Americans – especially fundamentalist Christians – are likely to discount what Buddhist religious leaders have to say about anything, but that’s parochial at the best and bigoted at the worst.
When asked about praying to God to help counter terrorism after the Paris attacks, the Lama said this:
People want to lead a peaceful lives. The terrorists are short-sighted, and this is one of the causes of rampant suicide bombings.
We cannot solve this problem only through prayers. I am a Buddhist and I believe in praying. But humans have created this problem, and now we are asking God to solve it. It is illogical. God would say, solve it yourself because you created it in the first place.
We need a systematic approach to foster humanistic values, of oneness and harmony. If we start doing it now, there is hope that this century will be different from the previous one. It is in everybody’s interest.
So let us work for peace within our families and society, and not expect help from God, Buddha or the governments.
Yes, let’s not expect help – or even ask for it – from God. We should ask him for the strength and resolve to do what’s right, not for divine intervention, which is the spirituality of children.
from Stowe Boyd http://stoweboyd.com/post/134591381307
