Sunday, March 29, 2015

Is there a chance that people who believe in Buddhism might also believe in Christianity?

There is certainly a possibility that an individual could believe in or see the merits of both Buddhism and Christianity. Many East Asian nations are historically Buddhist, and members of the Christian faith who live in these areas may participate in both religions to some extent. Depending on the particular sect(s) of Christianity or Buddhism, the practice of one or both religions might be difficult, but there is little to suggest that someone could not engage with both.


The basic tenets of both Buddhism and Christianity have a lot in common. The Ten Commandments of Christianity and the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism both discourage or forbid lying, excess, murder, and theft. Where they differ is largely in regard to the idea of God and who or what is supreme in the universe.


In Buddhism, there are no gods. Instead, there are the boddhisatvas (analogous to Catholic saints) and the Buddha. Buddha is a little tricky to understand, but think of it as the pure goodness at the heart of every being. When we talk about the Buddha, we are referring to Siddartha Gautama, who is the founder of Buddhism. He is believed to have discovered the most efficient means of attaining enlightenment by uncovering and acting in accordance with our "Buddha nature." The boddhisatvas are enlightened beings who followed the Noble Eightfold Path but chose to stay in human form to help others on their journey to enlightenment. 


In Christianity, it is considered sinful to worship anyone but the one God and His manifestations as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Historically, this has been interpreted as only worshiping or venerating approved Christian figures. It is possible that someone who is Christian could have respect for the Buddha and the bodhisattvas without worshiping them as gods. Similarly, a Buddhist might have a lot of respect for Jesus Christ and the example he set during his life. A Buddhist might also interpret "the one God" as the state of non-being experienced during enlightenment.


I think the biggest difficulty one might have in accepting or practicing both Buddhism and Christianity deals with the question of what happens after death. Buddhists believe people are reincarnated according to the spiritual burden we have accumulated during our previous lifetimes. When enlightenment has been achieved, our spirit or Buddha nature is united with all of the other enlightened spirits in an intangible plane of non-being and non-action. Christians take more of a "one-shot" approach, and believe the actions of a person's single lifetime determine whether they will go to heaven or hell. 


From my personal studies of religion and experiences with people of many faiths, I would say that, while Christianity is an organized religion, Buddhism is more of a lifestyle or outlook on the world. The two have a lot in common in their general beliefs and practices -- try to be a good person, and things will turn out well for your spirit. Someone may find that their spiritual life is enriched by the study and practice of co-existing religions. For example, a Christian might choose to abide by the Noble Eightfold Path as a means of helping him or her to refrain from sinning. Whether intentional or not, many Buddhists and Christians lead lives with similar concepts of morality and what creates a spiritual burden on a person.


While it is certainly a more modern phenomenon, some people consider themselves to be Christian Buddhists (or Buddhist Christians) because they have been baptized and believe in the one Christian God, but agree with Buddhist concepts of morality and self-conduct.


So, yes! Conversion from one to the other is not necessary, as both ideologies can co-exist peacefully in one person. It really depends on the particular traditions of someone's faith and the lived practice that may determine whether or not someone identifies as both.

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