The Dalai Lama, center, jokes with members of the crew of the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hokulea following the Earth Blessing and Consecration of the the canoe on April 16, 2012 in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The Hokulea is being prepared for a round-the-world trip.

Jeremiah Taleni, right, gives a Shaka, a Hawaiian greeting gesture, as he shares a laugh with the Dalai Lama after presenting him with a gift of a paddle from the Kailua High School student body.