After being introduced to Buddhism through many years in the(interfaith)peace movement and at the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley (where my own seminary, the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, was located), I recently began my formal study and practice of Buddhism through the "One Bodhi Tree" Sangha here in Sacramento about two months ago. This followed a very interesting presentation on "Shamatha" practice by Dr. Alan Wallace, a longtime Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, whose website link, along with that of our local sangha, is included on the right-hand margin of this blog. What follows is, I hope, a weekly series of reflections on Christianity and Buddhism, with an occasional emphasis on spirituality, healing, and peace in both faith traditions. Again, my blog entries are the reflections of a spiritual pilgrim--I am neither a refined scholar nor a long-time spiritual practitioner of either faith, nor a monk--I am simply a Christian-Interfaith chaplain seeking further understanding of Jesus's own teaching with respect to the Kingdom/Reign of God, the "way of the Cross", and the Holy Spirit who, as Jesus himself promised, will "guide you in all truth." ("But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come" Jn. 16:13, NIV)
It is this same Holy Spirit who, I believe, has led me to further understanding of the rich common ground which my own faith in Jesus Christ shares with other faith traditions, including Buddhism. I have always felt this with respect to nonviolence and peace, especially as this has been a further expression of Jesus's own "way of the Cross" for our time (clearly embodied in Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day and the Berrigans, Tich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, and others). I now have the opportunity to learn more deeply about the "three jewels" of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha as they may further interpret, interpenetrate, and shine further light on my own path, and my/our observance (as Christians) of our own "three jewels": Jesus the Christ, the Gospel, and the Church (the "ekklesia", the public assembly and blessed company of Christians throughout the centuries, inclusive of our specific denomination or tradition.) Please stay tuned for future posts, as I invite anyone seriously interested to comment further. Salaam-Shalom-Shanti-Om-Peace+
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