Christianity / Budhism

[ahimsaman72]

Ahimsa:

Just a side note on how Indians at the time of the Buddha envisioned a candle going out. In ancient Indian physics, the flame going out was considered not “extinct” but rather no longer definable to one place. It was no longer “bound” to the candle; it was now free, and unbound. In fact, “nibbana”, according to one source, literally means “the Unbinding”. (I suspect that you can even see “unbinding” in the word nibbana, assuming that “bana” is related to the similar sounding English word “bind” – and “nir” being related to “un” and “non”.)

Carry on.

Good insight - I didn’t know that!

Peace…

 

[ahimsaman72]

puzzleannie:

this states I think the essential difference between Catholic and Buddhist view of existence. The Catholic view is that the cycle of birth and death we are all caught up in is part of God’s eternal plan, that suffering entered the world through sin, and that it is conquered not by any act of ours, but by Jesus Christ, son of God, 2nd person of the Holy Trinity, who became man, suffered, died for our sins, and rose again, ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us. For us, suffering we face on earth is a means to unite ourselves with Christ, and the goal of life is not to end suffering, but union with Christ on the Cross through suffering. Physical, mental and spiritual purification are indeed the pathways to this union, this contemplation of Christ, as described by the great classical spiritual writers, the 3 stages of the spiritual life-purification, enlightenment, and union. The end is not nirvanah, elimination of suffering, but union, being one with Christ on the Cross on earth, so that we may be one with Him triumphant, resurrected, glorified in heaven.

I definitely agree with your assessment here. You have spoken the truth. I am a practicing Christian with an affection for Buddhism. I was born a Christian 32 years ago and still am today. But, I see tremendous value in Buddhist philosophy. Although it differs on fundamental points with Christian philosophy it has great value.

Meditation has helped me a great deal personally. Anyone can practice meditation without changing religions. It is a practice the world can take advantage of. If we each live our faiths with love and with peace, we can help each other and in effect - change the world. Meditation can help us cultivate the good qualities taught in Christianity and Buddhism - qualities such as lovingkindness, respect for others and peace.

Surely, we Christians and Buddhists can reach across the great divide and work together as we practice our faiths. And it begins with you and I dear friend.

Peace…

 

[FelixBlue]

Ahimsaman,

I noticed that you’re married with three children and “dazed and confused 90% of the time.” I understand (but add one child). I too see great potential in Buddhist philosophy. A few questions:

1. How do you think Buddhism meshes with Christian life? I think that you mentioned you prefer Theraveda over Mahayana B. Isn’t that more for monks?
2. Is your wife also a “fan” of Buddhism?
3. Do you think American Buddhism is a sack of …? I mean the sort of B (typically Tibetan) found in Hollywood.
4. What sort of Christian are you (aside from being former S. Baptist)?
5. Why not stick with Christian mysticism?

Feel free to answer whatever you wish. I’m curious, because, I too have been very interested in Buddhism, but could never bring myself to practice in any serious way.

Thanks

 

[ahimsaman72]

FelixBlue:

Ahimsaman,

I noticed that you’re married with three children and “dazed and confused 90% of the time.” I understand (but add one child). I too see great potential in Buddhist philosophy. A few questions:

1. How do you think Buddhism meshes with Christian life? I think that you mentioned you prefer Theraveda over Mahayana B. Isn’t that more for monks?

Hello dear Felix!

Yes, family life used to drive me crazy. I have 3 children all below age 7. So, I get pretty :whacky: sometimes. All kidding aside, I love being what I am as a father and husband.

1. First, I’ll give you my personal idea and then refer you to a couple of books by Thich Nhat Hanh and other resources. First, I have begun to focus on the similarities in the traditions. The three causes of suffering in Buddhism are described as desire, ill-will and ignorance. The same concepts exist in Christian thought. It is by renunciation (detachment), lovingkindness and wisdom (respectively) that one gets rid of desire, ill-will and ignorance.

