We Live Within The Environment. So That

All Religions Try To Benefit People, With The Same Basic Message Of The Need For Love And Compassion, For Justice And Honesty, For Contentment. So Merely Changing Formal Religious Affiliations Will Often Not Help Much. On The Other Hand, In Pluralistic, Democratic Societies, There Is The Freedom To Adopt The Religion Of Your Choice. This Is Good. This Lets Curious People Like You Run Around On The Loose!

When A Person Is In A Miserable Situation, Then, Yes, It Is Difficult To Develop Genuine Compassion Toward Others. That's Why I Find It Difficult To Say To Poor People, "please Have Compassion Toward Millionaires." That's Not Easy.

It Is Worth Remembering That The Time Of Greatest Gain In Terms Of Wisdom And Inner Strength Is Often That Of Greatest Difficulty.

Peace, In The Sense Of The Absence Of War, Is Of Little Value To Someone Who Is Dying Of Hunger Or Cold. It Will Not Remove The Pain Of Torture Inflicted On A Prisoner Of Conscience. It Does Not Comfort Those Who Have Lost Their Loved Ones In Floods Caused By Senseless Deforestation In A Neighboring Country. Peace Can Only Last Where Human Rights Are Respected, Where The People Are Fed, And Where Individuals And Nations Are Free.

The Only "definitive Truth" For Buddhism Is The Absolute Negation Of Any One Truth As The Definitive Truth.