Martin Sheen gives voice to Dalai Lama

Martin Sheen

Source: UCAN

Catholic actor Martin Sheen who starred in The Way, directed by his son Emilio Estevez, this year, has recently completed another project: narrating the audiobook of 'Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World,' a new book by the Dalai Lama.

A long-time social activist, he spoke with Reuters about how the book's message of compassion and universal ethics resonates with his own beliefs.

When asked how he got into the project, he said: "I have a very good agent. My agent is aware that I am a social activist and this is the kind of project I'd support because I'm a big supporter of the Dalai Lama and particularly his non-violent stance on political and social justice issues. So it was a no-brainer. To be his voice for his book was a very special opportunity."

Speaking about how he felt narrating a book that calls for thinking about spirituality and ethics in a way that is 'beyond religion' altogether, Martin said: "You can't separate any honest effort that is truthful. As my wife is always telling me, the truth is universal and omnipresent. You can't question where it comes from. The Dalai Lama lives a very honest and truthful life. He's a reflection of the Gospels, whether he would call it such or not. What he is striving to do with this book is to find a common ground in the secular world because his whole point is that the vast majority of the world is not religious or religiously inclined."