Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "We religious leaders must work together in the service of humanity, and for the growth of the nation. Let us forget our divisions. We have so much in common and need to search for goodness," said Card Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, to representatives of nine different religious and spiritual traditions, all present at the 'Meeting of Diverse Spiritual Traditions in India,' which ended yesterday in New Delhi.
Spiritual leaders from the three major currents in Hinduism - Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism - as well as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Baha'ism, Sikhism and Jainism gathered for the two-day event (20-21 September) organised by the Dalai Lama, leader of Tibetan Buddhism.
"In his visit to the Redipuglia military shrine, Pope Francis focused on three urgent issues: violence and war; poverty and the need for economic justice and human solidarity as a necessary dimension of human dignity; and the environment and climate change," Card Gracias said.
"Such issues," he explained, "are getting worse because of our selfishness and lack of inner values. As brothers and sisters, we must bring peace, success and values to all. We must forget violence because it brings neither peace nor joy."
For his part, in his opening address to the meeting, the Dalai Lama said, "India is an illustrious example of human values and religious harmony.
In this country, "Positive human values and ethical principles have been cultivated for thousands of years," he noted. "It is the only country where all major religions live together, not only in modern times but over a thousand years".
In his view, people themselves cause conflicts around the world; hence, it is they who must end them in lieu of seeking divine intervention.
Any killing in the name of religion is condemnable and there is no justification for fights over faith, he added.