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Common Threads in Christian and Buddhist Spirituality

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Buddhist-Christian Parallels
The Dharma of the Buddha, the Gospel of the Christ
Christians and Buddhists
Buddha and St. Francis of Assisi
The Dharma and the Church
Recommended Reading

God and the Unconditioned

Monk at Adam's Peak, Sri Lanka


Buddha Dharma Education Association
At first glance, Buddhism seems vastly different from Christianity. Christianity is a religion
about God, while the Absolute in Buddhism is never personalized, and seldom described, except

as being beyond description. Most Christian denominations see the Bible as being of paramount
importance (particularly in conservative Protestantism), while the vastly larger collection of
Buddhist scriptures are seldom considered as an infallible authority except for a handful of
smaller sects.
But delving deeper, the differences become much smaller. For instance, many of the early
Church Fathers taught that in his true essence, God is unknowable and unfathomable, beyond all
words and all descriptions. This inability to speak of the divine nature is known as apophatic
(unspeakable) mysticism, which recognizes God is beyond all words and concepts, and anything
we use to say what God is falls short. God's essence (ousia), is within all things, but ever beyond
all. Similarly, the Buddhist scriptures refer to the ultimate reality as "the Uncreated," or "the
Unmanifest," an absolute Reality which is everywhere present, but beyond this perceived world,
resulting from no cause, and limited by no conditions.

Buddhist-Christian Parallels
Parallel Beginnings
God
the Unconditioned
Heaven
Nirvana
Jesus
Gautama
(Yeshua of Nazareth)
(Siddartha Gautama)
Jewish founder of Christianity
Hindu founder of Buddhism
virgin birth account
virgin birth account
tempted by Satan
tempted by Mara
Good News of the Kingdom of God the Dharma (law) of Liberation
Sermon of "Turning the Wheel of
Sermon on the Mount
Dharma"
taught in parables
taught in parables
Feet kissed by Mary Magdalene
Feet kissed by Pasanedi
Betrayed by Judas
Betrayed by Devadatta
Crucified
possibly poisoned
Ascension
Parinirvana
the Awakened One (Buddha,
the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ)
Enlightened)
Savior
Bodhisattva
Parallel developments
the Church
the Sangha
Gospels
Sutras
Tripitaka, Prajna Paramita, and many
Bible
other writings
Apostolic succession
Lineage of dharma transmission
Faith promoted 300 years later by
Faith promoted 300 years later by
Emperor Constantine
Emperor Ashoka
Church councils
Buddhist councils

missionaries
missionaries
monasteries
monasteries
After flourishing in the Middle East,
After flourishing in India, now a
now a minority religion in area of its
minority religion in area of its birth
birth
Parallel Paths
agape (spiritual love)
maitri (lovingkindness)
the world
samsara
Purification (Purgatory)
Rebirth (Reincarnation)
hell
hell realms
imago Dei (image of God)
Buddha-nature
Christ within you
Realizing your Buddha-nature
Theosis/Deification
Awakening, Enlightenment
the Way
the Dharma
chant
chant
prayer candles
saints
angels
demons
relics
Shroud of Turin
Four Spiritual Laws
10 Commandments
rosaries
icons
statues
the "Jesus Prayer"
Sign of the Cross
contemplation
New Jerusalem
sin

prayer flags

buddhas, bodhisattvas
devas
demons
relics
Buddha's Tooth
Four Noble Truths
Eightfold Path
rosaries (malas)
icons (thangkas)
statues
nembutsu
Taking Refuge
meditation
Western Paradise
dukkha (unsatisfactoriness)
Parallel Schools???
Eastern Orthodoxy
Theravada
(teachings of the Church Fathers)
(teachings of the Elders)
devotional Catholicism
Kwan Yin, Amitabha, Pure Land
(saints, Heaven)
(enlightened beings, Paradise)
Mysticism
Zen
(direct experience of God)
(direct experience of the Ultimate)
Protestantism
Nichiren, Pure Land
(Scripture and salvation)
(Scripture and salvation)
Charismatic / Pentecostal
Vajrayana

