President Bush, right, wearing a scarf presented to him by the Dalai Lama, meets with the Buddhist spiritual leader Wednesday

There were no details immediately after the meeting, but the Dalai Lama was expected to ask President Bush to urge Chinese President Hu Jintao to give genuine autonomy to Tibet during their summit in Beijing later this month.

On Tuesday, the Dalai Lama told reporters that Chinese rule in Tibet is still very repressive, despite four recent sets of talks between his personal envoys and the government in Beijing.

The 70-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader is on a 10-day visit to the U.S. capital, and is attending a conference that examines how meditation affects mental and physical health.

First Lady Laura Bush also welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House.