ABSTRACT

Ironically, without a more positive appreciation of others than mere tolerance affords, that tolerance, which supposedly grows out of respect for religion and for religious differences, may actually lead to a culture in which neither the home nor the other tradition is valued—in other words, to an atmosphere hostile to any religious practice. While just arriving at inclusivism rather than exclusivism or pluralism might be thought to help with worries pertaining to religious conflicts. This chapter gestures towards Buddhist-specific resources for valuing diversity that need to be further developed and elaborated upon by specific communities. The development of multiple instances of alternative-ends-recognizing inclusivism is crucial, because any inclusivist stance maintained by one tradition depends on the formation of inclusivist stances in others. In the end it is not only Buddhists who have something at stake in developing a defensible form of Buddhist inclusivism.