"We do not believe people are good because we see that they are good, but by believing that people are good we eliminate our own fear and thus we can intimately associate with them. To believe in the compassionate power of the Supreme Being which we cannot see is a discipline in order to believe in the invisible good of others.
Civilization has nothing to do with having electic lights, airplanes, or manufacturing atomic bombs. It has nothing to do with killing human beings, destroying things or waging war. Civilization is to hold one another in mind in mutual affection and respect." -Nichidatsu Fujii
"The Bodhisattva loves all living beings as if each were his only child."
-Vimalakirtinirdesha Sutra 5
I wouldn't say that I am a complete inclusivist, but I do know that if I were a Religion major as opposed to a Psychology major, my senior thesis would TOTALLY be on parallels between Buddhism and Christianity. Granted, there are some major differences (karma, rebirth) but honestly, if a Buddhist were to come to know Jesus I don't think he or she would have to change much about how they view and treat the world around them, in fact, I think they would be better at living out the Gospel than a lot Christians do, myself included.
If we as Christians really had our stuff together, we would love and respect a lot more. We would reach out into the world like Jesus did. We would keep our minds pure and not hate in our hearts. We would spend hours of initimate time with the Father and see the face of Christ in everyone, because they too are children of God.
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" -Ephesians 4:32
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2 comments:
Brooke,
Scenario: A buddhist reads this post and discusses these thoughts with and you guys come to understand that basically you live the same lifestyle. He then asks you why you would want him to convert to Christianity if your world views are so in-tune and he's already living a life like a christian and upholding the great commandment of love. What would you say in response?
Just asking out of curiousity and because i enjoy hearing people talk about things.
--Luke
i LOVE comparative religion class! which is where i assumed this all came from. There is so much that we as Christians can take from other religions, such as dedication to prayer, and meditation. i somewhat envy the devotion that some religions have towards their diety, and at the same time i want to share with them who i worship.
but like you said, Buddhism and Christianity do have many parallels...maybe we should visit a Buddhist temple one of these days???
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