SEATTLE (AP) -- Still avoiding direct discussion of the situation in Tibet, the Dalai Lama on Saturday urged people to have hope for the future and to look past a century of bloodshed and toward a period of dialogue.

The Dalai Lama laughs with Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire as he speaks Saturday, April 12, 2008 at Qwest Field in Seattle. The event took place on the second day of a five-day visit by the Dalai Lama to Seattle, centered around the theme "Seeds of Compassion."(AP)

The spiritual leader of Tibet delivered his keynote speech to more than 50,000 people during the second day of a five-day conference on compassion.

Before the Dalai Lama's speech, Lama Tenzin Dhonden, a Tibetan monk who spearheaded the Seeds of Compassion event, told the crowd that Tibet seeks only autonomy.

"Granting autonomy would be good for Tibet and also good for China, but autonomy requires China's commitment to serious dialogue," he said.

The Dalai Lama said he would address the crisis in Tibet at a news conference early Sunday.

Organizers of Seeds of Compassion say the event is essentially nonpolitical, but references to Tibet were sprinkled throughout the first two days.

"Twentieth century become like century of bloodshed. I think it is our own responsibility to make this century be century of dialogue," the Dalai Lama said.

Recent protests in Tibet against five decades of Chinese rule have been the largest and most sustained in almost two decades and have fueled protests that have disrupted the global torch relay for this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing.

China has accused the Dalai Lama of being involved in the uprising. He has said that he wants greater autonomy for the remote mountain region but is not seeking independence.

In Sanya, China, meanwhile, Chinese President Hu Jintao said Tibetan issues are for China to deal with alone.

In his first comments on the unrest, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Hu as saying Saturday that the matter is "entirely an internal issue of China."

Hu said China's conflict with followers of the Dalai Lama is not an issue of ethics, religion or human rights. He said it is a problem "either to safeguard national unification or to split the motherland."

A handful of pro-China demonstrators distributed flyers and held posters in the sunshine outside some entrances to Seattle's Qwest Field as people filed into the football stadium.

The flyers listed the benefits of China's presence in Tibet and criticized violence brought by pro-Tibet protesters in China. The demonstrators said some were students from the University of Washington and not affiliated with specific groups.

Ying Xiong, 30, said the group of volunteers were there to voice the other side of the issue because most people get the news from biased media.

Also, a small plane carrying banner that said "Dalai Lama pls stop supporting riots!" flew over Qwest field during the event.

Students for a Free Tibet - which hung banners off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco - also were present, selling buttons to raise money for their efforts to protest the Olympics. The organization calls for full independence, unlike the Dalai Lama's call for autonomy.

Seattle has been a city historically friendly to the Tibetan cause, but the city is also home to a large Chinese community.

China is also one of Washington state's biggest trading partners. President Hu visited the state in 2006.

Gov. Chris Gregoire, meanwhile, said her participation in the event was not political. Her speech introducing the Dalai Lama was filled with praise to the Tibetan leader.

"To me, today is not about international politics," Gregoire told The Associated Press after the event. "It's a day to come together. I think he does a wonderful job. He gives us all hope."

The governor said that in a private meeting with the Tibetan leader, he told her that today's event was not political.

In his address, the Dalai Lama said there's a biological factor for compassion because humans depend on others for many years after birth, but people need to develop compassion in order to be able to forgive enemies.

He said it was key to view enemies as other beings, and not to focus on their actions.

The Dalai Lama also called for world disarmament, including nuclear weapons. He said "constant war" is outdated, and again praised the rise of women in leadership roles.

"If you use force to solve one problem, it often creates unexpected side effects," he said.

The Dalai Lama fled to India after a failed uprising in 1959 in Tibet, but remains the religious and cultural leader of many Tibetans. He was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1989.

"The concept of nonviolence (is) not just mere absence of violence; nonviolence means facing problems with determination, vision," he said.

Audience members, some waving Tibetan flags, cheer as the Dalai Lama speaks Saturday, April 12, 2008 at Qwest Field in Seattle. The event took place on the second day of a five-day visit by the Dalai Lama to Seattle, centered around the theme "Seeds of Compassion."(AP)

Several hundred people take part in a "Meditation Movement Performance" prior to a speech by the Dalai Lama, Saturday, April 12, 2008 at Qwest Field in Seattle. The event took place on the second day of a five-day visit by the Dalai Lama to Seattle, centered around the theme "Seeds of Compassion."(AP)

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