Preview

The Relationship Between Morality and Religion in the Dalai Lama and John Pope Ii Perspective Essay Example

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1611 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Relationship Between Morality and Religion in the Dalai Lama and John Pope Ii Perspective Essay Example
The Relationship Between Morality and Religion In the Dalai Lama and John Pope II Perspective

The complexities on the issue of the relationship between religion and morality is intriguing in the sense that there is no right or wrong answer, but merely your own intrinsic belief. The 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, believes that you can't have religion without morals, but you can have morals without religion. This seems to contrast with the view of John Paul II, in the sense that he passionately believes that moral truth is governed by only God himself. “To ask about the good, in fact, ultimately means to turn towards God, the fullness of goodness." In this Encyclical letter, Veritatis splendor, John Paul II emphasizes that morality is synonymous with belief in religion and faith to God. The reasoning for the fine line between religion and morality for John Paul II is divergent to the Dalai Lamas. John Paul II believes that religion is primarily focused on worshipping God and the reinstitution of moral relationships between God and man. The thoughts between religion and morality to the Dalai Lama is that religion is something we can do without, but we cannot do without basic spiritual qualities. A term that the Dalai Lama frequently interchanges with morality is ethics. He emphasizes that spirituality for ethics is needed because they are inextricably linked.
In Ethics for the New Millennium, the Dalai Lama belabors on spirituality versus religion and the foundations of ethical practice itself. Religion, which is what John Paul II adheres to, is the practice of faith claims and salvation, the supernatural, and metaphysical reality. On the contrary, spirituality is directed to the inner workings of your soul which manifest happiness for yourself and others. Contrasting to John Paul II's beliefs, the Dalai Lama denotes that the issue of binding right and wrong to religion is that people will then question, “which religion” is the right

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    religious based ethics with the new social ethics promoting reforms (Ch. 23 p. 730). The battle…

    • 230 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sacred texts interact with the key doctrines, as these key doctrines are contained in and expressed through these sacred writings. Furthermore, in order for religion to exist as a dynamic, living entity this doctrinal dimension, as contained in the sacred texts, must also be applicable to the practical demands of daily life. This is where ethics comes into play, as it is ethics, which embodies the doctrines in the form of laws and precepts thus allowing for the practical application of religion. In other words, ethics, which is a system of specific standards by which moral conduct can be judged, is derived from values, which underpin the religious system.…

    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    What is the most significant difference between the Pope’s idea of the relationship between religion and ethics and the Dalai Lama’s idea of the relationship between religion and ethics? Pope- religion and ethics aren’t separable lama- inseparable…

    • 1358 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Week 1 Study Guide

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages

    1) According to Basic Ethics, those who believe in religious connection to ethics and morality “there is an independent source of goodness that exists in some other (supernatural) realm” (Boylan, 2009, p. 58).…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The question of morality for Buddhist is to attain a literally selfless perspective, to find the power to speak well of others, to obey Buddhist's moral commands, and to avoid making a living through an occupation that breaks the moral precepts of Buddhism. These are the three major parts of the Eightfold Path that connects morality to right speech, right action, and right livelihood (Buddhism: A Religion Profile from International Students, Inc., pg 3).…

    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Jesus Buddha Paper

    • 1156 Words
    • 1 Page

    which Jesus and Buddha lived. Ethics, from a religious standpoint, are the moral principles that…

    • 1156 Words
    • 1 Page
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    pg. 734, para 3 (con’t): Religion’s demand for morality and being good trumps a person’s…

