One of the most talked-about appearances at Britain’s Glastonbury music festival wasn’t a singer or rocker it was the Dalai Lama.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who appeared at the festival for the first time, spoke on a small platform about the need for a moral education at schools and universities. The Nobel Peace Prize winner also called Glastonbury a “festival of people, not politicians and governments.”

He earlier dismissed as an “usual response” criticism from the Chinese foreign affairs ministry, which said it was firmly opposed to any organization that gave a platform to his “anti-China separatist activities.”

The spiritual leader joined singer Patti Smith on stage Sunday, where he was presented with a birthday cake. The crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to mark his 80th birthday next week.