Harmony among believers in different faiths is an essential ingredient of peaceful coexistence in our world, writes Tenzin Gyatoso, the 14th Dalai Lama, in an article published recently in the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune. (Click here to read the full article.)"... mutual understanding among these traditions is not merely the business of religious believers – it matters for the welfare of humanity as a whole," he writes, noting that intolerance is likely to increase in an increasingly globalized world as cultures and traditions are thrown together.
Yet it is possible to respect both one's own tradition and those of other people. "While preserving faith toward one's own tradition, one can respect, admire and other traditions," as the Dalai Lama says. And he proceeds to express his own appreciation not just for his own tradition of Buddhism, but also Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.
His comments on these 4 major religions:
"In my readings of the New Testament, I find myself inspired by Jesus' acts of compassion. His miracle of the loaves and fishes, his healing and his teaching are all motivated by the desire to relieve suffering." …
"And I've learned how the Talmud and the Bible repeat the theme of compassion, as in the passage in Leviticus that admonishes, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" ...
"In my encounters with Hindu scholars in India, I've come to see the centrality of selfless compassion in Hinduism too – as expressed, for instance, in the Bhagavad Gita, which praises those who 'delight in the welfare of all beings.' I'm moved by the ways this value has been expressed in the life of great beings like Mahatma Gandhi, or the lesser-known Baba Amte, who founded a leper colony not far from a Tibetan settlement in Maharashtra State in India." ...
"An imam in Ladakh [northern India] once told me that a true Muslim should love and respect all of Allah's creatures. And in my understanding, Islam enshrines compassion as a core spiritual principle, reflected in the very name of God, the 'Compassionate and Merciful,' that appears at the beginning of virtually each chapter of the Koran." …
The Dalai Lama concludes: "Finding common ground among faiths can help us bridge needless divides at a time when unified action is more crucial than ever. As a species, we must embrace the oneness of humanity as we face global issues like pandemics, economic crises and ecological disaster."
RELATED LINKS:
A Sufi Interpretation of A Buddhist Mantra
Dalai Lama Quote
A Meeting with the Dalai Lama
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