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Foreword

More than forty years ago, as a young man, I left my homeland as a refugee. Since then the sorrows that have befallen the Tibetan people have mounted up and the difficulties that I have faced as their leader have not diminished. However, there are often unexpected rewards to be found even in the darkest of times. And for me personally, one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life in exile has been the opportunity to make friends all over the world. From the many religious practitioners I have befriended I have learned the truth that it is not only the goal of all religions to help us to become better human beings, but that they are indeed capable of doing so. Moreover, it is my experience that when we overcome our doubts and suspicions and approach each other with respect, there is much that we can learn from one another.

However, I do not advocate attempting to unify our various traditions. I firmly believe that we need different religious traditions, because a single tradition cannot satisfy the needs and mental dispositions of the great variety of human beings. At the same time I do not believe that people should lightly change the religion of their birth. What we need to do is to develop an understanding of the differences in our various traditions and to recognise the value and potential of each of them. Indeed, I believe that one of the benefits of achieving an inner transformation in our own spiritual lives is that our experience helps us appreciate the value of other traditions, rather than the exclusive preciousness of our own.

Although I am no expert on Christian doctrine and its scriptures, my meetings with Christian brothers and sisters have reinforced my conviction that many common strands can be found in our spiritual endeavours. I am therefore honoured to have been invited by my good friend Father Laurence Freeman to contribute a few words of introduction to this book.

As a Buddhist monk I am filled with admiration for the deep Christian sense of community and social responsibility. It is an inspiration to see practical expression of this in the dedicated work that so many Christian monks and nuns perform in the fields of education, health care, alleviation of poverty and so forth. This aspect of compassion in action is something I continue to encourage within the monastic bodies of Tibetan Buddhism.

Meanwhile, many of my Christian brothers and sisters, led notably by such figures as Thomas Merton and John Main, have taken up the practice of meditation in their daily lives. This is very important, for I believe that if we combine prayer, meditation and contemplation in our daily practice, it will be very effective. Focussing less on building great temples to religion on the outside, in favour of constructing temples to goodness within ourselves, is true to the real intention of spiritual practice, which is to help individuals bring about inner transformation. If we meditate, it is possible for the undisciplined, scattered mind to become disciplined, focused and matured with insight.

Some Christians for whom the practice seems unfamiliar might ask how meditation can help us in our spiritual pursuit. The spiritual traditions that have evolved in India, for example, where meditation is accorded great respect, employ one method of focussing meditation to bring calm and focus to the mind and another, more analytical method, to improve understanding. Christian teachings lay great emphasis on love. In meditating on this you might take the example of Jesus Christ himself and reflect on how he conducted his life, how he worked to help other people, how he lived a life of compassion, generosity, patience, tolerance and forgiveness. Once your contemplation gives rise to a certain depth of understanding, you can focus your mind on it in a calm and concentrated way. This is how you develop deep familiarity with the quality of the object you have chosen.

Meditation, therefore, is a means to develop positive qualities that I believe come naturally to us. Christian teachings speak of all human beings sharing the same divine nature. I believe that our basic human nature is intrinsically disposed towards compassion, affection and creativity. Our true nature is gentle, not aggressive or violent, and it is this fundamental nature and its qualities that are revealed or awakened through meditation.

The Christian tradition has been a source of inspiration and solace to millions of people throughout the world for two thousand years. An important factor here, as in Buddhism, is the way the lives of the founding masters, Jesus Christ and Buddha, exemplify and embody the teachings they gave. The story of Jesus’ life repeatedly shows his profound love and compassion, his generosity, patience and forgiveness, the very qualities that he encourages his followers to cultivate. Perhaps just as important, we can see from his example too that spiritual growth requires dedication and commitment, an ability to withstand hardship and to hold to your principles.

Father Laurence has written this book, Jesus the Teacher Within in full Christian faith, explaining from his own experience how relating to Jesus Christ and his teaching, combined with meditation, can illuminate the spiritual life. He has given deep thought to all these issues, as well as being an active participant in several interreligious meetings such as the Good Heart and Way of Peace seminars. I am particularly grateful to him for the initiative he has taken in this direction, because there is enormous potential for mutual enrichment in the dialogue between Buddhist and Christian traditions, especially with regard to ethics and spiritual practice, such as the practices of love, compassion, meditation and patience. I feel sure that readers of this book, especially those who seek personal transformation and inner peace, will find much here to ponder and apply in their own daily practice.

The Dalai Lama

June 15, 2000