The Dalai Lama and Colossians 1: Christ Is Supreme
Short answer: The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, a tradition that does not confess Jesus Christ as God. He is not a Christian teacher, and Christians should not treat his writings as a source of spiritual authority. Colossians 1:15-20 speaks directly to this: Jesus is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation, and all things were created through him and for him. Christianity does not present Jesus as one wise teacher among many. It presents him as the one through whom God made the world and reconciled it to himself. Respecting the Dalai Lama as a person and understanding Buddhism accurately are compatible with holding firmly to what Scripture says about Christ. This article explains the difference and why it matters.
Who the Dalai Lama actually is
The Dalai Lama is the title given to the spiritual leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The current holder, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935 in Tibet, was recognized as the fourteenth Dalai Lama as a child, and has lived in exile in India since 1959. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He is widely respected for his teachings on compassion, nonviolence, and religious dialogue, and he has written many books on ethics and meditation.
It is important to be accurate rather than dismissive. He is not a villain, and Christians gain nothing by misrepresenting him. He teaches a serious religious tradition with its own scriptures, disciplines, and goals. Tibetan Buddhism is not a vague spirituality; it is a structured system with monastic ordination, philosophical study, and meditation practices aimed at liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth.
That accuracy matters for the conversation. If a Christian cannot describe Buddhism fairly, no Buddhist will listen to what that Christian says about Christ. The question is not whether the Dalai Lama is a good man or a bad man. The question is whether his teaching is the same as the gospel. Scripture says plainly that it is not, because the gospel is centered on a person Buddhism does not worship.
What Colossians 1:15-20 claims about Jesus
Colossians 1:15 says of Jesus, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” The word firstborn here does not mean Jesus was the first created thing, because the very next verses say all things were created through him. It means he holds the rank of heir and preeminence over creation. In the ancient world, the firstborn son received the father’s inheritance and authority. Paul is saying that Jesus stands in that position over everything that exists.
Verses 16 and 17 press the point further: all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities, were created through him and for him, and in him all things hold together. That is a claim no merely human teacher could make. A Buddhist monk, however wise, does not create and sustain the universe. Neither does any other religious figure.
Verses 18 through 20 complete the picture: Jesus is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead; and through the blood of his cross God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself. Christianity is therefore not a set of ethical teachings that could be blended with other ethical teachings. It is an announcement about what God has done in a particular person in history.
The Dalai Lama's teaching is not the gospel
Buddhism does not teach that a personal Creator God became man, died for sin, and rose from the dead. Its diagnosis of the human problem is different. In broad terms, Buddhism locates suffering in craving and ignorance and prescribes an eightfold path of ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom. Its goal is nirvana, the extinguishing of craving and the end of rebirth. That is not the same as reconciliation with a holy God through the atoning death of his Son.
This is not a small difference that can be smoothed over with shared language about compassion. Compassion is real and good, and Christians should show it. But when two systems have different diagnoses and different remedies, they cannot both be the same cure. A doctor who says the problem is a broken bone and a doctor who says the problem is bad posture are not saying the same thing, even if both are kind.
Colossians 2:8-10 gives the pastoral warning: “Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.” Paul is not forbidding all thinking. He is warning against any teaching that replaces Christ as the center. That warning applies to Buddhist teaching, and it also applies to any Christian-sounding teaching that quietly demotes Jesus to a wise example.
Why Christians can respect a person and still disagree
Many people admire the Dalai Lama, and there is much to admire in a life of restraint, kindness, and persistence under suffering. Christians are commanded to honor all people and to speak with gentleness and respect. Nothing in this article justifies contempt, mockery, or hostility toward Tibetans or Buddhists. If a Christian speaks about the Dalai Lama with cruelty, that Christian has already lost the argument at the level of character.
At the same time, respect for a person is not agreement with that person’s religion. Christians believe every human being is made in God’s image, which is exactly why they can honor someone whose beliefs they cannot share. The apostle Paul reasoned with people who disagreed with him and quoted their own poets without endorsing their theology. He treated them as responsible adults and told them the truth plainly.
Honest disagreement is not hatred. It is possible to say clearly that Jesus is the only Savior and to say just as clearly that a Buddhist teacher is a fellow human being who deserves kindness. Confusing those two things helps no one. It leaves the Buddhist without a clear presentation of the gospel and leaves the Christian without integrity.
The exclusivity of Christ in John and Acts
John 14:6 records Jesus saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” These are not the words of a man who thought he was one of several valid paths. In the same way, Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!” Both statements are exclusive, and both are attached to a specific person, not to a general spirituality.
Some readers try to soften these verses by saying Jesus merely shows a way that anyone can follow through any tradition. But that reading does not fit the sentences. The claim is not that Jesus pointed to a path; it is that he is the path. The apostles did not preach a method. They preached a name. That is why the early church was accused of turning the world upside down rather than of offering one option among many.
This exclusivity is not arrogance; it is the logical consequence of who Jesus claimed to be. If he is truly the image of the invisible God, then there is no other place to look. If he truly reconciled all things through the blood of his cross, then there is no other sacrifice to offer.
One mediator, many teachers
1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” and it continues by describing him as the one who gave himself as a ransom for all. The word mediator matters. A mediator is not a lecturer or an inspirer; a mediator stands between two parties and does what neither party can do alone. Jesus, in that verse, is the only such person.