(enthusiasm)

(enthusiasm)

The Dharma of the Buddha


and the Gospel of the Christ
The teachings of the Buddha and the Christ go beyond the basic morality which is common to all
religions. They both taught selfless love, a love that goes beyond family, friends, and
countrymen, but even includes our enemies as well, no matter how difficult the circumstances.
He was angry with me, he attacked
Love your enemies, do good to those
me, he defeated me, he robbed me
who hate you, bless those who curse
those who dwell on such thoughts will
you, pray for those who treat you
never be free from hatred.
badly. . . . If you love those who love
He was angry with me, he attacked
you, what thanks can you expect?
me, he defeated me, he robbed me
Even sinners love those who love
those who do not dwell on such
them. . . . Instead, love your enemies
thoughts will surely be free from
and do good, and lend without any
hatred.
hope of return. . . . You will be sons of
For hatred can never put an end to
the Most High, for he himself is kind
hatred. Love alone can. This is an
to hate ungrateful and the wicked.
unalterable law. Dhammapada 1:3Luke 6:27-28, 32, 35
5
They taught that selfless love conquers the fear of death:
Him I call a brahmin who fears
neither prison nor death. He has the
power of love no army can conquer.

A man can have no greater love than


to lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

Dhammapada 26:399
They taught that selflessness entails a profound shift in the mind
Avoid all wrong,
Cultivate the good,
Love the Lord your God with all your
Purify the mind,
heart, all your soul, all your mind, and
This is the teaching of all the Buddhas
all your strength. . . Mark 12:30
[awakened ones].
Dhammapada 14:183
[Note: Jesus is quoting the Jewish Shema (Dt. 4:5) as the greatest commandment, but the words
all your mind are his own addition.]

Entire books can be written on the similarity (and differences) between the recorded teachings of
the Christ and the Buddha; it's beyond the scope of this modest page. But if you've been
interested enough to read this far, you might well want to explore it yourself.

Christians and Buddhism


Many Christians find Buddhism appealing because its mystical tradition is much better-known,
and therefore more accessible. Indeed, in the 21st century, we have reached the point where the
majority of Christians have no concept of Christian mysticism per se, as the union of the soul
with God. However, since the overwhelming majority of Buddhist clergy lives in religious
community (some exceptions in Japan and the United States), living religious life immersed in
spiritual practices such as meditation, the mystical tradition of Buddhism is more visible to both
Buddhists and Christians than the Christian contemplative tradition is. However, it is wrong to
assume from this that all Buddhists are mystics or that even a majority are. Far from it. Just as a
typical Christian life is to go to church on Sunday, pray, worship God, and try to live a more
loving life, so the typical Buddhist pays homage to the Buddha, renews his bodhisattva vows,
donates support for the sangha or temple, and tries to be a better person. Most lay Buddhists in
Asia are not very deeply involved in spiritual practices like meditation anymore than most
Christians. The difference is in the clergys practice. In modern Christianity, communal religious
life and the contemplative tradition have been declining for centuries, and are virtually unknown
in most Protestant denominations, while in most Buddhist cultures, it still thrives.
Another difference is that instruction in meditation often seems to be clearer in Buddhism than in
Christianity. Although there is now a resurgence of interest in Christian meditation, from the
Centering Prayer movement in the United States to the World Community for Christian
Meditation, to Quaker methods and the practices of other Christian denominations, there is still
far less on the Christian shelves compared to the Eastern shelves for the 21st-century American
shopping at Borders. Buddhist instruction tends to be more explicit, whether it's the "just sitting"
of shikantaza, the conscious observing of Vipassana, the koan practice of Rinzai Zen, the
compassion meditation of metta, etc. I've found that my experience at a ten-day Vipassana
intensive was extremely helpful in my Christian contemplative practice. Beyond that, scores of
meditation centers and retreats advertise in the variety of magazines in which Buddhist
spirituality is addressed, such as Tricycle and Shambhala Sun.
Finally, the goal is often more clearly presented in Buddhism: the serious practitioner knows that
he ultimately hopes for Awakening (Enlightenment); even when Christians are able to receive
instruction in meditation, the ultimate goaltheosisis seldom expressed in Christian circles
outside of Orthodoxy.

