Suppose... you try to convert someone from another religion to the Buddhist religion, and you argue with them trying to convince them of the inferiority of their position.
And suppose you do not succeed, suppose they do not become Buddhist.
On the one hand, you have failed in your task, and on the other hand, you may have weakened the trust they have in their own religion, so that they may come to doubt their own faith.
What have you accomplished by all this?
It is of no use.
When we come into contact with the followers of different religions, we should not argue.
Instead, we should advise them to follow their own beliefs as sincerely and as truthfully as possible.
For if they do so, they will no doubt reap certain benefits. Of this there is no doubt.
Even in the immediate future, they will be able to achieve more happiness and more satisfaction.
....When I meet the followers of different religions, I always praise them, for it is enough, it is sufficient, that they are following the moral teachings that are emphasized in every religion.
It is enough, as I mentioned earlier, that they are trying to become better human beings.
This in itself is very good and worthy of praise.
- from "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists" by the Dalai Lama, edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications
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