(4) Dalai Lama Virus Conversation: Compassion and Common Grace

This is the fourth and final part of a short series of blogs posts written from a definite Christian standpoint and interacting sympathetically and respectfully with the Dalai Lama's 'Time' article: "'Prayer Is Not Enough.' The Dalai Lama on Why We Need to Fight Coronavirus With Compassion".

Click here to read the article.

The earlier instalments of this short blog series have expressed appreciation for the Dalai Lama's humility and concern for compassion. These are values which are at the heart of Christian ethics too. Acknowledging that, on a practical level, Christians and Buddhists might show compassion in very similar ways we have nevertheless highlighted two areas where there are important differences. One of these has to do with our different ways of dealing with a failure to show compassion and the possibility of forgiveness. The other  considered the different underlying worldviews which motivate and catalyse Buddhist and Christian compassion responses.

How can these differences be accounted for, given that there may be many similarities in the ethical responses? It is possible for both Buddhists and Christians to value and appreciate the genuine good done by those who hold very different beliefs but again this is not explained in the same way.

In a 2010 New York Times opinion piece on the dangers of extreme religious intolerance the Dalai Lama wrote that:

"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."

He acknowledged that he has read the New Testament and is

"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."

In his broad travels, life experience, and studies he has "learned how the Talmud and the Bible repeat the theme of compassion, as in the passage in Leviticus that admonishes, “Love your neighbour as yourself.”" He affirms that compassion is equally important in some Hinduism texts and non-extremist forms of Islam. In his view:

"Finding common ground among faiths can help us bridge needless divides

at a time when unified action is more crucial than ever. As a species, we must

embrace the oneness of humanity as we face global issues like pandemics,

economic crises and ecological disaster. At that scale, our response must be as

 one. Harmony among the major faiths has become an essential ingredient

of peaceful coexistence in our world."

The impulse to look for common ground is here clearly related to Buddhist beliefs about the interdependence of life. Division is "needless" and unified action is "crucial". There is a "oneness" to humanity and we must respond to challenges "as one". "Harmony" among different religions is "essential". In short, the good in other religions is related directly to the Buddhist ideal of compassion, and that ideal of compassion is rooted in Buddhist assumptions about the very nature of existence.

The Christian explanation is equally rooted in biblical assumptions about the nature of existence. Christians believe that the God of love made a good world which has now been spoiled by sin. Disobedience to God has divided us from Him and damaged our relationships with each other. Sin is a terrible thing. If it was allowed to go to its possible extremes the world would be a thoroughly hellish place. However, the Bible teaches that whilst every part of human experience is polluted by sin, no part of human experience is as bad as it could be. This is not because of any inherent impulse for good in human beings. Rather it is because God is actively restraining evil and working out good plans and purposes. Christians call this "common grace" - the good gifts that God gives to us all regardless of our religion or morality:

"For God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,

and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

In another part of the Bible, written by the apostle Paul, it speaks of how there are times when the:

"...Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law

requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have

the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts,

while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts

accuse or even excuse them..."

Paul does not draw the conclusion that humanity can be united by a common impulse towards compassion. Quite the opposite! He concludes that those who have the law written in the Holy Scriptures (i.e. the Jewish tradition) and those who have a sense of law written in their consciences (i.e. the rest of us!) all fail to keep that law of love! So Christians see a different kind of "oneness" in humanity. First, all humanity has failed to reach the required standard:

"For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."

Secondly, all humanity needs the same Saviour:

"We are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption

that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation

by his blood, to be received by faith."

This is because for Christians the unifying factor is not a single, shared principle of oneness in all sentient life. It is that there is one God over the whole world and all its peoples:

"Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also?

Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the

circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith."

So Christians can affirm the desire to live in peaceful co-existence, loving those who are have different beliefs. They can gladly recognise that there are many good people in the world and appreciate their compassion regardless of whether it finds inspiration in Buddhism or another religion or philosophy. However, we affirm the Bible's teaching that all true harmony and oneness is a gift from the one God and does not come from within us. Ultimately only a shared faith in the one God can heal the sinful divisions of humanity.