Dalai Lama Criticizes Use of Religion for Political Ends

October 5, 2004

Source: Beliefnet.com/EFE News Services

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/153/story_15383_1.html

On October 5, 2004 EFE News Services reported, "The Dalai Lama, Tenzing Gyatso, participated in an inter-faith religious service at this capital's National Cathedral on Monday and criticized those who use religion to manipulate the emotions of their followers for economic or political goals. The exiled Buddhist Tibetan leader told the representatives of a number of religious faiths assembled for the ceremony at which they prayed for peace that emotions that do not spring from meditation and which incorporate a religious content 'become destructive' and cause conflicts. He said that there are persons who in the name of religion manipulate the emotions of their followers, mainly 'emotions such as hate, (and) jealousy, which are ... easily manipulated.' These emotions 'get out of control and, together with a religious content, become destructive,' the spiritual leader said."