'I lived beside him' - Tipperary man's wild story about befriending the Dalai Lama

A Tipperary man has told a brilliant story about living next door to the Dalai Lama in India and getting to know him and his sister.

Cahir man Paul Kearney was a guest on the 2 Johnnies' Extra Pod this week and told the tale of befriending the Dalai Lama,  the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism, in the rural community.

"I ended up in India. I was up in Dharamshala and the Tibetans are in exile up in Northern India, so I spent a lot of time up with the Dalai Lama - I knew the Dalai Lama very well," Paul explained. 

A surprised Johnny B asked, "So, you met the Dalai Lama?"

Paul went on to explain how he knew him and his sister well: "I lived beside him. I knew his sister very well as well. His monastery was beside where I was living.

"So, I just met him one day and met his sister. He's an incredible guy. He's as good as I've seen. I've met a lot of people. The love that man has, you could feel it from 500 metres away.

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"I did a lot of meditation with him; he's powerful," Paul added. He went on to explain that the Tibetans are basically "under attack" and that the Chinese are trying to "wipe them out," adding that he [the Dalai Lama] is "an incredibly courageous man."

You can listen to more from Paul and his travels on the 2 Johnnies Extra Pod which is a subscription service different from their regular podcast. You can find them on Spotify and Patreon.