This is so needed
Dear friends around the world,
This is so refreshing, so needed and so timely. We need more of this between all religious leaders and followers.
Often times we can hear one teacher of a religion criticizing followers of another religion or their religion itself. They do their best to convert others. This religious supremacy view has not helped but damaged humankind since the dawn of religion. Religion is something that will be here for a long time and it can be used to harm or benefit. We must use religion to benefit. Only to benefit and create more peace, equality, respect and genuine concern for others. To think one religion is better than another and actively spread this type of wrong view is very damaging for the peace of our planet. Truly spiritual people are not chauvinistic of their faith, angry, close minded, narrow and berating of other faiths. When a member or leader of one faith says their path is the only way and all other paths are wrong, this is very damaging. It splits people, cultures, society, families and countries apart. It only creates disharmony and possible violence and pain. Enough of this already. This was done many times in the past and it must stop now through peaceful understanding and dialogue between followers of each faith. Through cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect we can gain peace for this world as a whole and individually.
I am happy to see a Christian leader such as the pope extending religious dialogue for understanding and peaceful co-existence with people of other faiths in this case Buddhists. We must respect each other’s religious views, paths and directions. Everyone must be allowed religious freedom as well as freedom not to practice any religion. It must be done with all faiths that they interact and share and learn from each other garnering respect. This is so important in our world of strife today and to change our future by learning from the past.
Not only did the pope give blessings to the Buddhists, he also received Buddhist blessings from the Buddhist masters attending. The pope is setting a very good example and I thank the pope for this event. We need more like it. Thank you to your Holiness.
Wonderful.
Tsem Rinpoche
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Pope Francis meets with Buddhist leaders: “these small gestures are seeds of peace”
2015-06-24
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/popebuddhists2015.mp4
A dialogue between Catholic and Buddhist religious and social action leaders began today at the Vatican. Pope Francis stopped by the meeting, and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran gave a welcoming address.
“We have been engaged in discussing how to collaborate together in a world of divisions.”
The Pope then made some brief remarks that were translated to English as he spoke.
“It is a visit of fraternity, of dialogue, and of friendship. And this is good. This is healthy. And in these moments, which are wounded by war and hatred, these small gestures are seeds of peace and fraternity. I thank you for this and may God bless you.”
As he went to greet everyone, Pope Francis was overwhelmed with gifts: from different kinds of artwork to books.
The 46 participants all live in America. They came from New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
“Your Holiness, thank you for your leadership.”
While receiving gifts, the Pope also gave blessings.
And the Pope himself received a Buddhist blessing.
“Holy Father, this is a Buddhist blessing.”
In the past, dialogues between the two religious groups focused on mutual understanding. However, in this meeting, the focus is on how they can work together to address social problems.
Pope Francis clearly enjoyed the event, as he was beaming on his way out of the meeting.
The dialogue will take place from June 23rd to 27th. It is being hosted by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Source: http://www.romereports.com/pg161925-pope-francis-meets-with-buddhist-leaders-oethese-small-gestures-are-seeds-of-peace-en
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When we see the world through serene eyes, we generate peace wherever we go. A message of peace, respect and love towards others is at the heart of all of the major world religions. Listen with the intent to understand, be helpful, caring to others nor matter what race and religion or faith. Glad that a dialogue between Catholic and Buddhist religious and social action leaders coming together at Vatican. All participants living in America from New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and so forth .
Religion is about increasing peace and harmony in the world. … People of all different religions should be given the opportunity to pursue good in their own way. Quoted Aung San Suu Kyi
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful news.
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing.
Its wonderful to see different religion having dialogue together. Catholic and Buddhist religious groups focusing on how they can work together to address social problems..To respect each other religion and
religion harmony is very important. Pope Francis is one religious leader to show the world an example of religion can be united and share with others ….then we have a more peaceful world.Therefor do hope the ban of Dorje Shugden be lifted soon for the benefits of all.
Thanks again.
So glad to see 2 religious leaders come together for a dialogue. This show mutual respect and freedom of religious among the society.
It is so important to practise our belief in peace and harmony environment. Religion should not bring any force but with understanding of good values and intention.
It is comforting to see that the Christians and the Buddhist are getting along well.
Religious tolerance is the number one thing that is needed in the world now, and pope Francis is planting the seed that would help religious tolerance get a strong footing.
Soon enough more and more people will be planting the seeds of world peace and religious tolerance.
Hopefully pope Francis could help in lifting the Dorje Shugden Ban.
“One person may not be able to do something big, but with a few people the impossible can be achieved.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this beautiful post, and may world peace be achieved soon.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this good news. Religion suppose to teach us love and tolerance even there is so many different religion in the world I think is very important we respect each others religion and paid full support to others religion ultimately the more people who are religious then the world will be much peaceful .
