Inter-ReligiousDialogue
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Through His Holiness the Dalai Lama's and Venerable Thubten Chodron's articles, we are invited to approach interreligious contact and dialogue with an open mind, respect and willingness to learn. We benefit others and are benefited in return. We become more open-minded and our abilities to investigate and examine our beliefs and ourselves sharpen. While philosophically there are differences between religions and recognizing those, we can still appreciate their similarities. We are freed from the need to agree on religious beliefs in order to have meaningful and mutually beneficial dialogues.
From left to right, Nancy Nesbitt, a member of Dharma Friendship Foundation; Ven. Chodron; Jamal Rahman, a Muslim Sufi minister and religious teacher at the Seattle Interfaith Church -
Ven. Chodron teaching at the Interfaith Church in Seattle
"Meaningful questions arise and exist within each of us. Religions suggest answers to these questions, but real spiritual practice occurs in the heart of each person. In our spiritual search we see a variety of religions and paths. What can these various traditions offer each other? What do their practitioners have in common? How are they different? Sharing examples of interreligious contact increases understanding of other religions and encourages harmony among the followers of various faiths. It could lead to a deepening of the practice of your own faith; or if you have none, it may reactivate your interest in spiritual issues. It may stimulate you to meet and talk with people whose beliefs differ from yours, thus opening windows to new understandings with new friends. In addition, it gives a glimpse into the monastic life of both Christians and Buddhists, so that people will understand its joys and challenges, as well as what the monastic life offers to those who live it and to society as a whole."
Ven. Chodron -
Yes. Ven Chodron is a very remarkable person.
Her website is available at http://www.thubtenchodron.org/. Tonnes of worthy downloads here in RAM and MP3.
She also gives very convincing and mind-intriguing public talks. At times, very comical. -
agreeOriginally posted by concerned_man:Yes. Ven Chodron is a very remarkable person.
Her website is available at http://www.thubtenchodron.org/. Tonnes of worthy downloads here in RAM and MP3.
She also gives very convincing and mind-intriguing public talks. At times, very comical.
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In the early 1980s, Ajahn Brahm was invited to start a Buddhist monastery just outside Perth, Australia. He is now its abbot, and in October last year, was awarded the John Curtin Medal by Curtin University of Technology, for building a strong Buddhist community in Australia.
His proudest achievement took place on a Sunday two or three years ago in an Anglican cathedral in Perth.
'For the first time in the history of Christianity, a Buddhist monk gave a sermon and performed the Eucharist in a church on a Sunday, and that was me.'
Ajahn Brahm had become firm friends with the dean of the cathedral who invited him to talk. When word of that leaked, the dean received death threats. Countless letters debating the issue were printed in newspapers.
'In the end, it happened. People packed the hall and crowded around the windows. Half of them were Buddhist, half of them Christian, but no one knew who was what.'
He spoke on 'harmony and peace and love at the heart of all religions'.
'After giving that speech, we put our arms around each other and walked down the hall. The audience gave us a standing ovation for a long time,' he says, visibly moved by the recollection.
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Dalai Lama embraces religious tolerance
by Matthai Chakko Kuruvila, San Francisco Chronicle, April 16, 2006
Buddhist leader urges understanding of Islam, other faiths
The Dalai Lama speaks on the need for tolerance and understanding of Islam at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. Chronicle photo by Michael Macor
"In terms of community, in terms of humanity, the concept of several truths, several religions is very relevant,'' he said.
The Dalai Lama had joined many of the nation's Muslim scholars and leaders in trying to recast the image of Islam, which he believes has been wrongly demonized in America. -
honestly, i never could understand how buddhism n christians could integrate and the whole interfaith affair. to me, it seems more like a corrosion of any particular faith's stance.
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Moderate Muslims Seek Help From the Dalai Lama
By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times, April 16, 2006, Published on the Buddhist Channel, April 29, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, USA -- Prominent Muslim dignitaries on April 16, 2006 met for the first time with the world's most influential Buddhist, the Dalai Lama, enlisting his help in quelling fanatical ideologies within Islamic communities and improving the faith's declining image in the West.
THINKING GLOBALLY: The Dalai Lama, right, listens to Imam Mehdi Khorasani of the Islamic Society of California during a discussion of ways to promote understanding and lessen religious intolerance among Muslims and people of other religious faiths.
(Genaro Molina / LAT) -
These pple's names not very familiar one...
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Mutual understanding and sincerity are lacking very badly.Tolerance must be practised if peace is to come to this earth. Force and compulsion will only create intolerance.Originally posted by Ito_^:honestly, i never could understand how buddhism n christians could integrate and the whole interfaith affair. to me, it seems more like a corrosion of any particular faith's stance.
Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.
