What Is The Dalai Lama Pluralism

In 1937, Tenzin Gyatso was chosen as the 14th Dalai Lama at the tender age of two years old. The Dalai Lama is considered to be the transcendent and sequential head of Tibet. He was able to assume his position a few years later, but had to flee his home in 1959 due to the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The Dalai Lama has worked incessantly to encourage the peaceful liberation of Tibet ever since that particular time period. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as he is entitled, has taken this specific time of his banishment to tour the world discovering what is out there and presenting Buddhism to the rest of the world as he takes in other experiences. Although quite rare, he does provide interviews where he not only converses about Buddhism, but also cautiously speaking the advantages of religious diversity in the world.

This view is along the lines of the theory which was presented to the world by John Hick. He {Dalai Lama} understands that there are other religions out in the universe and understands that his is just one of the many that are able to be offered to people. However, beneath his receiving and acceptance, His Holiness comes off more as a religious exclusivist (SLU 659). Using John Hick’s theory of religious pluralism as a base, this paper will allow the reader to identify how the Dalai Lama is an advocate of religious diversity, but still upholds an exclusivist perspective concerning