I respect all religious traditions: Dalai Lama

Dharamsala, May 16, 2022:  The Office of the Dalai Lama  today released a video message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the auspicious occasion of Vesak, the Buddhist celebration of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death.
 
In the video message, His Holiness said:
“I respect all religious traditions. They are all of great value because they all teach compassion. However, only the Buddha asks us to examine his teachings in the way that a goldsmith tests the purity of the gold.
The Buddha gave the cycle of teachings called the Perfection of Wisdom at Vulture’s Peak. In this discourse, the Buddha taught that everything lacks any inherent existence. The Buddha also taught that everything can be identified with the mind.
 
As for me, I am a simple Buddhist monk following the tradition of the Buddha. Every morning as soon as I wake up, I recite In Praise of Dependent Arising, and reflect on the interdependent nature of things as well as the altruistic spirit of enlightenment. I find them very helpful to my mind.
 
On this special occasion, I wish to urge my dharma friends to pay more attention to the word of our founding-teacher, The Buddha. First study the teaching and reflect on the four noble truths which outline the means within which the Buddha worked to help us. In addition to that you should cultivate the courageous heart of Bodhichitta to serve others. In this way, we can help develop true peace of mind within ourselves, which in turn will create a serene atmosphere around us. My dharma friends, please keep this in mind.”