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Christians and Buddhists: Loving, defending and promoting human life
Vatican
City, 2 May 2013 (VIS) – Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Fr. Miguel
Angel Ayuso Guixot M.C.C.I., respectively president and secretary of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, signed the message
that, on the occasion of the feast of Vesakh, that dicastery annually
sends to the followers of Buddhism.
Vesakh
is a major Buddhist holy day that commemorates the birth,
enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha. According to tradition, the
historical Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment and passed away
during the full moon of the month of May, thus
Vesakh is a mobile feast, which this year falls on 24 or 25 May,
depending on the country it is celebrated in. On those days, Buddhists
visit local temples to offer the monks food and to hear the teachings of
the Buddha, taking special care to meditate and to observe the eight
precepts of Buddhism.
This
year's message is entitled: “Christians and Buddhists: Loving,
Defending, and Promoting Human Life”. Following is the letter in its
entirety.
“On
behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, I would
like to extend my heartfelt greetings and good wishes to all of you, as
you celebrate the feast of Vesakh which offers us Christians an occasion
to renew our friendly dialogue and close collaboration with the
different traditions that you represent.”
“Pope
Francis, at the very beginning of his ministry, has reaffirmed the
necessity of dialogue of friendship among followers of different
religions. He noted that: 'The Church is […]
conscious of the responsibility which all of us have for our world, for
the whole of creation, which we must love and protect. There is much
that we can do to benefit the poor, the needy, and those who suffer, and
to favour justice, promote reconciliation, and build peace' ('Audiencewith Representatives of the Churches and Ecclesial Communities and of the Different Religions', 20 March 2013). The Message of the World Day of Peace in 2013 entitled 'Blessed are the Peacemakers', notes that: 'The
path to the attainment of the common good and to peace is above all
that of respect for human life in all its many aspects, beginning with
its conception, through its development and up to its natural end. True
peacemakers, then, are those who love, defend, and promote human life in
all its dimensions—personal, communitarian, and transcendent. Life in
its fullness is the height of peace. Anyone who loves peace cannot
tolerate attacks and crimes against life'('Message for the World Day of Peace'in 2013, n. 4).”
“I
wish to voice that the Catholic Church has sincere respect for your
noble religious tradition. Frequently we note a consonance with values
expressed also in your religious books: respect for life, contemplation,
silence, simplicity (cf. 'Verbum Domini',
no. 119). Our genuine fraternal dialogue needs to foster what we
Buddhists and Christians have in common especially a shared profound
reverence for life.”
“Dear
Buddhist friends, your first precept teaches you to abstain from
destroying the life of any sentient being and it thus prohibits killing
oneself and others. The cornerstone of your ethics lies in loving
kindness to all beings. We Christians believe that the core of Jesus’
moral teaching is twofold; love of God and love of neighbour. Jesus
says: 'As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love'.And again: 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you'('Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1823).The fifth Christian Commandment, 'You shall not kill' harmonizes so well with your first precept. 'Nostra Aetate'teaches that: 'the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions'(NA
2). I think, therefore, that it is urgent for both Buddhists and
Christians on the basis of the genuine patrimony of our religious
traditions to create a climate of peace to love, defend, and promote
human life.”
“As
we all know, in spite of these noble teachings on the sanctity of human
life, evil in different forms contributes to the dehumanization of the
person by mitigating the sense of humanity in individuals and
communities. This tragic situation calls upon us, Buddhists and
Christians, to join hands to unmask the threats to human life and to
awaken the ethical consciousness of our respective followers to generate
a spiritual and moral rebirth of individuals and societies in order to
be true peacemakers who love, defend and promote human life in all its
dimensions.”
“Dear
Buddhist friends, let us continue to collaborate with a renewed
compassion and fraternity to alleviate the suffering of the human family
by fostering the sacredness of human life. It is in this spirit that I
wish you once again a peaceful and joyful feast of Vesakh.”
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