The Dalai Lama's understanding of Christ's uniqueness in interfaith dialogue

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has long been engaged in interfaith discourse, using forums, seminars, and conferences to draw together leaders of various religious disciplines. The purpose of these spiritual convergences is not to develop a universal world religion, which might dilute the teachings of any one tradition, or to advocate for religious relativism. Instead, the Dalai Lama has long advocated religious pluralism and appreciates the value of religious diversity in the world. For this reason, the Dalai Lama would unequivocally agree with Pope John Paul II, who stated famously, “Christ is absolutely original and absolutely unique...if he were \\\\\\\'enlightened\\\\\\\' like the Buddha, without any doubt He would not be what He is. He is the one mediator between God and humanity.” This quote does not suggest that Pope John Paul II denied the relevance of Buddha any more than the Dalai Lama denies the efficacy of Christ. Both the Pope and the Dalai Lama exhibit mutual respect, while still proudly affirming the tenets of their own faiths. In The Good Heart, the Dalai Lama expresses an evolution of understanding of Christianity through an interfaith dialogue. The dialogue is not intended to be persuasive in any way, or to argue in favor of or against any one faith. The Dalai Lama wants to learn about the nature of Christian discourse, doctrine, and ritual in order to understand it better and relate better to his Christian counterparts. In so doing, the Dalai Lama realizes and affirms the uniqueness of Christ. Although he does not use the same words as Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama does note the main difference between Christ and Buddha is that their spiritual goals or missions were different. Salvation and liberation might be similar concepts, as the Dalai Lama points out in The Good Heart, but these are still quite different experiences. Both Christianity and Buddhism share in common a goal of transcending ignorance to embrace truth, but the methods by which to achieve this goal are different. Moreover, the experience of salvation is likely to be qualitatively different than that of illumination or even tharpa, which is the term most closely akin to the Christian concept of salvation (His Holiness the Dalai Lama 109). The Dalai Lama learns that Christians believe Christ is the “mediator between God and humanity,” a concept that is completely different from the “enlightenment” model of Buddhism. Buddha was neither divine nor a mediator between God and humanity, given the essentially a-theistic nature of Mahayana Buddhism. By acknowledging and respecting the uniqueness of Christ, it becomes more possible to have fruitful interfaith dialogue. Claiming that Christ is wholly unique is not necessarily an arrogant claim; it is an affirmation of diversity. To search for artificial correspondences and similarities between religions only breeds misunderstanding. In his discussion on faith, for example, the Dalai Lama reckons with what might be the most major and obvious irreconcilable differences between Christianity and Buddhism. Faith in Christ is not something that is present in Mahayana doctrine or practice, and yet through the process of humble recognition of these differences, the Dalai Lama also manages to show how the two religions can still share important goals and dreams for humanity. The Dalai Lama would therefore respond affirmatively to the Pope, saying that indeed the purpose of faith and the purpose of dharma are indeed different. The Dalai Lama would also note that the practice of meditation and the practice of prayer are also different. These differences do not imply a hierarchical order of religion. Interfaith dialogue starts with open-mindedness, humility, and respect. Each religion is unique, and has something special to offer the individual practitioner. A person is free to hold two conflicting ideas simultaneously, in the same way that oil and vinegar do blend together in spite of their radically different chemical compositions and flavors. Knowing this does not preclude either Christianity or Buddhism to sacrifice their respective bodies of knowledge and wisdom.