On Visit to US Capitol, Dalai Lama Upholds Compassion as Shared Religious Commitment

November 15, 2005

Source: Buddhist Channel

Wire Service: RNS

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=2,1939,0,0,1,0

On November 15, 2005 Religion News Service reported, "Despite surface divisions, the fundamental compassion of religion holds the key to world peace, the Dalai Lama told an audience at a celebration of his 70th birthday. 'I'm Buddhist, but I can see the value of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and so on,' he said. In broken but forceful English, the Tibetan spiritual leader told nearly 16,000 gathered in Washington's MCI Center Sunday (Nov. 13) that civilization must realize there can be more than one truth. 'In order to have genuine faith, you need to have one truth, one religion. But that does not mean you lose respect for those of other traditions,' the self-described 'simple Buddhist monk' said. Religions become counter-productive to world order when they neglect the fundamental values of compassion, kindness and self-discipline that make them 'more or less the same,' he said."

See also: Buddhism, Interfaith