-Sutta Nipata -
Originally posted by neutral_onliner:
Understanding is not completed without understanding mutual differences in idealogy. To prove one right, there must be someone who is wrong. To compromise one faith's idealogy for a socalled mutual similarity between faiths and create an all-in-one faith is what i call degrading the integrity of the original faith. Love is not the answer to everything, its too general a word. Neither is the poet. And neither is avoidance.
Mutual understanding and sincerity are lacking very badly.Tolerance must be practised if peace is to come to this earth. Force and compulsion will only create intolerance.
Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.
[b]-Sutta Nipata
[/b] -
Well is it tat all u care is that ur religion is about absolute belief in its own superiority and the divine right to impose itself upon others rather woking towards peace throught building a common understanding among religions?Originally posted by Ito_^:Understanding is not completed without understanding mutual differences in idealogy. To prove one right, there must be someone who is wrong. To compromise one faith's idealogy for a socalled mutual similarity between faiths and create an all-in-one faith is what i call degrading the integrity of the original faith. Love is not the answer to everything, its too general a word. Neither is the poet. And neither is avoidance. -
Interfaith focus on similarities rather than difference.Originally posted by Ito_^:honestly, i never could understand how buddhism n christians could integrate and the whole interfaith affair. to me, it seems more like a corrosion of any particular faith's stance.
Also, just because we have different ideologies does not mean interfaith cannot take place. For example China has communist ideologies but doesnt stop us from having diplomatic ties with them. -
for example. i don't see how one faith dat believes and revolve everything around the existence of the soul can "ommm" with another that does not believe in the existence of the soul.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Interfaith focus on similarities rather than difference.
Also, just because we have different ideologies does not mean interfaith cannot take place. For example China has communist ideologies but doesnt stop us from having diplomatic ties with them.
the only way to so called interfaith would be either side dissolve their resolution on the soul issues. -
There is definitely doctrinal differences between religions, but that doesnt have to stop interfaith from taking place. Do you mean we must adopt communism or China must discard communism before we can have diplomatic ties?Originally posted by Ito_^:for example. i don't see how one faith dat believes and revolve everything around the existence of the soul can "ommm" with another that does not believe in the existence of the soul.
the only way to so called interfaith would be either side dissolve their resolution on the soul issues.
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what communism.. more like capimunism now. wld diplomatic relations get so well if china didn't reform their government and soften their stance on communism before we actually have such "good" diplomatic ties?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:There is definitely doctrinal differences between religions, but that doesnt have to stop interfaith from taking place. Do you mean we must adopt communism or China must discard communism before we can have diplomatic ties? -
Maybe. But nevertheless you still need to have diplomatic ties. Even the U.S and the Soviets had diplomatic ties in the past, otherwise the situation would have been much tenser.Originally posted by Ito_^:what communism.. more like capimunism now. wld diplomatic relations get so well if china didn't reform their government and soften their stance on communism before we actually have such "good" diplomatic ties? -
Actually, I kinda agree with Ito's sentiment. True, Christians and Buddhists can focus on their similarities in any inter-religious dialogue, but at a more fundamental level, the entire metaphysical and philosophical outlook of these two religions are at odds with each other...Originally posted by Ito_^:honestly, i never could understand how buddhism n christians could integrate and the whole interfaith affair. to me, it seems more like a corrosion of any particular faith's stance.
For example, both Christians and Buddhists will agree that we must be kind and good, but why must we be kind and good? To the Christians, we must be kind and good because God said so, but to the Buddhists, being kind and good is a necessary pre-requisite to the achievement of enlightenment.
Having said that, I do not think that such inter-religious dialogue can ever corrode the two religion's stance... You are not conceding any core teachings of the respective religions, just emphasizing on the parts that are in agreement with the other religion.
BTW, Buddhism is not a "faith", it is a belief, among other things... -
Jikwan, left, head administrator of the nationÂ’s biggest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order, holds a baby while standing next to Cardinal Nicolas Cheong Jin-suk at the Holy Family Child Adoption Center, Songbuk-dong, Seoul, Thursday. The Buddhist leader paid a visit to the institution run by Catholic churches and donated 10 million won(USD 10,000). During their first meeting, the two religious leaders encouraged each other to work toward harmonization of the various religions in Korea. -
excellent .Originally posted by neutral_onliner:
Jikwan, left, head administrator of the nationÂ’s biggest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order, holds a baby while standing next to Cardinal Nicolas Cheong Jin-suk at the Holy Family Child Adoption Center, Songbuk-dong, Seoul, Thursday. The Buddhist leader paid a visit to the institution run by Catholic churches and donated 10 million won(USD 10,000). During their first meeting, the two religious leaders encouraged each other to work toward harmonization of the various religions in Korea.
