Hypothetical Question about the Dalai Lama and Catholicism/Christianity?

Question

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Buddhism. He was picked out for this role as a small child and groomed in Buddhist beliefs all his life.

Now from what I understand, he's also a deeply compassionate and forgiving person. He has been quoted as saying something like (paraphrased by me from memory): "(when China took over Tibet and caused him to have to flee for his life) I was in danger of failing to forgive the Chinese"

He worried about loving and forgiving the Chinese more than he worried about his own safety.

In other words he is forgiving and loving to a very high degree.

Now, assuming this is a Catholic/Christian universe, assuming all love has it's source from God, and assuming that his upbringing indoctrinated him quite firmly into Buddhism (and continues to do so), do you think that Jesus will have Mercy on him when he dies and allow him into Heaven?

Remember, this is a hypothetical question working under the assumption of a Catholic/Christian universe!

Answer 1

The Catholic Church teaches that God can save anyone he chooses, no matter what, but that all who might be saved will be saved according the grace that Jesus obtained for us on the cross ... that he personally entrusted to his universal church ... for the purpose of our salvation.

God will fairly judge Dalai Llama and everyone else, and according to his justice, mercy, and grace, if they can be saved, they will be.

The Church and non-Christians

839 "Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways."325

The relationship of the Church with the Jewish People. When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People,326 "the first to hear the Word of God."327 The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews "belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ",328 "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."329

840 And when one considers the future, God's People of the Old Covenant and the new People of God tend towards similar goals: expectation of the coming (or the return) of the Messiah. But one awaits the return of the Messiah who died and rose from the dead and is recognized as Lord and Son of God; the other awaits the coming of a Messiah, whose features remain hidden till the end of time; and the latter waiting is accompanied by the drama of not knowing or of misunderstanding Christ Jesus.


841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."330

842 The Church's bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:


All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .331

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life."332

844 In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them:


Very often, deceived by the Evil One, men have become vain in their reasonings, and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator. Or else, living and dying in this world without God, they are exposed to ultimate despair.333

845 To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by sin, the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church. The Church is the place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation. The Church is "the world reconciled." She is that bark which "in the full sail of the Lord's cross, by the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world." According to another image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah's ark, which alone saves from the flood.334

"Outside the Church there is no salvation"

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:


Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:


Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.337

848 "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."338

Answer 2

"In my Father's house are many mansions" - some are decked out in Buddhist format, some Hindu, others Christian etc.

Christ says in John that the most important commandment, a new one he is giving humanity, is to love one another. He says that on this hangs everything. Without it the Law means nothing.

In truth, therefore, Love and Forgiveness should transcend anything else.

Of course, many Christians would disagree. The tribal, primitive view of Christianity would say that the best the Dalai Lama could hope for was eternity in the outer ring of Hell where the virtuous nonbelievers are allowed to dwell in (relative) comfort.

Answer 3

International Relations Coordinator Robyn Broughton says His Holiness quite desired to have interaction with employees and pupils. As the ability of St David is constrained to 500 persons, it used to be made up our minds to run a contest to pick which employees and pupils can attend – asking what query they could ask the Dalai Lama. The pageant closes on Friday 19 April, however Mrs Broughton says there was a great reaction already from employees around the campus. “We have had entries from around the board,” she says. “Right from PhD pupils to senior leadership.” And the questions duvet a spectrum of subjects too. “There are relatively a couple of round the best way to acquire steadiness in a hectic existence, relatively a couple of round His Holiness’s ideas across the position of tertiary schooling for younger persons, a few round the best way to keep optimistic, any one has requested ‘If you might be an animal, what could you be?’, one other has requested ‘What is your favorite youth reminiscence?’.” The last inquiries to be positioned to His Holiness will probably be decided on via the country wide organiser of the Dalai Lama Trust, however Mrs Broughton believes there will probably be combine of great and extra gentle-hearted questions. Professor Mark Henaghan of Law will facilitate the consultation and positioned the inquiries to him.

Answer 4

First, not all Christians are Catholics and Catholics have different beliefs about what needs to be done to get into Heaven than, say, a Methodist or a Baptist or a Lutheran.

Secondly, the Bible tells us we should not judge other people because that is God's doing and asking us to determine if the Dalai Llama should go to Heaven is asking us to judge.

Finally, one of the consistent criteria across all of the Christian faiths is an undeniable beliefe in Jesus Christ as the Holy Savior and Bhuddism does not support that belief. This is not to say that God would not allow him into Heaven, but that would be up to God and we shouldn't try to second-guess God.

: )

Answer 5

This is answered by scripture.
when we die, any sins we have committed are paid for.
(Romans 6:23) For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Revelation 20:12-13) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Ha′des gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds.

Once we die, we have no sins to be judged on.
So what is this judgement after resurrection.
It is our reaction to learning about God's new system. We either accept or reject it.
If the Dalai Llama sticks to his Buddhist beliefs of reincarnation, which is against bible teaching, he will not be acceptable in the new system. Which, incidentally, is not ALL in heaven, but upon the earth.
(Psalm 37:9) For evildoers themselves will be cut off, But those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth.

(Psalm 37:11) But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

Answer 6

according to Christianity, no he will not go to Heaven. Those who go to Heaven are those who accept Jesus in their hearts and he didnt. And do not believe everything the Dalai Lama says anyway. No, I think he shouldnt have forgiven the Chinese.

Answer 7

Oh buddah was a man, and I am sure that he meant well, but I pray for his disciples, lest they wind up in hell.
And I'm sure that old Mohummed thought he knew the way,
But it wont be Hare Chrisna we stand before on the judgement day.
God will judge him according to the contents of his heart.

Answer 8

the problem is in fact that is about time that umans stop assuming.................
if you want to understand 'concretely' and have real 'experiences' study well HH Dalai Lama teachings,
you will also understand that Him and Jesus. would be really good collegues