In this article, I will reflect on my past history with Christians, and our mutual misunderstanding about how I wish to integrate Christianity into my life.
From age 1-16, I was born into a Buddhist family. While in it, I learned about Buddhism of the Jodo Shinshu tradition. This is a Japanese Buddhist sect which became popularized by Rennyo Shonin many centuries after its founding by its founder Shinran Shonin, who was known by his name-in-exile as Gotoku (Stupid Bald-head Ones). While Shinran created many liturgical Buddhist hymns to help memorize its tenets and also a few essays about Jodo Shinsu with the Tannisho being written by his most beloved friend, Yuien-bo. Later Rennyo was the caretaker of Jodo Shinshu who popularized it in Japan with YUien-bo's essay, Tannisho, a scared treasure he learned by heart..
From age 16 to 32, I admit to a naïve misunderstanding about Christianity, based on self-will and its hold on me.
Always, family demands interrupted any understanding about Christianity i.e. follow family, not Christ; and do not try to convert the family.
From age 32 to 50, I was mainly Buddhist.
Regarding Christianity, I want to keep it as a belief, while a few Christians make it a way of life.
For me, I can handle a belief but I've spent my lifetime making Buddhism a way of life that conversion to Christianity leaves me feeling uneasy and tense..
As well, Buddhism provides the means to overcome suffering. Nowhere in the doctrines of any one sect nor even in a particular sect's dogma are there any guidelines or even instruction on Christian meditation (prayer). Consequently, Christians who are ignorant of meditation's benefits to Christian practice may daemonize it unnecessarily.
However, meditation is not the work of satan, nor does it open the Christian meditation practitioner up to daemonic possession. This is a myth popularize by Christian leaders to keep their flocks ignorant of Christian meditation, which is practiced without said daemonic influences ruining their vibes.
Rather, meditation is a toolkit for identifying the roots of suffering so that the practitioner is able to implement the means to relieve it.
Likewise, Christianity is a toolkit for offering hope and salvation through Jesus Christ. Yet it provides prayer to relieve a person's suffering, and meditative prayer to help in that relief.
Both methods work, yet I do not prefer either Buddhist meditation or Christianity prayer. I use whatever method suits the context in which suffering occurs.
This is why I like attending AA meetings. It isn't heavy on religion, and lets me choose my method to remain sober.
Yet I like Buddhism, and I like Christianity. There are many similarities between both faiths which have enriched my life.
Even so I will avoid mentioning Buddhism to anyone, or even discussing it in detail with Christians. Why? Because they never get it because it's not in their culture. It is pointless to even try to explain Buddhism to Christians, because they try to view it through the cultural lens of Christianity.
No, the Buddha is not a god. Yes, the way of the Buddha is man-centred. However, no Buddhist is told: believe in everything the Buddha says. Instead, the Buddha has stated that no one has to believe in that he says. If you like something in it, then test it out. Then leave the rest of it be.
Christians who respect religion, and accept that there are many different paths to God, are the first to respect Buddhism. It serves them no purpose to attack other religions, lest it create enmity and division amongst other faiths.
And I try to avoid doing that, too.
Within context of my life, I find the either-or fallacy regarding religion to be falsely exclusive.
If life were truly a question of either you follow Christianity or you follow Buddhism, then that would be a life that excludes the third choice:
When in a Christian church, I am amenable to doing things the Christian way (within reason); and in a Buddhist temple, the Buddhist way.
Sometimes I do stumble; that's because of my own faults, which I am always working on correcting.
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