Teachers exist, and Christians should thank God for good ones. Pastors, parents, and writers can explain Scripture and model godliness. But none of them mediates between God and humanity. That office belongs to Christ alone. The moment any teacher, however wise, is treated as a mediator, the gospel has been replaced by a personality.
Philippians 2:9-11 declares that God highly exalted Jesus and gave him the name above every name, so that every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That is where history is going. Every teacher, every philosophy, and every religious tradition will be measured against him, and he will be acknowledged as Lord whether or not anyone acknowledged him in this life.
Guarding against a borrowed Jesus
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 warns that minds can be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, and that people may accept a different Jesus, a different spirit, or a different gospel. This is the real danger for Christians interested in Buddhism or in interfaith dialogue. The danger is rarely a sudden denial. It is a gradual drift in which Jesus becomes a wise teacher alongside other wise teachers, and the cross becomes an inspiring symbol rather than an atoning sacrifice.
A useful test is to ask what a teacher says about sin, judgment, and the cross. If the cross is unnecessary, then Jesus is not a Savior. If there is no judgment, then there is nothing to be saved from. Many spiritual teachers, including the Dalai Lama, speak movingly about compassion and inner peace while having nothing to say about the wrath of God being satisfied at Calvary. That silence is the tell.
Christians can learn about Buddhism without adopting it. Reading about another religion is not betrayal. What matters is whether Christ remains the foundation. The moment a Christian begins to treat the Dalai Lama’s teaching as an equal or higher authority than Scripture, that Christian has stopped following Christ and started following a man.
How to talk with Buddhist friends about Jesus
If a Christian has a Buddhist friend, the first task is to listen and understand. Ask what that friend actually believes rather than assuming. Buddhist traditions vary widely, and many Western Buddhists hold ideas that differ from Tibetan practice. Then speak about Jesus with the same honesty the apostles used. He is not a competing guru; he is the God who made the world and entered it to rescue it.
Expect that some elements of Buddhist ethics will sound familiar. Honesty, non-harming, and self-control are good things, and Christians should agree where agreement is possible. But do not pretend the two systems agree where they do not. Kindness is not the gospel. The gospel is that Christ died for sins and rose again, and that everyone who trusts him is reconciled to God.
Faithful Christians differ about how much cooperation is wise in political or humanitarian causes, and it is honest to say so. Some believers will work alongside Buddhists on relief projects and see that as loving neighbor. Others will keep more distance to avoid confusion. Both can be faithful. What cannot vary is the confession that salvation is found in Christ alone.
Biblical fidelity check
Colossians 1:15-20 establishes several things clearly. It establishes that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, that all things were created through him and for him, that he is head of the church, and that God reconciled all things through the blood of his cross. It does not establish that Jesus was merely a great moral teacher, nor does it say anything about the Dalai Lama or Buddhism directly. Applying the passage to the Dalai Lama is an inference drawn from what the text says about Christ’s supremacy, and it is legitimate because the text claims universal authority for him.
A common misreading is to treat firstborn in verse 15 as proof that Jesus was a created being. That reading contradicts the next verse, which says all things were created through him. A created thing cannot create all things. The phrase means preeminence and heirship, not chronological origin. Another misreading is to treat the passage as a general statement about spiritual oneness that any tradition can claim. But Paul names a person, a cross, and a body, the church. The text is not flexible enough to include a system that denies the very things it asserts.
Other passages that speak to Colossians 1:15-20
If you want to keep studying how Scripture speaks about Christ’s supremacy and the unity of his people, several related studies are worth reading. What Does 1 Corinthians 1:10 Mean? Context, Theology, and Application examines the call for unity grounded in a shared confession of Christ. What Does 1 Corinthians 1:9 Mean? Context, Theology, and Application looks at God’s faithfulness in calling believers into fellowship with his Son. 1 Corinthians 1: Called, United, and Boasting in the Lord surveys the chapter’s central themes. 1 Corinthians 10: Warnings and Freedom considers how believers handle competing influences without compromising the faith.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dalai Lama a Christian teacher?
No. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and teaches within that tradition. He does not confess Jesus Christ as the incarnate Son of God or trust in his atoning death and resurrection. Many of his ethical teachings about compassion and nonviolence are admirable and overlap at points with Christian ethics, but his religious framework is not Christianity. Christians should be accurate about this rather than pretending the traditions are the same or treating him with contempt.
Can a Christian follow both Jesus and Buddhist teaching?
This depends on what is meant. A Christian may learn about Buddhism, appreciate insights about compassion, and befriend Buddhists. But Buddhism does not confess Jesus as God or as the only Savior, and Scripture says salvation is found in no one else. If Buddhist teaching is treated as an equal or higher authority than Christ, then Christ is no longer Lord in practice. The two systems cannot both be the foundation of a life.
Does Colossians 1:15 mean Jesus was created?
No. Colossians 1:15 calls Jesus the firstborn of all creation, which in context means he holds the rank of heir and preeminence over creation. The very next verse says all things were created through him and for him, which a created being could not do. The phrase echoes the Old Testament idea of the firstborn as the favored heir who receives the father’s authority, not a statement about Jesus having a beginning.
