Dalai Lama and Catholic Cardinal Pray in Taiwan

More than a thousand people queued outside Kaohsiung City's Hanshin Arena on Wednesday morning to attend a joint Buddhist-Catholic dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Taiwan's Catholic Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi.

Groups of Buddhist monks and nuns congregated alongside Christian choir groups and with those who simply wished to hear the Dalai Lama speak.

Buddhist monk Ch'uan P'ei, who has followed the Dalai Lama throughout his trip in Taiwan, said joint religious forums, while seemingly unconventional, are common practice in Taiwan.

[Ch'uan P'ei, Buddhist Monk]:
"There is more and more of this type of activity, cooperating with Christian groups and working together to bring harmony."

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader arrived in Taiwan on Sunday (August 30) to visit victims of Typhoon Morakot which hit in early August. It triggered the island's worst floods in 50 years killing more than 700 people.

[Tu Kuo-chu, Catholic Church Choir Leader]:
"I hope that by coming here with the Dalai Lama we can use our hymns and they can use their mantras to work together to bring two different religions and use our religious faith and spirit to comfort the evacuees and victims."

The Dalai Lama says he's not in Taiwan for political reasons, and during Wednesday's meeting preferred to stress the importance of religion.

[Dalai Lama, Tibetan Spiritual Leader]:
"I think it still has a very important role on this planet. So therefore, harmony, close understanding on the basis of mutual respect, mutual admiration, I think that is very important. So, that is my number two commitment. So therefore, now, here I am extremely happy and indeed very honored to be received by you and by this dialogue."

The Dalai Lama has visited Taiwan twice before, the last time in 2001.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NTD
• News
• Dalai Lama
• Taiwan
• Kaohsiung
• Buddhist
• Catholic
• Paul Shan Kuo-hsi
• Morakot Typhoon
• Floods
• Religion

[howyun]

Those two are true religious and spiritual leaders, caring so much of human beings.

[puzzykant]

haha. TerrierBram. haha. your statement only goes to show your ignorance on the matter... You have contempt with no basis; do your homework; study history.

Europe cannot even be what it was without the Church of Rome...

[TerrierBram]

Strange, but for the church of Rome I only have profound contempt. Maybe it is because what really happened between the walls of this institute. Maybe it is because they kept us deliberately stupid for hundreds of years. Maybe it is because this religious leaders of the church of Rome start to abuse children, and try to get away with it. Maybe it is because they sucked Europe dry for their own good.

[howyun]

單國璽主教與達賴喇嘛都是最慈悲之宗教家

心胸寬大 不像星雲政治和尚見風轉舵