May the fiery protestant part in Korea atone for their "evil" in south korea -
A date for enlightenment
by Mark I. Pinsky, Orlando Sentinel, May 29, 2006
Central Florida Buddhists are taking part in a worldwide event to help open busy minds to new, more peaceful, journeys.
Orlando, FL (USA) -- Evangelism isn't a word usually associated with Buddhism, but the international outreach known as "Change Your Mind Day" sounds a lot like it.
On Saturday, Central Florida Buddhists will sponsor a version of the worldwide gathering that began in 1993. The occasion is aimed at teaching people how to manage anxiety through meditation, sponsors say.
The afternoon meeting at First Unitarian Church of Orlando, which is free and open to the public, will feature talks on yoga and Zen, as well as cooking and dance demonstrations, and refreshments.
"It's more for people who are not Buddhists," says an organizer, Suzi K. Edwards of Maitland. "We're trying to teach people how to meditate, to have people become more peaceful on the inside so they'll be more peaceful on the outside."
Winter Park psychotherapist Peter Carlson will lead a session on "Letting Go of Suffering."
"Some people report after the first guided meditation a significant feeling of calmness, which is remarkable to them," he says.
On the other hand, he acknowledges, "that may just be beginner's luck."
Unlike the Central Florida gathering -- a first for this area -- many other Change Your Mind Day observations take place outdoors.
"The idea is to reach out to people who don't know about Buddhism -- in a public space," says Larry Ransom-Wiley, the event's worldwide coordinator. "From our perspective, we think people can be intimidated by going into a Buddhist temple, so we try to encourage organizers to arrange their events in public parks."
Although Change Your Mind Day sounds a lot like the festival model of evangelical Christian crusades, such as the one sponsored by Luis Palau at the Citrus Bowl recently, Ransom-Wiley says it's not proselytizing.
"It's more of an invitation," says Ransom-Wiley, who works for the New York-based Tricycle Foundation and magazine, dedicated to advancing Buddhism. "There aren't missionaries. It's always, like, a come-and-see thing."
The Orlando event runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday. The church is at 1901 E. Robinson St. -
Originally posted by neutral_onliner:
Tolerance doesnt mean abandoning one's basic religious tenets. How can Buddhism which doesnt believe in Almighty God & Saviour Jesus Christ join with Christianity?
Mutual understanding and sincerity are lacking very badly.Tolerance must be practised if peace is to come to this earth. Force and compulsion will only create intolerance.
Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.
[b]-Sutta Nipata
[/b] -
Like I explained to another person who posts regularly at Eternal Hope, Inter-religious Dialogue doesn't mean becoming the sameOriginally posted by Repented John 2:Tolerance doesnt mean abandoning one's basic religious tenets. How can Buddhism which doesnt believe in Almighty God & Saviour Jesus Christ join with Christianity? It doesn't mean that a dialogue will result in a communist country changing to democracy or a democratic country changing to communism.
Do you mean that a communist country and a democratic country cannot possibly hold dialogue? If that's the case then perhaps a nuclear war would have started.
The purpose is 'diplomacy', 'better relationship', 'mutual understandings', etc. -
Multi cultural multi racial and multi religious countries should promote diplomacy among themselves to stay cohesiveness. If not the country will fall apart by religious conflicts. It is dangerous for individuals to hold their biasness against each other. Humans are emotional beings, if feelings and passion sets into religion and further manipulated. it may turns into a poison just as Karl Marx's favourite Quote: Religions is the opiate of the masses.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Like I explained to another person who posts regularly at Eternal Hope, Inter-religious Dialogue doesn't mean becoming the same It doesn't mean that a dialogue will result in a communist country changing to democracy or a democratic country changing to communism.
Do you mean that a communist country and a democratic country cannot possibly hold dialogue? If that's the case then perhaps a nuclear war would have started.
The purpose is 'diplomacy', 'better relationship', 'mutual understandings', etc.
If religions cannot living peacefully and harmony together, perhaps socialist Marxism is the solution of resolving these conflicts whereby demolishing all faiths and promote socialism. Well....South Korea got too much religious freedom...koreans take advantage of such priviledges...sigh.. -
Yep.. agreed..Originally posted by rahula25:Multi cultural multi racial and multi religious countries should promote diplomacy among themselves to stay cohesiveness. If not the country will fall apart by religious conflicts. It is dangerous for individuals to hold their biasness against each other. Humans are emotional beings, if feelings and passion sets into religion and further manipulated. it may turns into a poison just as Karl Marx's favourite Quote: Religions is the opiate of the masses.
If religions cannot living peacefully and harmony together, perhaps socialist Marxism is the solution of resolving these conflicts whereby demolishing all faiths and promote socialism. Well....South Korea got too much religious freedom...koreans take advantage of such priviledges...sigh..