Divinity After Destruction

The Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra Discuss Religion in the Post-9/11 World

NewsAdam Kovac — Published September 13, 2011

Wearing his trademark flowing saffron and scarlet robe and a matching visor to block out the bright stage lights, the Dalai Lama spoke of how religion can be a source of peace during the second Global Conference on World’s Religions After September 11.

“[Religious harmony] will not be achieved through prayer, or God, or Buddha,” he said. “For 1,000 years the followers always prayed to God. We must make an effort to talk more, meet more people, and even those people [we don’t agree with], we must reach out to.”

The Dalai Lama followed up his talk by answering questions submitted online, whose subjects concerned how youth can save the world and how to improve the perception of religion. He garnered a large laugh and round of applause when he answered the question “What is your message concerning extreme climate changes?” by admitting, “I think it’s better to ask a scientist.”

Also featured was a half-hour presentation by physician, public speaker and author Deepak Chopra, who also had appeared at the first conference in 2006. Chopra gave his views on the connection between quantum physics, spirituality and the exponential expansion of technology. After showing a brief video about the growing use of social media, Chopra commented on the expanding pessimism towards religion, opining that science and spirituality are intrinsically linked and a failure to embrace both is a major issue facing the world.

“I wanted you to see that [video] because that’s where the world’s conversation is happening right now,” he said. “I can reach about a million people on my Blackberry [via social media], and I asked ‘Do you think religion is the solution or the problem?’ Not one person responded by saying religion could be a solution. That’s a problem.”

Chopra’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion with academics on various religions, including Robert Thurman, a former Buddhist monk and author—and father of film star Uma Thurman—who spoke about the effects that 9/11 had on the discourse between religions.

“Nine-eleven was not a religious event, it was an abuse of religion”
–Robert Thurman

“Nine-eleven was not a religious event, it was an abuse of religion,” he said, “and the reaction to it was an abuse of religion. […] The subtext that has been going on in the United States about how we have to fight ‘Islamo-facism,’ is a ridiculous kind of sick.”

Thurman was followed by controversial Islamic scholar and professor at Oxford University Tariq Ramadan, who spoke about the duties that religion has towards peace. He cited a speech by former U.S. president George W. Bush, in which Bush called Islam “a religion of peace.”

“We cannot carry on talking about peace unless we’re ready to talk about violence. There is not one single religion or spirituality that doesn’t talk about violence. Why? Because there is something that is violent in how we deal with our own ego, and our fellow human beings. When George W. Bush said after September 11, ‘Islam is a religion of peace,’ it didn’t mean anything. What is important is what Christianity and Judaism and Buddhism and Hinduism and Islam are saying about violence to get peace.”

The conference culminated in the panel discussing some resolutions, including that a world religions course should be offered in all institutions of religious instruction such as seminaries, that “violating the scripture of any religion amounts to violating the sanctity of the scriptures of all religions,” and that the world’s religions should issue a Universal Declaration of Human Rights to complement that of the United Nations.
Iranian attorney, human rights activist and 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi was originally scheduled to appear, but was unable to attend.

The Link: How do you reconcile your roles as a political leader and a religious leader, and what role do you think religion should play in politics?

Dalai Lama: For many decades, I was very clear. Religious institutions [and political institutions] must be separate. That doesn’t mean a politician should be a non-believer. As far as institutions go, it must be separate. So therefore, this is one of the reasons I voluntarily, happily, proudly [resigned] the almost four-century-old Tibetan tradition, Dalai Lama [as a] political institution. [Before, the Dalai Lama also] had the political power. That’s out of date. Political institutions must be separate. So that looks like hypocrisy.

I, myself combined these two things. So, it is wrong! In spite of that disappointment about Tibet, at the beginning of my exile, this should take some form of responsibility or leadership. I said no. And, it’s for our own interest.