CANBERRA, Sept 17 AAP - The Dalai Lama was one of the world's bravest and most courageous spiritual leaders, Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown said today.

Senator Brown said the visit to Australia by the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader in exile, provided an opportunity and a challenge for Australia.

"It's an opportunity to take something from one of the bravest, most courageous, best thought out spiritual and political figures on the planet," Senator Brown told reporters.

"There might be some disagreement about political figures, but I don't think there's any about spiritual figures, we really need them in this age of materialism.

"As far as our opportunity, Tibet is a country, a nation with some similarities to our own and we ought to be doing something by it."

Labor Senator Sue West said the Dalai Lama was an important religious leader.

"I'm not a Tibetan Buddhist," Senator West told reporters. "But I recognise that they are a religion that does teach peace and I think a lot of people will find that they will get some spiritual benefit out of it."