Buddhist-Catholic Dialogue

“Buddhism, in its various forms, realizes the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain, by their own efforts or through higher help, supreme illumination.” Nostra Aetate 2

Dialogue between Catholic and Buddhists monks and nuns has proved to be an effective catalyst for a broader collaboration between followers of the two religions, since both traditions have strong monastic traditions.

Formal symposia co-sponsored by DID commenced in 1995 and the 6th Buddhist-Christian symposium was held in 2017. In 1995, DID sent the first good-will message for the Feast of Vesak, the birthday of Buddha, to Buddhist communities throughout the world.

Recently, DID published Building a Culture of Compassion: Essays Celebrating 25 years of the Vesak Message to Buddhists, which provides both history and scholarship on Buddhist-Catholic relations.