We would all agree that these three concepts exist. The goal for all people, whether Christian, Buddhist or Hindu, etc should be to rid oneself of these defilements. As a Christian, I have always felt the teachings of Christ about peace and love were the most powerful and were essentially the teaching of Christ that He wanted to convey to the world. The same could be said of the Buddha. They both taught us how to live lives that mattered - lives that meant something - lives that not only helped you but helped others. So, I focus on these.

Two books to buy or read at the library:
“Living Buddha, Living Christ” and “Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as brothers”. Both are by Thich Nhat Hanh. He is a Zen master and teacher of “engaged Buddhism”, which focuses on social work and the practice of the Buddhist precepts.

The Theravada school uses the most ancient writings reported to be taught by the Buddha. This school adheres closest to the concepts of the four noble truths and eight-fold path as far as I can tell. The monastic life and one’s personal enlightenment are emphasized in this tradition, whereas Mahayana emphasizes lay participation and enlightenment of all beings. At this point, the basics of the faith are found in the Theravada school. That’s where I am - in the basics. I think it is important to start at the beginning and move forward from there. So, at some point I will be moving more into Mahayana Buddhism - in the vein of teachings such as come from Thich Nhat Hanh. I don’t consider one school better than another. I believe that Mahayana is an “easier” path for those who live the “householder” life, such as myself.

1. Is your wife also a “fan” of Buddhism?

My wife sees the change in me since meditating and studying and living Buddhist principles. So, she is happy because she sees me happy. And, in turn, peace can be truly felt in our home. She enjoys Eastern philosophy and new age teachings. She has learned the art of Feng Shui and loves studying traditional Chinese medicine. She is open-minded.

1. Do you think American Buddhism is a sack of …? I mean the sort of B (typically Tibetan) found in Hollywood.

American Buddhism has yet to be formulated. Persons such as Richard Gere, Patrick Duffy and Harrison Ford seem to be sincere. I don’t know for sure. I don’t prefer Tibetan because it is more of a “magical” practice and I believe dilineates from the greater teachings of the Buddha himself.

1. What sort of Christian are you (aside from being former S. Baptist)?

I still practice my Baptist faith. I don’t believe one has to leave their present faith to be involved/believe in Buddhist philosophy. Most believe it is impossible. I believe it is possible. I belong to a Baptist Bible Fellowship (denomination) Baptist Church. I have problems with some of the teaching, but I look past it. It seems incredible to some that I can live this seemingly dualistic life, but for me it works. I don’t feel torn between two faiths. There’s no war going on inside of me. I have been a Baptist all my life and taught Sunday School throughout different periods of my life. I would still feel comfortable teaching the truths of the Christian faith.

1. Why not stick with Christian mysticism?

I am open to it. I want to read Father Thomas Merton and other Catholic persons writings - when I have time .

 

[ahimsaman72]

FelixBlue:

Feel free to answer whatever you wish. I’m curious, because, I too have been very interested in Buddhism, but could never bring myself to practice in any serious way.

Thanks

FelixBlue,

I would tell you that you don’t have to leave your present faith to embrace certain concepts in Buddhism. You can embrace meditation. Meditation is a practice used by Catholic and Buddhist monks. It can be used by anyone who wants to reduce stress and anger. Meditation is an important practice in Buddhism. It can be a practice that all faiths can benefit from. You can do this without hurting your present faith. It could actually improve your faith.

You don’t have to have a statue of Buddha, light candles, listen to quiet music or do any of that stuff if you don’t want to. I do those things because they seem to enhance the experience and bring calm and direction to my meditation. Simply by sitting quietly and comfortably somewhere by yourself, closing your eyes, being aware of the thoughts that arise in your mind can reap great benefits. At first, you will tend to get sleepy because your body thinks you want to go to sleep. After several times, this usually goes away. A simple 10-20 minutes a day of this kind of reflection in your life is sufficient in the beginning to bring results. I only meditate 20-30 minutes a day. Some meditate twice a day and longer periods of time, but there is no absolute on this.