Dear Rinpoche,
This was beautiful! All religion can co-exist, and the fact that the Pope is extending his hand to work together with buddhism is a great step forward! 🙂 I really hope that more religious leaders will do this. If so, than wold peace would be that much closer to fruition. 😀
What a wonderful and adorable Leader of Religion! Imagine a Christian Leader such as a Pope extending religious dialogue for understanding and peaceful co-existence with people of other faiths, in this case “Buddhst”. How marvellously wonderful, generous, co-operative of Him, filled with peace, loving kindness and compassion for all sentient beings. What really a good example the good Pope has set. In the english-translated speech the Pope called this “a visit of fraternity of dialogue and friendship” even addressed this as “small gestures and seeds of peace and fraternity!” This memoriable wonderful dialogue meeting which focus on How these two religious groups can work together on mutual understanding of how to address social problems, is really indeed a truly needed dialogue in today’s strifeful and stressful World! We do need more of it, as said by Rinpoche. Om mani Padme Hung.
It is a good feeling to see religious leaders meeting up for dialogues to foster love, friendship and mutual understanding of the different faiths and religion. Pope Francis have led the way in having a dialogue among religious leaders which would help to promote understanding and compassion among all.
Regards
Leonard Ooi(Kechara Penang)
It is so good to see different religious leaders coming together for this dialogue. All religion promotes peace, harmony, loving kindness and compassion. Pope Francis has set a good example by leading a dialog session on how to collaborate and work together to arrest social problems. When we practice religious tolerance and respect each other’s religion, there will be more harmony and peace in the world.
This is so beautiful. Mankind should not have war and disharmony because of religion. Religion is born to connect mankind to betterment, not to war. And yes, the religion leader should stand together to solve problems not to create further social problems.
I thanks these kind religions leaders who gave hopes of peace to us.
Religion is to heal & transform people’s mind to positive and its result should be harmony, peace, loving kindness, compassion in each practitioners and eventually gaining happiness. Anything opposite is not true religion.
Pope Francis is one of the good examples to lead the crowd to inter-religious harmony. His Holiness’ act also promotes the coexistence and universal peace. This is indeed needed in these modern days where technology advancement and human intelligence are growing tremendously, spirituality should be on par with them.
Thank you Rinpoche for the post. All religion preaches the same agenda i.e to have peace and love. It is so good to see a world recongised religious leader like Pope Francis to share and lead dialogue sessions among all religious faith to foster mutual understanding and address social issues in our degenerate time.
With folded hands
When there is so much war, hatred and discord in the world today, it give much hope that great religious leaders will sow the seed of peace and harmony in their gathering in the Vatican.
Let someone as Holy and Gracious like Pope Francis be the beacon to peace and harmony for the spiritual growth of today’s disgruntle world. May all great religious leaders gather to have harmony and peace both secularly and spiritually.
His Holiness Pope Francis is the only pope who threw away all the unnecessary conventions, protocols, rituals, status of the dogmatic strict Catholic church; punishes extravagant archbishops who splurges on multi-million dollar mansions and paedophiles.
He leads by example, refusing to move up to the posh residence of the formal pope bedroom but choosing instead to stay in his humble old quarters; ignoring his safety of the usual bullet proof “pope mobile” by going to the ground meeting with thousands of lay people; hugging & meeting the diseased, poor, suffering and the downtroddens.
Speaking out against Italian mafias who hide behind the Catholic church, washing the feet of prisoners..etc.
He’s an epitome of what true spirituality and humbleness is.
He sees beyond religion.
So unlike so many pope before him.
Because of him, many people of different religions speak fondly and respect him.
It’s really refreshing.
May he live long and spread Christ dharma.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this very important message . Religion should be used to unite people & foster peace not as a tool to divide and create disharmony . Great to see these religious leaders having dialogue & engaging in efforts to understand each other’s faith
Pope Francis is a rare religious leader, who does not merely call for mutual understanding but for people of different religions(in this case- Catholics and Buddhists ) to collaborate together to address social problems. He describes his meeting with Buddhists as a small gesture to sow seeds of dialogue and fraternity.
In this day and time, we need such leaders who focus on peaceful dialogue, as the way to go forward to resolve issues of religious conflict. Pope Francis, is the leader we need for this age, a leader who calls for peace, friendship and fraternity in the midst of much war and conflict. He is like a calm center in a sea of turbulence.
Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this. I think a lot of times, those who say they are of a particular religion are not true practitioners. They do not study their own religion well, do not analyze and do not truly understand the true values of the teaching. Yet based on their shallow knowledge, they criticise others as being wrong, and reject explanations by other religion’s practioners. This is very very damaging and very harmful.