Parallels between the Buddha and St. Francis of Assisi


The Buddha
born Siddhartha Gotama
thought his destiny was to become a
king
privileged early life

St. Francis
born Giovanni Bernadone
thought his destiny was to become a
knight
privileged early life

loved Yasodhara
encounters with suffering led to
rethinking his life (sick man, old man,
corpse)
renounced world to live in joyful
poverty and chastity
rejected excessive asceticism
noted for compassion for all creatures
taught non-violence
opposed the caste system
received marks of a Buddha
tamed the mad elephant
founded a religious order with
thousands of monks and nuns by the
time of his death
tried to stop a war by King Ajatasattu

loved Clare
encounters with suffering led to
rethinking his life (POW in Perugia,
kissing the leper, etc.
renounced world to live joyful poverty
and chastity
rejected excessive asceticism
noted for compassion for all creatures
taught non-violence
opposed the class system
received stigmata after visitation
tamed the wolf of Gubbio
founded a religious order with
thousands of friars and nuns by the
time of his death
tried to stop a war by the Crusaders

Christian Teachers of the Dharma


Rev. Vernon Kitabu Turner, Roshi
Zen master, Protestant minister, and Dharma heir of Sant Keshavadas. Author of Soul
Sword, founder of Soul Sword Zen Institute.
Fr. William Johnston SJ
Jesuit priest, author of many books on Christian spirituality including Christian Zen, and
translator of a superb edition of The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy
Counseling.
Fr. Thomas Merton OCSO
Renowned Trappist monk, mystic, and author of numerous books on Christian and
Eastern spirituality.
Fr. Aelred Graham
Priest in Japan, author of Zen Catholicism.
Fr. Robert E. Kennedy, Roshi
Jesuit priest and Zen master, operates a meditation center in New York, author of Zen
Spirit, Christian Spirit
John Malcomson
Moderator of Yahoo! Christian-Buddhist discussion group, and a facilitator and advocate
for Christian Buddhists.
Srs. Rosalie McQuaide and Janet Richardson
Catholic nuns who run a Zen meditation center in Cockeysville, MD.
Chris Kreeger
Catholic lay minister and a director of Shambhala Meditation Centers.
Marcus Borg
Professor of Theology at Oregon State University, author of Jesus and Buddha, and
numerous books on the historical Jesus.

Recommended Reading
The Dhammapada
This beautiful collection of short teachings in verse, which is ascribed to the Buddha
himself, and about the size of the Gospel of Mark, is the most revered of all Buddhist
Scriptures. The Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation (read it on-line) is especially beautiful
and strives to capture the poetry of the Pali original.
The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryavatara) by Shantideva
A magnificent poetic manifesto for those committed to saving the world. (Shambhala
edition recommended.)
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, compiled by Paul Reps, trans. Nyogen Senzaki
Several collections of wonderful Zen stories and koans which make a superb introduction
to Zen.
Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of a Zen Warrior, by Vernon Kitabu Turner
A exploration of spiritual warriorship by a teacher who has lived the path.
The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
A detailed and readable treatment of Buddha's Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
Buddha, by Karen Armstrong
The famous religious historian writes an enlightening [sorry!] biography of the
Enlightened One.
What Would Buddha Do? by Franz Metcalf
101 short, funny, wise examples of practical wisdom from the Buddhist scriptures.
Saffron Days in L. A. by Walpola Piyananda
Delightful story of a Theravadin monk's life in America, with good explanations of basic
Buddhist concepts. An excellent antidote to academic essays on Buddhism.
Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, and the Truth about Reality, by Brad Warner
a de-romanticized look at Zen as the quest of knowing Reality.
Jesus and Buddha: the Parallel Sayings by Marcus Borg
Hundreds of very similar sayings of Jesus and the Buddha arranged side-by-side for
reflection.

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