In these tense times when debates on religion address little else but concerns about its abuse, the speakers at the Third Dharma-Dhamma Conference in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, offered hope that from religion could still come a common sense of civilization and identity for all human beings. For three days, spiritual and political figures from around the world gathered to exchange ideas about what it means to strive for the "harmony of religions and welfare of humankind."

In the presence of Budd...