This from CNN:

Stepping into one of the hottest religious controversies in South Asia, the Dalai Lama has joined Hindu leaders in condemning the Muslim and Christian practice of actively seeking converts.

"Whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian, whoever tries to convert, it's wrong, not good," the Dalai Lama said Thursday after a meeting with leaders of the World Hindu Council.

The council is an influential group that criticizes Christians and Muslims and wants to make multi-religious India a Hindu state.

"I always believe it's safer and better and reasonable to keep one's own tradition or belief," the Dalai Lama, a winner of the Nobel peace prize, said.

He spoke after the Hindu Council's general secretary, Ashok Singhal, had said, "Buddhism, Hinduism and other non-aggressive religions have to unite to douse Islam ... an aggressive religion."

The Dalai Lama and others signed a statement saying: "We oppose conversions by any religious tradition using various methods of enticement."

Hindus and Buddhists generally do not try to converts [sic] non-believers.

Hmmm. Seems to me if everybody had always stayed with the religion they were born in, there wouldn't BE any Buddhists. But what do I know? I'm from an "aggressive" religion.

If a Muslim or Christian cleric made such a blanket condemnation of other religious faiths, it would be on page 1 and everyone would be howling. The Dalai Lama does it and it's buried in the back and nobody notices -- or raises a peep if they do.

Hmmmmm.

Alex