai Lama even blessed a Rabbitohs cap he’d been presented by Nathan Merritt and Roy Asotasi after a reporter pointed out the South Sydney team hadn’t won a premiership since 1971.

Despite the light-hearted mood, the charismatic 77-year-old has come to Australia with a serious call to arms.

He said the world was in the grip of a ‘‘moral crisis’’ and he felt ‘‘a great sense of responsibility to do something’’.