Problem arises when religion used for political reasons: Dalai Lama

“Compassion is the seed of mental peace. When we have mental peace, our verbal and physical actions become more peaceful,” the Dalai Lama

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 20

“Traditions have an important role to play in bringing about inner peace. Once people use religion for political reasons or power that’s when the problem arises,” said the Dalai Lama in his virtual address at the 8th Parliament of the World’s Religions on Monday.

After greeting members of the parliament, the Dalai Lama spoke on the insight into the true essence of religion. He said despite differences between theism and atheism, the ‘essence of all religious teaching was compassion and the man was born innately compassionate’.

“Compassion is the seed of mental peace. When we have mental peace, our verbal and physical actions become more peaceful,” the Dalai Lama said. He added that traditions had an important role to play in bringing about inner peace.

“The real religious teaching is warm heartedness and forgiveness. All major religious traditions should coexist through mutual learning and respect,” he said.

He urged the members of the parliament to take a more proactive role in bringing peace and harmony whenever there was an issue in the name of religion.

The Dalai Lama said that he believed in respecting all sentient beings as his own mother and mentioned that his efforts to bring about religious harmony and peace would continue. He concluded his address with a plea to the members to make efforts to bring peace and harmony among all religions and reminded them of their important responsibility.