(CBS) - There are many intimidating judges that one may face on a cooking show (the fiery Gordon Ramsay definitely comes to mind), but none could compare to a recent surprise guest on Monday's Australian edition of "Master Chef": the Dalai Lama!



The contestants and audience were all stunned when none other than the Dalai Lama himself suddenly appeared as a surprise guest judge for the July 18th show.



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Luckily for the contestants their karma all stayed intact, as the Lama was very kind in his comments about the dishes. According to Reuters, he opined that, "As a Buddhist monk, it is not right to prefer this food or that food." The harshest critique levied was towards a contestant who served undercooked gnocchi, whom he said "tried their best." If only everyone could be so forgiving (especially of undercooked gnocchi).

