In the essay, “ The Role of Religion in Modern Society”, Dalai Lama, The preeminent religious authority in Buddhism reveals the reason behind why religion has been a major source of conflict throughout the history, and how inter-religious harmony is the key to overcoming conflict of the first sort. He goes deeper into the similarities between different religion and identifies the obstacles that obstruct inter-religious harmony by developing ways to overcome them. He believes religion plays a vital role in the modern society by shaping the person's spiritual qualities rather than making him a better religious person than the other.
Dalai Lama expounds that religious practice can help a person cope with adversity than those who don't. Although,
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Although he agrees that it is beneficial to learn from other traditions, but conversion from their birth culture and tradition will add confusion to their identity. To support this he tells the reader to ask this question to themselves, “Am I attracted to this new tradition because of the essential teachings; or, is it because I find the rituals more fascinating; or, is it because I imagine this new tradition will be less demanding?”(445). If the person still converts after thinking the question through then he thinks it is essential that he does not comment on his previous faith. Throughout the essay Dalai Lama has given the reasons why religion plays an important role to shape the person. Every religion has an essential part to share an enriched diversity. Further in his essay he continues by comparing the similarities between different religion. In one part he compares the “Mahayana Buddhist concept of Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya and the Christian trinity of God as Father, Son and the Holy Spirit” (444). Although he states that the three concepts are similar to the Christian trinity, but he doesn't explain further how it is similar and the reasons behind the concepts. On the contrary, Dalai Lama explains that the important point is to spread love and compassion,patience,tolerance,humility,forgiveness, and all the spiritual qualities of human