One great and important practice of Buddhism is what is called “mindfulness”. This means being aware of everything you do and everything around you. When you drink a cup of coffee or tea - be aware that you are drinking a cup of coffee or tea. When you are walking - be aware that you are walking. Be aware of the processes you go through during your day. Live in the present moment - each moment that arises is an opportunity to experience life. When you are with your child and look into their faces - be aware of their face, their eyes, their expression. Be aware of your conversation with them. You will experience the joy of the moment. You will be one with your child in that moment. It is a beautiful practice.

So, meditation and mindfulness are two very important practices that both Christians and Buddhists can practice and enjoy. It can only serve to make your life better and full of life. Do not be afraid to experiment and see if these practices enhance your life. The Buddha stressed experience. It is not enough for someone to tell you what an orange tastes like. If someone tells you it tastes good, you will have to taste one yourself to see if it really tastes good to you. Blind faith is not good. Blind faith is taking that person’s word that the orange tastes good. You must see for yourself if it is true or not.

God bless you on your path…

Feel free to email me or PM me anytime to discuss any particulars. I would be very glad to help you.

 

[ahimsaman72]

There’s a fantastic website - the Lotus and the Cross which shows parallels between Christianity and Buddhism and has great articles on Christian mysticism and meditation. I encourage anyone interested in Christian/Buddhist dialogue to look here. This particular link below will take you to an article on meditation:

frimmin.com/faith/meditation.html

Peace…

 

[Ahimsa]

ahimsaman72:

There’s a fantastic website - the Lotus and the Cross which shows parallels between Christianity and Buddhism and has great articles on Christian mysticism and meditation. I encourage anyone interested in Christian/Buddhist dialogue to look here. This particular link below will take you to an article on meditation:

frimmin.com/faith/meditation.html

Peace…

If you haven’t seen it already, there’s an autobiography written by a self-confessed “Baptist-Buddhist” (who grew up in 1950s Alabama) entitled Dreaming Me.

 

[ahimsaman72]

Ahimsa:

If you haven’t seen it already, there’s an autobiography written by a self-confessed “Baptist-Buddhist” (who grew up in 1950s Alabama) entitled Dreaming Me.

Thanks for the link. This lady has been “around the bend”. She’s highly educated. I read an excerpt and wanted to buy it right away.

Peace…

 

[ahimsaman72]

As I was thinking about Christianity and Buddhism last evening, I began to ponder living the life of two faiths. I know that some families live this way. Maybe one is Catholic, the other is Muslim or Buddhist or Jewish. And for some it seems to work. For others it is a disaster.

I don’t think anyone can say without a doubt that there is a one size fits all faith for individual persons. I hesitate to try to persuade anyone to accept my faith or another faith. It is such a personal decision formed from within one’s own mind and heart. There are some who can accept the concept of living out two faiths. For others, they are conflicted within. They feel like they are betraying one or both traditions.

I have to admit in my own life with a fundamentalist Baptist background, I suffered a lot. I wasn’t open to anything secular. I wouldn’t read any books of fiction or even books of poetry. My reading material had to be the Bible or Bible related. I spent many years holding onto notions and beliefs that were in reality harmful. I’m afraid many of us are that way.

I’ve seen people of all faiths get caught up in this very same trap. We hold onto what we believe to be the truth and don’t let go. Our faith is static. We remain closed to new insights and practices because it conflicts with our habits and present beliefs. I don’t want anyone to feel like I’m trying to turn anyone away from their faith by encouraging them to embrace Buddhism or Buddhist concepts.

My hope is that we all can open our eyes and mind to the beautiful world around us and the people and traditions that surround us. To some this seems like it is a watering down of your present faith or lack of zeal for one’s present faith and makes one open to any falsehood. I would disagree.

I have found in defending my own faith from other faiths, it actually served to strengthen my faith. Because at that point, one begins to study and see what they believe and why. This is a very healthy aspect. May we all be open to change - to new insights - to dialogue with others. And in doing so, may we receive peace and bestow peace on others.

Peace and blessings to all…