wfn.org | Buddhist tells Lutherans that religions need to understand each other

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Religions need to understand each other
Buddhist says help needed from religious leaders

HONG KONG, July 25, 1997 (lwi) - "As the world gets closer, more
complicated problems and conflicts are created," said Upasaka Ko Ping-yip,
a Buddhist, in an address July 14 during the Lutheran World Federation
Assembly session "Mission and dialogue: Witnessing in a multifaith and
multicultural setting."

"To overcome these difficulties, religious leaders and scholars must do
their utmost to play an important role on the world stage to prevent these
difficulties from escalating the crisis of the globe," said Ko who is
president of Hongkong and Macau Regional Centre of The World Fellowship of
Buddhists.

"In order to have good cooperation and achieve the best results for all
world religions, it is necessary to understand each other's religion" he
said. In studying comparative religions, we should keep an open-minded
attitude of goodwill, which will result in mutual good understanding of
each other's religion."

He suggested that people compromise when ideas are similar to create
"peaceful coexistence among all the societies and nations in the world."

Ko described Buddhist teachings. "The ultimate goal of Buddhist life is to
obtain absolute freedom, which is freedom from all evils and impurities of
mind and of bodily and worldly deeds," he said.

"The world problem is an individual problem. Therefore, war and peace
within the individual is the main source of war and peace within the world.
The change of practice lies with the individual. What is more, change has
to come from within. Fundamental change can only be brought about by a
system of morality which is at once suitable for the individual and the
group without any conflict of loyalties," he said.

The practical principles of Buddhism can provide guidance for dealing with
this situation, Ko said.

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