When people ask the Dalai Lama, "Is Buddhism a religion?" he answers, "Yes, it is. " Then they ask, "What kind of religion is it?" He responds, "My religion is kindness. " You might think, "Everyone's is. " Everyone's is. That's true. It's not complicated to describe the goal of a spiritual life. It's easier than you think to explain it. It's more difficult than you can imagine to do it.
Belief, humble belief, is the foundation of all righteousness and the beginning of spiritual progression. It goes before good works, opens the door to an eternal store of heavenly truth, and charts the course to eternal life. . . . Belief is the brilliant beacon that marks the course through the waves and woes of the world to that celestial harbor where rest and safety are found.