Robert Thurman father of Uma Thurman (number 10 in our list of the world's most famous Buddhists) and probably one of the most influential Buddhists in the US says we should not be selling religion and especially not converting people to it. In fact the Dalai Lama has explicitly said what the world needs now is not more Buddhists but more compassion.
He has said that the lessons of Buddhism are more needed today than ever.
It's nice to see a religion that focuses on outcomes rather than process but why do they say this ....
The first benefit of a mindful approach is to help soften rigid identities — racial, sexual, religious, and national — that can often lead to conflicts.
The second regards demilitarization – a world in which the number of arms and weapons are reducing is a better world and throughout history there have been cycles where monasticism has replaced militarism in the advance of a society take Tibet and Nepal for instance.
Read more about this in Robert Thurman's fascinating interview.
The Buddha's Face
