Religious harmony has long been a calling card for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During his teachings this week in Washington DC, there was a delightful moment when he welcomed on stage Roman Catholic Cardinal Wuerl. Cardinal Wuerl welcomed him warmheartedly to Washington, DC, and they recounted together their first meeting in Assisi, Italy on the occasion of Pope John Paul II’s historic interfaith gathering for peace.

Christians submit themselves to God and God’s will, and work to benefit others. Buddhists understand cause and effect as fundamental aspects of reality: if you do good to others, benefits result. If you do harm, difficulties arise. Both traditions teach the value of benefitting others in our actions for the good of others and of ourselves.

His Holiness again reinforced his understanding that they are spiritual brothers in different faith traditions. At their meeting with John Paul II, some 25 years ago, a strong note was sounded that there exist common goals across faiths: the goal of peace in our world and in our own hearts. It is the responsibility of spiritual leaders today, as then, he said, to sound this note, and to promote dialogue rather than violence as the method for resolving differences.

Note: SDI Coordinating Council member, Sally Taylor, from County Down, Northern Ireland, writes from Washington, DC this week during the Kalachakra Initiation.