Outlook, 6 December 2015.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today said bias towards one’s faith is the reason behind atrocities in the name of religion.
“….We follow different traditions of faith, mixed with attachment, so if there is too much attachment to one’s own faith – then we become biased. Once you are biased you cannot value other traditions, that is the problem,” he said to a question about atrocities in the name of religion.
He was speaking at the National Institute of Advanced Studies here after being conferred as its first distinguished fellow.
The Dalai Lama said while practising one’s own religion, a person has to accept the reality that all live in a multi religious society and have to co-exist.
“Plurality in religion is a reality….We have to accept it,” he added.
Noting that Indian society is quite open in this case, he said “they already know from childhood that there are different religions, different traditions. Similar is the case with Malaysia and Indonesia.”
Pointing to Syria, Iraq, Iran and other troubled Arab nations, he said intolerance towards other religions and quest to dominate over others are seen among those countries, “who have lack of contact with other traditions.”
He also said that it is more suited to keep one’s own religious faith to oneself.
Stating that all major traditions of the world carry the message of peace, love, forgiveness and tolerance, the Dalai Lama said “education has an important responsibility to build healthy minded human being to understand the religion on the basis of scientific findings and not on the basis of quotations of some spiritual leaders.”
Speaking about killings of innocent people and children for material benefit, he said “weapons will not bring peace; money also will not bring peace.”
“We have to tackle violent stuffs like anger, suspicion, hate – to bring peace, and it can be possible through education and spreading its effects…” he added.
Print
Email