This post marks a shift in direction for this blog. My journey through life has had varying amount of spirituality, both in and outside of churches. Lately it has been gathering energy and time. Given my age (Boomer), this is not surprising. Even the direction is not too unusual for a Boomer, Christian and Buddhist. I read \”Zen Christianity\” decades ago and \”The Ground We Share: Everyday Practice, Buddhist and Christian\” by Robert Aitken and David Steindl-Rast several years ago. There is plenty of common ground between Christian monastics and mystics, and Buddhist practitioners.
Paul of Tarsus probably encountered the teachings of the Buddha in his travels. Buddhist missionaries were known to have reached Egypt during his lifetime. There is plenty of speculation, but little firm evidence, that Jesus of Nazareth knew of the Buddha\’s teachings. Their stories, language, and metaphors are very different on the surface but the kenotic Christ and the non-self of the Buddha have a lot of overlap.
And much is different. Certainly the images they paint of the afterlife have little in common. But there is much one can learn from both, even if the respective organizations will have nothing to do with each other. But that\’s about power and prestige, not advancing on the Way (the early followers of Jesus after his death., before being thrown out of Judaism, were called Followers of the Way).
Quoting Steven Pressfield, quoting Jackson Browne, \”I write to find out what I think.\”