« As a species, we must embrace the oneness of humanity as we face global issues like pandemics, economic crises and ecological disaster. At that scale, our response must be as one. »
This is the Dalai Lama, addressing the necessity of harmony among the world’s diverse « faiths » or religions. An important message that transcends faith and religion, transmitted by the mainstream press. Proof that basic goodness indeed prevails.
Read the Dalai Lama’s article
Many responding as one
About the Author: zenscribe
Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste.
The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.
A quote from the same article:
“Granted, every religion has a sense of exclusivity as part of its core identity. Even so, I believe there is genuine potential for mutual understanding. While preserving faith toward one’s own tradition, one can respect, admire and appreciate other traditions.”
At the other hand every religion has this “sense of exclusivity as part of its core identity” which will fuel intolerance and violence whenever the circumstances are right.
Paraphrasing the Dalai Lama: there is genuine potential for mutual hate.
That potential is the problem, because anything that can go wrong, will go wrong– if we give it enough time.
We should respect, admire and appreciate human beings; not their religious beliefs.
The common ground of different religious (or non-religious) beliefs is us.
We are capable of kindness and compassion and we don’t need any justification for them. They are ours.
What the Dalai Lama describes in his article is that he met great people, not great religions.
We should not subdue ourselves to any religion; we should subdue all religions to us.