Multiple faith traditions

To nurture genuine peace, we must respect and learn about the full worth of faith traditions other than our own. 'Engaging with other faith traditions and praying at their places of worship has been a crucial learning experience for me, away from a parochial and exclusive vision of my own faith as unquestionably the best,' says HH The Dalai Lama.

Interestingly, in Canada, it is mandatory for school children to visit different places of worship of various religions and faiths. They are taught rudimentary facts and philosophy of these schools of thought, preparing them for positive engagement with multi-diverse relatives, friends, colleagues and others.

This way, they are freed from prejudices and ignorance, and are equipped to relate in positive rather than negative ways, in a spirit of understanding, knowledge, compassion and friendship that could certainly evolve to loving all of humankind and other living beings as well.


When one is exposed to all belief and non-belief perspectives, their permutations, combinations, atmospherics, rituals and cultures right from childhood, and encouraged to respect and revere them all, there can be no room for tension and violence.

This is perhaps why Mohandas Gandhi said he did not want his house to be walled in from all sides and windows to be stuffed, 'I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.' An open mind invites riches, makes life interesting, diverse, entertaining; infusing wisdom from multiple sources.