The Buddhist Mormon (satire)

Today, I Googled "Buddhist Mormon", and discover this gem called Mormons and Buddhists: Overcoming the Language Barrier, which is one of three articles that inspires me to write this blog entry.

In both Buddhism and Mormonism, unconditional love is their common ground. For unconditional love is another word for charity and loving-kindness, which is known in Buddhist as metta.

As the basis of all forms of charity and loving-kindness, it could be said that unconditional love is the spiritual language that both Buddhists and Mormons speak. They just say it in different ways.

Therefore, it is possible to be both a Buddhist and Mormon.

As the author of the Mormon Matters article How Mormons Are Buddhist and Vice Versa writes, "the beauty of true Mormonism is that when we find truth in another religion, we have no obligation to reject it, but rather, are encouraged to embrace it."

Indeed, the religious pluralism of Japanese people who are spiritually inclined is why they are "born Shinto, marry Christian and die Buddhists."

At the root of all of this is unconditional love.

There is so much that Mormonism and Buddhism have in common that dialogue between a Buddhist and a Mormon is enlightening.

Here is the passage in the article that impressed me a lot:

The Rev. Hirano explained that one of the ideas he wants to change is about mourning in Buddhist funerals. “We want to be sad, we want to feel the pain of the loss of that person. That’s why we wear black. I know that we will be together again in one place, that I will be together with them again, but I’m still here and it hurts.”

Sister Takasaki remarked that she had never heard it put that way and concurred about acknowledging the pain of loss.

Through dialogue and study of both Buddhism and Mormonism, it is possible to realize that both faiths share in their common root in unconditional love.

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References:

How Mormons Are Buddhist and Vice Versa: http://mormonmatters.org/2008/03/12/why-mormons-are-buddhists-vice-versa/

Mormons and Buddhists: Overcoming the Language Barrier: http://thebuddhistmormon.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/hello-world/

Mormonism and Buddhism in dialogue: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865599471/Mormonism-and-Buddhism-in-dialogue.html?pg=all

Short Meditation on Anger

In this meditation, the intent is to use both mindful practice and meditation to reduce overall arousal resulting from anger. This is to develop self-control, to take a time out, and to promote a positive attitude towards self and others.

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"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." -- Buddha

Mentally let go of what angers you before it consumes you. Instead, let loving-kindness and compassion embrace you to cool the flames of anger.

By doing so, your mental unrest will subside in time.

Once your anger has subsided, during meditation, practice the metta meditation, and send kind and loving thoughts first to a family member you love, then to a friend that you trust, and finally to a person you do not know.

As the guide to meditation is the following quote from the Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta:

May these beings be
free from animosity,
free from oppression,
free from trouble,
and may they look after
themselves with ease!

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Reference:

Metta Meditation: http://info.med.yale.edu/psych/3s/metta.html
Wikipedia - Mettä: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett%C4%81
Wikipedia - Kammapatha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kammapatha

Originally posted: August 24, 2010 2:59 AM
Edited: July 2, 2011 4:12 PM