ROCHESTER — The Dalai Lama greeted dozens of followers who waited outside a civic center in Minnesota on Wednesday for a chance to see the Tibetan spiritual leader after his recent release from the Mayo Clinic.

Security guards surrounded the Dalai Lama as he emerged from his vehicle and called the group over to him, touching their hands and blessing them.

The appearance by the 80-year-old Dalai Lama in Rochester followed his stay at the Mayo Clinic, where doctors had instructed him to rest. He canceled his October appearances in the U.S. as a result.