Interfaith Reader Recommends...

Living Buddha, Living Christ, by Thich Nhat Hanh

"Twenty years ago at a conference I attended of theologians and professors of religion, and Indian Christian friend told the assembly, 'We are going to hear about the beauties of many traditions, but that does not mean that we are going to make fruit salad.' When my turn came to speak I said, 'Fruit salad can be delicious! I have shared the Eucharist with Father Daniel Berrigan, and our worshipping became possible because of the sufferings we Vietnamese and Americans have shared over many years.' Some of the Buddhists present were shocked to hear that I had participated in the Eucharist, and many Christians seemed truly horrified. To me, religious life is life. I do not see any reason to spend one's whole life tasting just one kind of fruit. We human beings can be nourished by the best values of many traditions." (Pp. 1-2.)

That is the sound of two hands clapping in support of the notion that it is no irreverence or betrayal to participate fully in the rituals and sacraments of faith traditions different than one's own. Quite to the contrary, Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh sees this as a means to deepening and strengthening one's own spirituality. Exploring the truths taught by many faiths and partaking of the rituals and teachings of other faith traditions s a way of honoring the best values of one's own faith tradition. As Hanh explains:

Before I met Christianity, my only spiritual ancestor was the Buddha. But when I met beautiful men and women who are Christians, I came to know Jesus as a great teacher. Since that day, Jesus Christ has become one of my spiritual ancestors. I do not feel any conflict within me. Instead, I feel stronger because I have more than one root.

This position underscores Hanh's thesis that no one faith has cornered the market on all truth about God and human existence. To fully expand upon this theme, Hanh juxtaposes the lives and teachings of to two of history's epochal religious figures, Siddhartha Gautama, or the Buddha, and Jesus of Nazareth, or Jesus Christ.

Buddhism is not Christianity and Jesus is not the Buddha. However, it is not Hahn's intention to pursue either of these points. Rather, his writing is the pursuit of the common ground shared by both the Buddha and Jesus, and the respective faith traditions named for them. To be sure, there are important ways in which Buddhism and Christianity differ, particularly with regard to the immortal human soul, the unique and singular role of Jesus
in the salvation of the human race, and Christianity's specific monotheistic foundation. However, from Hanh's interfaith point of view, these differences only matter with regard to the emphasis placed on them, and are not necessarily obstacles to real dialogue and understanding between faiths:

It is good that an orange is an orange and a mango is a mango. The colors, the smells, and the tastes are different, but looking deeply, we see that they are both authentic fruits. Looking more deeply, we can see the sunshine, the rain, the minerals, and the earth in both of them...If religions are authentic, they contain the same elements of stability, joy, peace, understanding, and love. The similarities as well as the differences are there. They differ only in terms of emphasis (emphasis added). Glucose and acid are in all fruits, but their degrees differ. We cannot say that one is a real fruit and the other is not.

This, to me, is the most important point that the author makes, namely that no one religious tradition is the repository of the real or entire truth about who or what God is, what it is that God wants for the human race, and how we are to conduct ourselves in accordance with these truths. What can result from this exclusive type of thinking but separation between human beings that manifests itself through hatred, violence, discrimination and intolerance? If we belong to a faith tradition that teaches "stability, joy, peace, understanding and love," how can we possibly honor these when we have convinced ourselves that God sanctions our particular faith alone?

For a faith tradition such as Christianity, this is a very challenging notion. Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth and the life," second to none among history's religious figures. Yet, is the path to Christ paved exclusively by one's entire devotion to and belief in him and in the teachings of the church? Hanh does not think so:

The living Jesus is the Son of God who was resurrected and who continues to live. In Christianity, you have to believe in the resurrection or you are not considered a Christian. I am afraid this criterion may discourage some people from looking into the life of Jesus. This is a pity, because we can appreciate Jesus Christ as both an historical door and an ultimate door.

I happen to agree. Last year, an Israeli friend of ours asked me about my Christian faith and why I loved Jesus. I thought for a moment, and then replied that I held Jesus in deep respect and reverence for his teachings and his sacrifice on the cross. I added that when I die someday, if I discover that Jesus was not in fact the literal Son of God and was not resurrected from the dead, I would not love or revere him any less. The example of his life is strong enough reason for me to believe in and appreciate Jesus, to borrow Hanh's phrase, as an ultimate door. From this point of view, the teachings and living example of Jesus Christ can be made much more accessible to non-Christians, which in turn furthers dialogue and understanding between different people. Is this not the aim of any faith that preaches "stability, joy, peace, understanding and love"? How does exclusivity advance this aim?

Jesus preached a message of love, compassion and forgiveness. The Buddha taught his followers to treat each living creature with loving kindness and to be mindful, to truly present to each creature, in each moment. Similar teachings that intersect across faith traditions. Hanh's book reminds us of the importance of being mindful of what we emphasize in our relationships with other human beings, the differences or the similarities: The lack of understanding brings about the lack of tolerance and true love, which results in the alienation of people from the church. True understanding comes from true practice. Understanding and love are values that transcend all dogma. Shalom.

- Doug L.

FOR FURTHER REFERENCE:

Plum Village Practice Center

Buddhanet.net

World Buddhist Directory

Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, edited by Marcus Borg

The Buddha - Jesus the Christ (Myths, Dreams, Symbols.com)

Guide to Buddhist Teaching on Reincarnation

Interlog