Three Main Commitments in Life
Firstly, on the level of a human being, His Holiness’ first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their life happier. His Holiness refers to these human values as secular ethics. He remains committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone he meets.
Secondly, on the level of a religious practitioner, His Holiness’ second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other’s respective traditions. As far as one truth, one religion is concerned, this is relevant on an individual level. However, for the community at large, several truths, several religions are necessary.
Thirdly, His Holiness is a Tibetan and carries the name of the ‘Dalai Lama’. Tibetans place their trust in him. Therefore, his third commitment is to the Tibetan issue. His Holiness has a responsibility to act as the free spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle for justice. As far as this third commitment is concerned, it will cease to exist once a mutually beneficial solution is reached between the Tibetans and Chinese.
However, His Holiness will carry on with the first two commitments till his last breath
2 comments:
I am just finishing up a book (Witnesses of War - Children's Lives under the Nazis by Nicholas Stargardt) about World War II in Germany and things happening, including the religion of the Germans and Nazis in power. Which is probably one of the reasons why Christopher Hitchens wrote "god is not Great - How Religion Poisons Everything."
We are supposed to be a nation of religious people but religious people in America have supported everything from the Klu Klux Klan and Sunday, after church, public hangings, to the slaughter of Native Americans; and, our environment is still being sacrificed for big business interests. At a time when this country was at its most religious, America sent people to a Civil War that ended up killing hundreds of thousands and my cousin, President Lincoln.
It is hard to find an example of a war or man's inhumanity to man or Nature, that is not by people who are not religious.
You are absolutely right. It looks so fine to commit crimes in the name of God. Being religious doesn't mean being a right follower of Christ, who said that we have to love our enemy. We can hardly say that killing the enemy is loving him. What the Dalai Lama wrote in his three commandments is an act of love. It's great!
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