"By nurturing our inner natural potentials can we change the world," the 77-year-old Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso stressed, noting that the humanity had made a huge step forward in the second half of the 20th century.

People have started rejecting wars, they became more environmentally aware and the understanding between religions became greater, he added.

"The humanity is obviously becoming more mature, human thought is becoming better. That is why I remain an optimist, despite the problems," the Dalai Lama said.

He reiterated that the people had brought most of the problems on themselves and it is logical that they can also overcome them. Every individual must do it for themselves, "our brain is equally big, we all have the same possibilities".

One must differentiate between good and bad feelings like fear, anger and jealousy, because the latter separate people, while the former bring them closer together and make them more confident.

"We have to help the people to develop this potential," the Dalai Lama stressed, noting that a universal approach was needed. A secular one, which would respect all religions and atheism.

The Dalai Lama highlighted that this was a task for the young generations as they had the opportunity and the responsibility to change the world. "If you have a vision, enthusiasm, determination and wisdom, you can build a new better world," he added.

The Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He had previously visited Maribor in 2010 and Ljubljana in 2002. Today's lecture dubbed "Cultivating Peace of Mind" was attended by some 2,500 people.