The Dalai Lama on the Difference Between Religion and Spirituality

THE POCKET DALAI LAMA
by the Dalai Lama,
compiled & edited by Mary Craig
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Dalai Lama Quote of the Week

I believe there is an important distinction to be made between religion and spirituality. Religion I take to be concerned with belief in the claims to salvation of one faith tradition or another--an aspect of which is acceptance of some form of metaphysical or philosophical reality, including perhaps an idea of heaven or hell. Connected with this are religious teachings or dogma, ritual, prayers and so on. Spirituality I take to be concerned with those qualities of the human spirit--such as love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, which bring happiness to both self and others. While ritual and prayer, along with questions of nirvana and salvation are directly connected with religious faith, these inner qualities need not be, however. There is thus no reason why the individual should not develop them, even to a high degree, without recourse to any religious or metaphysical belief system. This is why I sometimes say religion is something we can perhaps do without. What we cannot do without are these basic spiritual qualities.

--from The Pocket Dalai Lama by the Dalai Lama, compiled and edited by Mary Craig

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Tags: Buddhism, Religion, Spirituality, The Pocket Dalai Lama, Snow Lion Publications