Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, by the Dalai Lama teaches core principles of compassion, tolerance, and justice. From an ethical stand point, this is one of the most important books for modern day communications. As the world continues to grow and each of us are subject to different cultures, beliefs, and reasoning, it has never been more important for us to “move beyond our limited or biased sense of closeness to this or that group or identity, and instead cultivate a sense of closeness to the entire human family” (p. 52).
As I read Beyond Religion, it became increasingly clear how I can hold true to my personal religious beliefs, while coexisting alongside those who don’t share my faith. By living by a strong ethical code, of which I adhere to just as strictly as I expect of others, I become a more compassionate, tolerant, understanding, and forgiving individual. Through the altruistic ethics outlined by the Dalai Lama in this book, I became much more inclined to consider the information environment from which a person comes and apply principles of agape, instead of being condescending and casting unfair judgment. Additionally, it became increasingly clear why it is important to educate future generations by acting as living examples of these ethics and high moral principles.
Reading this book with a lens specifically dedicated to the ethics of professional communications, I was struck by three central messages that have the potential to improve ethics on a global scale: compassion for those we interact with, universal justice, and the importance of educating the heart in order to make significant change. Additionally, I believe ethics and communication can be improved by adhering to the suggestions the Dalai Lama gives us in the final chapter about meditation.
Compassion
“Compassion demands that we condemn wrong actions and oppose them with all means necessary, while at the same time forgiving and maintaining an attitude of kindness toward the perpetrators of those actions” (p. 65).
The Dalai Lama is ethically altruistic; he shows selfless concern for the well-being of others. Throughout this book, the Dalai Lama teaches us that compassion is one of the supreme principles that give our lives meaning. It is through acts of compassion, such as kindness, honesty, and affection, that we will become truly happy ourselves. Likewise, harvesting feelings of rancor and ill-will towards others will cause us to be miserable human beings.
Going beyond religion, the Dalai Lama teaches us that being a compassionate person does not require strict religious beliefs. Instead, he teaches that the path to a more compassionate society is the path of compassion toward others.
Early in Beyond Religion, we are introduced to the metaphor of water and tea. The book reads:
“Ethics and inner values without religious content are like water, something we need every day for health and survival. Ethics and inner values based in a religious context are more like tea. The tea we drink is mostly composed of water, but it also contains some other ingredients—tea leaves, spices, perhaps some sugar or, at least in Tibet, salt—and this makes it more nutritious and sustaining and something we want every day. But however the tea is prepared, the primary ingredient is always water. While we can live without tea, we can’t live without water. Likewise we are born free of religion, but we are not born free of the need for compassion” (p. 17).
Through this metaphor, we learn that our personal ethics do not need to be governed by religious theology, but instead by our inner nature and basic need for compassion. The need for compassion is universal, regardless of one’s upbringing or belief system. As we move beyond the narrow scope of religious beliefs and stop focusing on how we are different from one another, we can find meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in life.
I believe the reason why the Dalai Lama spends so much time in his book talking about compassion is because it is a universal principle that appeals to everyone in this world. Through the lens of professional communications, as human beings we are all motivated to forge connections with those around us. It is through the power of compassion that we can strengthen these connections. To be a truly ethical person, compassion is not only essential, it is the very foundation of which we should base our lives upon.
Justice
Justice is an essential pillar of every society. It is through an enduring commitment to social justice that society can care for and meet the needs of those who suffer. Through adherence to a social justice system, every single person in a society has equal rights, and perhaps just as important, equal opportunities.
The Dalai Lama teaches that justice and compassion are not conflicting ideas, but instead that they are two concepts that should complement one another. He says, “When an unjust situation demands a strong response…, compassion demands, not that we accept injustice, but that we take a stand against it” (p. 58). Justice of each action should be met with a compassionate response. Sometimes this notion of compassion take the form of ensuring the needs of society’s most vulnerable are cared for through government intervention, and other times compassion can only be met by doing right by the greatest number of people.
