A very interesting conversation between Dalai Lama, the Tibetan monk with Leonardo Boff, Brazilian Theologist. Some of you might ever read about Boff writing or article when he asking Dalai Lama what is the best religion according to that Tibetan monk.
I was reading this article in one of forum discussion about Boff and Dalai Lama discussion.
here the copy I got:
In a round table discussion about religion and freedom in which Dalai Lama
and myself were participating at recess, I maliciously and also with interest, asked him: “Your holiness, what is the best religion?”
I thought he would say: “The Tibetan Buddhism” or “The oriental religions, much older than Christianity.”
The Dalai Lama paused, smiled and looked me in the eyes …. which surprised me because I knew of the malice contained in my question.
He answered: “The best religion is the one that gets you closest to God. It is the one that makes you a better person.”
To get out of my embarrassment with such a wise answer, I asked: “What is it that makes me better?”
He responded:
“Whatever makes you
more compassionate,
more sensible,
more detached,
more loving,
more humanitarian,
more responsible,
more ethical.”
“The religion that will do that for you is the best religion”
I was silent for a moment, marveling and even today thinking of his wise and irrefutable response:
“I am not interested, my friend, about your religion or if you are religious or not.
“What really is important to me is your behavior in front of your peers, family, work, community, and in front of the world.
“Remember, the universe is the echo of our actions and our thoughts.”
“The law of action and reaction is not exclusively for physics. It is also of human relations. If I act with goodness, I will receive goodness. If I act with evil, I will get evil.”
“What our grandparents told us is the pure truth. You will always have what you desire for others. Being happy is not a matter of destiny. It is a matter of options.”
Finally he said:
“Take care of your Thoughts because they become Words.
Take care of your Words because they will become Actions.
Take care of your Actions because they will become Habits.
Take care of your Habits because they will form your Character.
Take care of your Character because it will form your Destiny,
and your Destiny will be your Life
… and …
“There is no religion higher than the Truth.”
My opinion:
I am so agree with what Dalai Lama told Boff about the “perception” of the best religion even you don’t even have one. For me, Religion should be something lead me to be better person.
I don’t want to be someone hypocritical. I try to be honest to myself and others, be more transparent and compassion, be someone better not in outer but also inner.
Let me share little about my experienced in choosing my religion. I don’t try to brag myself, before I really make a choice to become Buddhist (like my parent), I ever join other religion class during my school time.
I did join Islamic class and Christian class. I have little knowledge in Arabic letters because my school taught it back then and I ever went to church every sunday for while to listen the preaching.
It was path and process and growing when I searching “religion” which I think will make me better as individual and human. Those religion are good but it not about to follow my friends or just try to be “cool” with the religion. I just search, which ones is best-fit me as person. Just like my friend, Pie who choose be Christian while her sis is Buddhist. her reason similar to me, she feels good as Christian, She find herself better as person and it fit her.
Religion issue is so sensitive in my country just alike Races but I still like this heterogeneous country which the people could live with high tolerance, especially my town.
azurro4cielo 