On closing the World Parliament of Religions on the 9th of December after 6 full days of deliberation, discussion and celebration, The Dalai Lama challenged the participants to put what they had discussed to action. In order for love and compassion to become a reality, he said that there would need to be a new type of 'secularism' - not a secularism that denies the importance of religion but one which respects the practitioners of all religions and of none.
'Beliefs may differ, but the core practices of love and compassion are common in all traditions' he concluded.
The Dalai Lama's comments put an end to a highly successful gathering where the theme was on coming together despite differences to show unity in common challenges.
This was my first time to see the man up front. There is a certain public persona that is built up around public people like him, but when you see him in person, you realise that this is a man of extreme humility, love and surprisingly humour. With his perceived innocence and ability to crack a joke, the man was able to win the hearts of all in the audience.
Amjad Saleem
No comments:
Post a Comment