Today, as we mark the tenth anniversary of the September 11th 2001
attacks on New York and Washington DC, let us remember all the innocent
lives lost and ponder the continuing impact of that tragic day.
September 11th reminds us of the horror we human beings can unleash on
ourselves when we allow our human intelligence and powerful technology
to be overtaken by hatred.
We need to learn from our painful memories of September 11th and
become more aware of the destructive consequences that arise when we
give in to feelings of hatred. This tragedy in particular has reinforced
my belief that fostering a spirit of peaceful co-existence and mutual
understanding among the world’s peoples and faith traditions is an
urgent matter of importance to us all. We must therefore make every
effort to ensure that our various faith traditions contribute to build a
more caring, peaceful world.
The Dalai Lama
September 9, 2011
Originally published as part of "What have we learned about
religion in post 9-11?" in the Washington Post's On Faith forum on
September 10, 2011, including messages from other religious leaders. See
at http://dalaila.ma/ogU30k
