Pope Francis welcomes members of Humanistic Buddhism

Pope Francis met with representatives of the United Association of Humanistic Buddhism, a branch that promotes the integration of Buddhist practices into daily life. 

POPE FRANCIS
Your visit, which you have called an educational pilgrimage, represents a privileged opportunity to promote the culture of encounter, where we take the risk of opening ourselves to others, hoping to discover friends, brothers and sisters, and thus learning more about ourselves.

The Pope encouraged them to continue their journey in a spirit of openness and to discover what the Christian faith has to offer. 

POPE FRANCIS
May this educational pilgrimage lead you— guided by the thought of your spiritual master Buddha—to a deeper encounter with yourself and with others, with the Christian tradition and with the beauty of the earth.

The meeting took place a few days after the death of Hsing Yun, who was the founder of this branch of Buddhism.
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TR: AT