An important aspect of justice is allowing individuals to learn and grow from their mistakes. In many cases, justice demands recompense for crimes or certain acts, but, “it is very important to recognize that all human beings have the capacity for change” (p. 62). Even individuals who has committed the most heinous acts are capable of change. The Dalai Lama boldly states:
“Remember that even a criminal is a human being, like yourself, and capable of change. Punish the actor in proportion to the misdeed, but do not indulge the desire for vengeance. Think rather of the future, and of how to ensure that the crime is not repeated” (p. 66).
Justice is attainable through compassion and order. Beyond Religion promotes justice through high ethical conduct. Pursuing revenge in the name of justice is irresponsible and reckless. By seeking peace through forgiveness, a society’s justice system will be strengthened and provide all with the opportunity to change.
Educating the Heart
One of the core principles of Beyond Religion is the need to “educate the heart.” Educating the heart allows us to not simply say and believe ethical concepts, but to actually live them. The Dalai Lama teaches us that in order to truly put these ethics into practice in our everyday lives, we need three things: an ethic of restraint, an ethic of virtue, and an ethic of altruism.
The ethic of restraint references the concept of minimizing all harm done to others. Harm to others includes immediately violent acts, sexual promiscuity and exploitation, theft, and selfcenteredness. By treating others with respect, compassion, and kindness, we are showing restraint over carnal desires. The Dalai Lama said, “The most important thing we can all do to minimize the harm we inflict in our everyday lives is to apply discernment in our behavior, and to follow that natural sense of conscientiousness which arises from the enhanced awareness that discernment brings us” (p. 105).
As we begin to mindfully recognize the impact of our actions on others, we can begin to actively go about doing good. The ethic of virtue teaches us that we should seek out opportunities to comfort those in need, be mindfully charitable and generous, and finding joy in the accomplishments of your fellow man.
Finally, we are led to the ethic of altruism. The Dalai Lama defines altruism as, “a genuinely selfless dedication of one’s actions and words to the benefit of others” (p.111). Altruism is the highest form of ethical practice. Through a complete and selfless dedication to serving others and discerning the consequences of our actions, “we will begin to gain mastery over our actions and words” (p.112).
It is important to note that true education of the heart can be a long and rigorous process. The Dalai Lama reminds us that, “educating the heart takes both time and sustained effort, though I have no doubt that with sincere motivation we can all learn kindheartedness, and we can all benefit from it” (p. 102). As we educate our hearts through training our minds, we begin the process of living true to high ethical standards, not just believing in them.
Conclusion
Religion cannot solve all society’s problems. In fact, the argument can be made that many of the great problems we have in today’s world are caused by religious intolerance and misunderstandings. “It is a matter of great urgency, therefore, that we find ways to cooperate with one another in a spirit of mutual acceptance and respect” (p.12). Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World takes a secular approach to the idea that we all have the same basic human needs. These needs can be realistically met by adherence to promoting high ethical values. Being a compassionate, kind human being is not primarily a religious concept, but of our very human nature.
Through the values and principles taught in this book, any person in this world can become a truly ethical being. The concepts of compassion, justice, self-awareness, discernment, and mindful meditation teach us that we can go beyond philosophical differences to cooperate and make the world a better place. We are all more common that we realize. Every single person in this world has the same basic needs. These common needs can provide the grounds for us to become a more tolerant society. There is no reason why we cannot move beyond our biases to cultivate a strong, world-wide human family.
Ultimately, Beyond Religion left me feeling optimistic. Much like the process of educating the heart, I recognize that change on a global scale is a long and rigorous process that will not occur overnight. Instead, these fundamental changes will come to fruition as individuals such as you and I become a more compassionate and ethically motivated person.
References
Lama, D. (2011). Beyond religion: Ethics for a whole world (Kindle Ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Hayden Coombs 