buddhism

So far in this series exploring Buddhist thought as a mirror to better understand Christianity we’ve seen just how central the idea of attachment/non-attachment is in Buddhism: We are dissatisfied with the world, thereby suffering and acting to cause others to suffer, because we are overly attached to the transient things of the world around … Continue reading The Gospel and the Three Poisons

Of the basic teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha one of the most influential for Buddhist thought and life is what is called the ‘middle way’ or ‘middle path’. This was the epiphany that true freedom and wisdom is to be found neither in the life of indulgence knew knew in the palace … Continue reading The Gospel and the Middle Path

Last time, we explored the core Buddhist teaching of impermanence and how it relates to Christian teaching. Today we’ll see that that same understanding of pervasive instability extends even to the person itself. This is the concept of anatta, ‘non-self’. It’s an oft misunderstood idea, so will need some unpacking before we can responsibly look … Continue reading Who Am I Anyway?: Non-Self and the Gospel

I went for a walk the other day and couldn’t help but notice the signs that the season is changing around me. Gone are chirping cicadas and the sharp smells of high Summer's grasses, replaced by the honking of geese heading north and the smell of fallen leaves. Change has also been afoot in my … Continue reading ‘Where Moth and Rust Consume’: Impermanence and the Gospel

I remember learning about Newton’s Laws of Physics in junior high, and how I appreciated the balance of the Law that states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. To put it even more simply: actions have consequences. Often we can see this in real time: we hit a ball with a bat … Continue reading Reaping What You Sow: Jesus and the Law of Karma