Dalai Lama Research Paper

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The relationship between religion and morality is subjective and this is seen with the different views of the 14th Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II according to Buddhism and Christianity. The Dalai Lama believes that it is possible to be ethical without being religious, although being religious helps to live a more ethical life. On the contrary, Pope John Paul II believes that you have to be religious in order to live a moral life. Pope John Paul II defines morality as having a strong belief in religion and a strong faith in the goodness of God. The Dalai Lama uses the words morality and ethics interchangeably and emphasizes the difference between a spiritual act and an ethical act. “Accordingly, I suggest that one of the things which determines whether an act is ethical or not is its effect on others’ experience or expectation of happiness” (Dalai Lama 28). The Dalai Lama…show more content…
Buddhism is centered around the role of suffering. Buddhists live under the principles of the Four Noble Truths, which encompass the role of suffering. The Four Noble Truths emphasizes the truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path of suffering. The path of suffering is further emphasized in the Eightfold Path, which are the teachings for wisdom and guidance to everyday life. The Eightfold Paths are moral guidelines and are actions that one should live their life by. For instance, right work, means to not intentionally harm someone. It also holds the same definition of an ethical act according to the Dalai Lama. Meanwhile, Christians live under the laws of the Ten Commandments. These consist of the things that you shouldn’t do and the right way to behave and live an ethical life. For example, thou shall not murder and thou shall not covet. The Ten Commandments are just the first step to living a moral life. The next step is to live under Christ’s
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