Thousands of Buddhists gathered at the Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre to hear the Dalai Lama speak on Saturday.
The spiritual leader met with supporters during his second day of a Toronto visit, before admitting to a small gathering of journalists that he prefers the isolation of India to the hustle and bustle of big city living.
The 75-year-old monk, who has lived in India since armed conflict broke out against Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959, said his good nature comes from both genetics and his quiet lifestyle.
"I think maybe Toronto and New York – too much population," he said, to laughter from the small group. "You see, you are quite enough (for me) now. I prefer isolation."
During that news conference he told reporters that preserving the Tibetan language and culture in China is important, and the Chinese should look at India's diversity of languages as an example.
He also said the desire for transparency and freedom is growing in China, before calling out the Chinese government's policies on censorship.
"Power can easily corrupt. So now, today, the Chinese Community Party is like that. Lots of corruption," he said.
The Dalai Lama is a honourary Canadian citizen and has visited Toronto five times.
Early Saturday morning, Mayor David Miller presented him with a key to the City of Toronto.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Janice Golding and The Canadian Press