    • 1691 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eth Week 4 Day 5

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Dalai Lama, the leader of the Buddhist religion, has made it known that they think it is great that there are so many religions in the world. One food does not satisfy everyone, so who is to say that one religion ever could (The Berzin archives, 2012). There is a growing dialogue between the leaders of the World’s religions. In October of 1986, the Pope invited all of the world’s religious leaders to meet with him. They discussed the many things that all the religions have in common, such as morality, love and compassion.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Because of this dilemma, philosophers have tried to create a secular ethic in order to avoid it. But, according to Kai Nielsen, “Religious morality… may have its difficulties, but secular morality, religious apologists argue, has still greater difficulties.” He then explains that without some great consequence, or without any bigger purpose for living morally, then there would be no reason to live morally, or to even define what morality consists…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Morality - Buddhism and Christianity share the same ideals when it comes to morality and how humans should interacts with each other. However, they differ in the fundamental reasoning behind it. Buddhists attribute morality to one’s ego, whereas for Christians it comes from an inner change and working of the Holy Spirit.…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In particular, these two religions, like many other world religions of the east and west concentrate on human ethics through belief, worship, and practice. Similarities and differences are evident in both theory and practice between the two religions. Buddhism teaches that morality is something we create for ourselves based purely on what is found to be beneficial rather than objectively right or good. The Society for the Promotion of Buddhism agrees when it states that “There is no discrimination between right and wrong, but people make a distinction for their own convenience”. The Buddhist Precepts are sometimes compared to the Ten Commandments of the Abrahamic religions such as Christianity. However, the Precepts are not commandments, but principles, and it is up to Buddhists to determine how to apply these principles in their lives. Buddhism is greatly attractive because it sets humans free to take charge of their lives without fear of any powerful third party intervention. It leaves room for a range of interpretations. It gives full control of the person to conduct their life without fear of punishment or desire for reward by an external agent. It tells the person that their actions, thoughts, and speech are their own…

    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gone

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1) Despite the differences that exist between the Dalai Lama’s understanding of the relationship between religion and ethics and Pope John Paul II’s understanding of the relationship between religion and ethics, it is clear that each thinkers’ ethical system has much in common with the other. In the first step of the paper, you need to identify two major similarities between the Dalai Lama’s ethical thought and Pope John Paul II’s ethical thought.…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Morality In Religion

    • 1738 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The definition of religion as taught to me in class is bind or to come together. There are many religions that are practiced worldwide. They have different histories, adherents, Gods, meanings of life, afterlife beliefs, practices, and books containing text that guides them through their spiritual journey. From Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, to Islamism, Judaism, and Rastafarianism, etc., religion offers diverse teachings. But they all have one thing in common, keeping the tradition.…

    • 1738 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Most Focused Religions

    • 1627 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Religion and its impact on life, is very difficult to define. Religion divides humanity into several groups and each group of people has it’s own definition of what religion is. Among the many religions that exist in the world today, are those that instill strict behavior and deeds to their followers. On the other hand, it is customary for other religious groups to prioritize according to family values and beliefs. However, every religion has their own view of what religion signifies to them. The behavioral constituent of religion is characterized by the degree of morality and ethical values that are practiced by members of that religious group. The essential features of religions are concluded by ancient interpretations to the point that the foundation, through which religion was created, has greatly influenced today’s overall characteristics and individual principles. First, this essay will argue that Buddhism is the religion most focused on behavior and deeds. Second, it will demonstrate that Christianity is mostly centered on cultivation of spiritual and moral character. Third, this paper will explain that family values are fundamental in the beliefs of Christianity. Lastly, it will present to what extent the historical context of those choices has influenced those particular characteristics.…

    • 1627 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    In "Compassion and the Individual," Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, describes a good person as good mental and physical health care. what i take from this is that you have to put people before yourself and care about everyone not just yourself or your family. the physical part could mean you have excellent health and donate blood or organs to people, or become a organ donor after you have passed away. the mental also could mean that you have good mental strength and can be in certain situation you can act accordingly to it . according to the Dalai Lama a good person can’t be selfish or greedy. the dalai lama says you need love to be a good person. He also say you have to be a moral person which is correct. there also was a lot more thing the 14th dalai lama said to be good person. but i believe more in the Ayn Rand theory more because you…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays