New Delhi, September 20: The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama today said the time has come for all leaders of the world religions to be “more active” and “serous” in creating religious harmony.
“Please think seriously and be more active”, urged the Tibetan leader while addressing a gathering of different religious leaders at the inaugural ceremony of the ‘Meeting of Diverse Spiritual Traditions in India’ at the Hyatt Regency.
The two-day meeting of various religious leaders is being convened by the Tibetan leader to discuss issues ailing the society today, particularly in the context of India.
The Tibetan leader said that India is a living example of the peaceful coexistence of various religious traditions not just in modern times but also in ancient times. He said that trust is the basis of friendship, and that trust comes from genuine warm heartedness.
The 1989 Nobel peace laureate who has prioritized religious harmony as one of his commitments said “secular ethics” not derived from any particular religious belief can also attract even non believers.
“Secular means not just respect for all religious traditions but also respect for non-believers.”
He said all traditions have the same potential to benefit humanity and build compassionate world. “Different traditions may have different approaches but the goal is same.”
He said ‘Jihad’ is not about fighting and killing innocent people but fighting one’s own negative emotions. “In that sense I am a jihadi.”
The Tibetan leader said his acquaintances and meetings with representatives of various religious traditions over the years have given him more understanding of the various philosophies. This meeting, the Tibetan leader hoped, will be a platform for the religious leaders to arrive at a strategy for making concerted efforts to tackle these problems.
Nine leaders from various religious traditions recited prayers from their traditions. The artistes of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts sang a song on religious harmony in Hindi.
Some of the issues that will be discussed include fostering inter-religious harmony and understanding, addressing the gap between rich and poor, promoting human values, promoting the role of women and empowering them, being better prepared to tackle the consequences of natural calamities and prevent man-made disasters, facilitating a mechanism to provide mediation, advice and help in zones of conflict.
Among the top spiritual leaders who will be attending the meeting over the two days are Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sant Shree Morari Bapu ji, Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq Sahab, Hazrat Dr. Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, Singh Sahib Giani Gurbachan Singh Jathedar, Acharya Shri Mahashraman, H. E Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Rabbi Ezekiel Isaac Malekar, Ms. Zena Sorabjee, H.E Gaden Tri Rinpoche, Dadi E Mistry, representatives of Shankaracharyas and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
