My true religion is Kindness.

Attributed to the 14th Dalai Lama, the line distills his frequent emphasis that ethical conduct matters more than labels, sectarian identity, or doctrinal debate. Read this way, “religion” is used in a broad, practical sense: the guiding principle by which one lives. By naming kindness as his “true religion,” he elevates compassion from a private virtue to a universal standard that can be shared across faiths and by nonbelievers alike. The aphorism also functions as a critique of religiosity that lacks humane action—suggesting that the most authentic spiritual practice is measured by how one treats others.