CAEN, France, April 17 (AFP) - The Dalai Lama preached on Thursday in favour of religious diversity, while warning westerners against converting to Buddhism without thorough reflection.

Speaking at the World War II peace memorial here, the Tibetan spiritual leader said "It is good there is a supermarket of religions where everyone can take what he wants," adding that religious pluralism was as "essential" as political pluralism.

The Dalai Lama, who arrived here Wednesday evening for a tour of France described as solely pastoral, said religious faith could never be a "fashion," adding that civilisations " should conserve their own religious tradition."

He said: "It may be that some are sceptical about the Christian faith and find a source of inspiration in Buddhism, but this can only be the choice of the individual."

The Tibetan spiritual leader, who leaves France for the United States on April 30, repeated that he had no plans to meet French political leaders, but he praised a pro-Tibet French inter-parliamentary group whose 329 members made it the "largest in the world."

During a previous visit to France in October, 1996, the 329 signed a petition calling on China to begin talks on the status of Tibet, which they described as an "occupied territory."

The Dalai Lama will stay in this Normandy provincial capital until Friday, before travelling to Dijon and Nancy in eastern France and visiting the Buddhist Karma Ling d'Arvillard monastery in the French Alps.

Before he undertook his tour which included a visit to Spain, China warned France and other western governments that they should keep pledges to have no official contacts with the Tibetan spiritual leader.

In the United States from April 22-24, the Dalai Lama will inaugurate the Third World Parliamentarians Conference on Tibet in Washington.

The conference has been organised jointly by the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, located in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala, and the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. India is home to an estimated 100,000 Tibetan exiles, most of whom escaped Tibet with him after an abortive anti-China uprising.

In Barcelona on Sunday, the Dalai Lama said he would be willing to renounce in the short-term the cause of Tibetan independence, if Beijing could guarantee the establishment of an autonomous Tibetan government.