--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know many Catholic priests and nuns who…" description: "\"I know many Catholic priests and nuns who use the Buddhist teachings to become better Catholics, and Jews who use them to become better Jews. Why not?!..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/tenzin-palmo-1431_buddhism_i-know-many-catholic-priests-and-nuns-wh_544640.jpg" --- # I know many Catholic priests and nuns who use the Buddhist… ![“I know many Catholic priests and nuns who use the Buddhist teachings to become better Catholics, and Jews who use them to become better Jews. Why not?! It just takes us towards more deeply recognizing our original nature, which is what we all share after all.” quote by Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/tenzin-palmo-1431_buddhism_i-know-many-catholic-priests-and-nuns-wh_544640.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/tenzin-palmo-1431_buddhism_i-know-many-catholic-priests-and-nuns-wh_544640.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/tenzin-palmo-1431_buddhism_i-know-many-catholic-priests-and-nuns-wh_544640.jpg) > “I know many Catholic priests and nuns who use the Buddhist teachings to become better Catholics, and Jews who use them to become better Jews. Why not?! It just takes us towards more deeply recognizing our original nature, which is what we all share after all.” [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People of different faiths can adopt teachings from Buddhism to deepen their own religious practice. **In simple terms:** Cross‑faith learning enriches belief. Key Takeaway Explore Buddhist concepts within your tradition. Themes interfaith spiritual growth learning Mood reflective hopeful Type interfaith inspirational When to use this quote - personal meditation - interfaith dialogue - community workshops - educational curricula Key Concepts Buddhist mindfulness religious syncretism shared humanity Questions to Reflect On - What core values can be shared across religions? - How to respect traditions while integrating new ideas? A Different Perspective May dilute distinct doctrines; risk of superficial adoption. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Catholics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-catholics-3043083/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) [Buddhist Teachings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist-teachings-489049/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Jew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jew/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nun/) [Originals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originals/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) [Recognizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognizing/) [Share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/share/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Teachings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachings/) [Teachings Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachings-better-4186287/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-buddhist-3313885/) [Why not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-not/) ## Related quotes > [I feel that I have many real students whom I have not met. Many are in cloisters and they never get out. Others are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-feel-that-i-have-many-real-students-whom-i-have-not-met-many-are-in/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Buddhist teachings are meant to awaken our true self, not merely to add to our storehouse of knowledge. From”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/buddhist-teachings-are-meant-to-awaken-our-true-self-not-merely-to/) [Thich Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [Buddhist teachings are not a religion, they are a science of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/buddhist-teachings-are-not-a-religion-they-are-a-science-of-mind/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“Among the most fundamental Buddhist teachings are the four noble truths: Life leads to suffering and pain in one way or another; Our suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-williams/among-the-most-fundamental-buddhist-teachings-are-the-four-noble/) [Albert Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-williams/) > [“It is easy for a small intellect that knows only a single philosophical presentation, only one secret oral instruction, or only one system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamgon-kongtrul-lodro-taye/it-is-easy-for-a-small-intellect-that-knows-only-a-single/) [Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamgon-kongtrul-lodro-taye/) > [Better that only a few Catholics should be left, staunch and sincere in their religion, than that they should, remaining many, desire as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-canisius/better-that-only-a-few-catholics-should-be-left-staunch-and-sincere/) [Peter Canisius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-canisius/) > [There are techniques of Buddhism, such as meditation, that anyone can adopt. And, of course, there are Christian monks and nuns who already use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-techniques-of-buddhism-such-as-meditation-that-anyone-can/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Mindfulness is the direct application of Buddhist teachings to a physical event, a way of doing or accomplishing something, or a way of thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/mindfulness-is-the-direct-application-of-buddhist-teachings-to-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The Buddhist teachings move along a graduated path: first the stages of calm abiding and then the stages of deep insight. Through such gradual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogyen-trinley-dorje/the-buddhist-teachings-move-along-a-graduated-path-first-the-stages/) [Ogyen Trinley Dorje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogyen-trinley-dorje/) > [“Buddhist teachings put it this way: “Just as the great oceans have but one taste, the taste of salt, so do all of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/buddhist-teachings-put-it-this-way-just-as-the-great-oceans-have-but/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“However, there is the danger in all broad categorizations, such as the classification of Buddhist teachings as self-empty or other-empty, that they obscure or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/however-there-is-the-danger-in-all-broad-categorizations-such-as-the/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“Buddhist teachings discourage us from clinging and grasping to those we hold dear, and from trying to control the people or the relationship. What’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/buddhist-teachings-discourage-us-from-clinging-and-grasping-to-those/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [“No matter how hard I tried, I was incapable of giving more importance to a hypothetical, post-mortem existence than to this very life here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/no-matter-how-hard-i-tried-i-was-incapable-of-giving-more-importance/) [Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/) > [The Tibetans have many teachings on how to die, consciously, and how to remain in the clear light, and it works. You can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-tibetans-have-many-teachings-on-how-to-die-consciously-and-how-to/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## More by Tenzin Palmo > [All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I really don't know what I could teach and don't really plan to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-really-don-t-know-what-i-could-teach-and-don-t-really-plan-to-teach/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [For any practice to work, the mind which is meditating on the object must merge. Often they are facing each other. One has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/for-any-practice-to-work-the-mind-which-is-meditating-on-the-object/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I've often said that the seventh paramita should be a sense of humor, so we don't take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-ve-often-said-that-the-seventh-paramita-should-be-a-sense-of-humor/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you take the time to study how to be a doctor and how to use your scalpel and your medicine, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-take-the-time-to-study-how-to-be-a-doctor-and-how-to-use-your/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-we-want-to-be-musicians-dancers-or-sportspeople-we-can-download-a/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Realization is wonderful, but you have to expand it until there's not a single defilement left in the mind and the mind is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/realization-is-wonderful-but-you-have-to-expand-it-until-there-s-not/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/it-s-not-a-matter-of-how-much-you-know-or-can-define-or-how-many/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We have compassion because of the incredible pain and suffering which we as unenlightened beings cause to ourselves and all others through our ignorance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-have-compassion-because-of-the-incredible-pain-and-suffering-which/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [When I look back I can think that of course I've been lazy and haven't practiced as much as I could have and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/when-i-look-back-i-can-think-that-of-course-i-ve-been-lazy-and-haven/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We do have the precious opportunity of this human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-do-have-the-precious-opportunity-of-this-human-life/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I think the problem with Western students is they're very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-think-the-problem-with-western-students-is-they-re-very-ambitious/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Explore all 242 Tenzin Palmo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## More Buddhism quotes > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sorensen/the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d-teachings-from-their-broader/) [Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sorensen/) > [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“That's all there is, enlightenment on the end of a cock. It doesn't get any more Zen than that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-wilkes/that-s-all-there-is-enlightenment-on-the-end-of-a-cock-it-doesn-t-get/) [Jaden Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-wilkes/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) [Browse all 6,100 Buddhism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know many Catholic priests and nuns who use the Buddhist teachings to become better Catholics, and Jews who use them to become better Jews. Why not?! 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