Referring to China's population of almost 1.4 billion and India's 1.2 billion, he said the two countries should accept each other.
"This is the reality. If you look and apply common sense, there is no other way than to accept each other and live peacefully and help each other," the Dalai Lama, who arrived here on a two-day Odisha visit after seven years, told reporters.
He said the Dokalam issue between the two countries is "not important".
The Dalai Lama said most of the problems that the world faced now were 'man-made' and deplored people getting killed in the name of religion.
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Referring to the Rohingya crisis, he said, "In Burma, (Myanmar) Buddhists are in majority where a very negative and merciless attitude is being shown towards Muslims.
"That is today's world ... There is killing. This is very negative," the Nobel laureate said.
The Dalai Lama met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and is scheduled to be felicitated at a private university in the state capital.