In a provocative op-ed this morning in the New York Times, the Dalai Lama speaks of his 1968 encounter with Thomas Merton and the need for religions to highlight "what unites us." Interestingly, Merton is often criticized by some Catholics for not being "sufficiently Catholic" towards the end of his life (when he travelled through Asia en route to an interfaith conference in Thailand, where he was accidentally electrocuted) or, likewise, for not wanting to return to religious life after the Asia trip. (This critique showed up when Merton was removed from a roster of Catholic lives in the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults in 2005.) Both of these critiques are answered by his voluminous journals, his published writings at the time, the letters he sent to the monastery during his trip, as well as strong comments from his brothers in the Abbey of Gethsemani. Somewhat hidden in this op-ed on interfaith relations, however, is a comment from the Dalai Lama, who adverts to Merton's desire to remain "perfectly faithful" to Christianity.
Granted, every religion has a sense of exclusivity as part of its core identity. Even so, I believe there is genuine potential for mutual understanding. While preserving faith toward one’s own tradition, one can respect, admire and appreciate other traditions.
An early eye-opener for me was my meeting with the Trappist monk Thomas Merton in India shortly before his untimely death in 1968. Merton told me he could be perfectly faithful to Christianity, yet learn in depth from other religions like Buddhism. The same is true for me as an ardent Buddhist learning from the world’s other great religions.
A main point in my discussion with Merton was how central compassion was to the message of both Christianity and Buddhism. In my readings of the New Testament, I find myself inspired by Jesus’ acts of compassion. His miracle of the loaves and fishes, his healing and his teaching are all motivated by the desire to relieve suffering.
I’m a firm believer in the power of personal contact to bridge differences, so I’ve long been drawn to dialogues with people of other religious outlooks. The focus on compassion that Merton and I observed in our two religions strikes me as a strong unifying thread among all the major faiths. And these days we need to highlight what unifies us.
However after meeting the Dalai Lama on November 4th, it was clear that Merton and the D.L. were kindred spirits. Merton said that he had seldom met anyone with whom he "clicked so well".
More about the 3 meetings between Merton and D.L. and the visit of the D.L. to Merton's grave at Gethsemani are here:
http://fatherlouie.blogspot.com/2008/03/dalai-lama-connection.html
"As a Buddhist monk, my concern extends to all members of the human family and, indeed, to all sentient beings who suffer. I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.
The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger, and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and compassion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion."
The problems he identifies are arguably more dire two decades on, and the glass half-empty part of me laments that we have yet "to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share."
''We think cordially too of all who acknowledge God, and who preserve in their traditions precious elements of religion and humanity. We want frank conversation to compel us all to receive the impulses of the Spirit faithfully and to act on them energetically.'' (Gaudiam et Spes, 92)
It seems to me that the Dalai Lama is speaking of this kind of frank conversation with Merton.