Thank you for this exposition. A friend of over 40 years converted from Taiwanese Buddhism to Tibetan because Taiwanese versions were more mixed with occultic and other influences. She now follows the Dalai Lama. We have had many interfaith discussions. We agree that both Christianity and Buddhism are at heart peaceful. We disagree however about several important things, such as the degree of passivity, the samsara, significance of detachment and nature of reality. NONVIOLENCE: A Tibetan monk she admires was finally convinced by his followers to wash his robe. But his holiness insisted that the acolytes REPLACE the FLEA that lived in his sleeve. I think that takes non-violence too far. REALITY: In Eastern religion the spiritual is real. The material is illusion and must be denied and escaped. (But human pain is real.) SAMSARA: The process reincarnation, with struggle to be born at a better level in the next life. She had been told that she was a Bodhisattva - a high incarnation who refuses to pass to nirvana until all the bad karma of every sentient being was paid for through her dharma practices. Unity and recycling sound good on the surface, but when deep into the faith it becomes extremely burdensome. In fact, the friend told me, "I hate the samsara. I wish it wasn't so. AQUARIUM VISIT: After saying that we went to a famous aquarium. I observed to the friend, "I'm so glad Jesus saves. I not only don't have to pay for my bad karma, I don't have to pay for these fish either!"
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Thank you for this exposition.
A friend of over 40 years converted from Taiwanese Buddhism to Tibetan because Taiwanese versions were more mixed with occultic and other influences. She now follows the Dalai Lama.
We have had many interfaith discussions. We agree that both Christianity and Buddhism are at heart peaceful.
We disagree however about several important things, such as the degree of passivity, the samsara, significance of detachment and nature of reality.
NONVIOLENCE: A Tibetan monk she admires was finally convinced by his followers to wash his robe. But his holiness insisted that the acolytes REPLACE the FLEA that lived in his sleeve. I think that takes non-violence too far.
REALITY: In Eastern religion the spiritual is real. The material is illusion and must be denied and escaped. (But human pain is real.)
SAMSARA: The process reincarnation, with struggle to be born at a better level in the next life. She had been told that she was a Bodhisattva - a high incarnation who refuses to pass to nirvana until all the bad karma of every sentient being was paid for through her dharma practices.
Unity and recycling sound good on the surface, but when deep into the faith it becomes extremely burdensome. In fact, the friend told me, "I hate the samsara. I wish it wasn't so.
AQUARIUM VISIT: After saying that we went to a famous aquarium. I observed to the friend, "I'm so glad Jesus saves. I not only don't have to pay for my bad karma, I don't have to pay for these fish either!"