Tibetan delegates in exile attend the conference called to discuss the Tibet issue in Dharamshala. (Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images)
His statements came a day after Tibetan exiles decided to stick to the "Middle Way" approach in a six-day meeting, after a lack of progress in autonomy talks frustrated the Dalai Lama and led him to call for a review of his stand.
The Tibetan spirtual leader said new policy options on China could be considered in the future.
"Majority of views have come up supporting the Middle Way path to the Tibetan issue ... which is right," the Tibetan spiritual leader told a meeting of exiles in northern India.
"With regard to the meeting, I can say concrete things were not expected. However, various options have come out. This is not something we decide on the spot."
"Total independence is not practicable," the Dalai Lama added.
The Dalai Lama's "Middle Way" approach abandoned the dream of an independent Tibet in favour of seeking greater autonomy within China through dialogue.
The 73-year-old leader later told a news conference that he would not retire, putting an end to speculation about his future after he was hospitalised with abdominal pains earlier in the year.
"There is no point, or question of retirement," he said.
Tibetan exiles held a six-day meeting this week in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala, where the Tibetan government-in-exile is based.
"My faith is getting thinner in the Chinese government ... My trust in Chinese public is strong," the Dalai Lama added.
Tibetan exiles said after the meeting they could start more radical protests and demand independence if China doesn't respond to the "Middle Way".
But they did not specify a deadline, saying a timeframe would be either made by the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan parliament, or the cabinet.
The exiled government's cabinet consulted thousands of Tibetans inside Tibet before a global conclave of exiles met this week to take a stand.
