Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Peace of the Buddha vs the Peace of the Christ


Buddhist teachings about peace repose at the core of its worldview and ethical teachings. Being a peaceful person and helping to create a future karma of peace for oneself and the world are at the heart Buddhist practice. Consider this statement:
Even if we feel our cause is just, if we in thought, word, and deed make war against injustice, we are still part of the problem and not contributing to the solution. On the other hand, if we concentrate on putting our own minds at peace, then we can broadcast peace mentally and generate peace through our actions. We should use a peaceful mind to act for peace in the world. From Buddhist Ideas for Attaining World Peace, by Ron Epstein (Lectures for the Global Peace Studies Program, San Francisco State University, November 7 & 9,1988)
One might be inclined--many have--to take a few select statements of Jesus, such as,"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God," and suppose that he and his predecessor of four centuries, Siddhartha Gautama, were on the same page about this subject. There seems a sort of mania on the part of religious unifiers to show that all the great religious thinkers of the past drew from the same universal well of divine inspiration and that their differences are only peripheral and inconsequential. This unifying impulse is, I suppose, commendable on some level, but it winds up muddying things for those seeking clarity regarding religious and spiritual values.

Jesus spoke about peace a great deal. Just when you might begin to think that Jesus had perhaps slipped off to India in his younger days and hijacked the Buddhist teachings on peace, he comes out with,“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword" and really throws you for a metaphysical loop. Luke, recording the same teaching, has Jesus saying, " Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division." What's a follower of Jesus to think? Do these discordant sayings of the Prince of Peace rattle your mind and disturb your heart? Not to worry, the Master has a word for you: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled..."

The Buddha would have us become human prayer wheels for peace, blowin' in the wind, "broadcast[ing] peace mentally" to the tumultuous war-ravished world around us. Jesus would have us speak the sword-sharp Truth about Himself and redemption--a truth he promises will brings division and even pit people against one another.

The Buddhist path would have us eschew any effort to battle injustice or confront oppressors, and instead have us create good karma for the future by means of projected peaceful thoughts and gentle friction-soothing actions. Isaiah exhorts us to, "Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows." [emphasis added]

The paradox in all this is that there is a profound peace for the followers of Messiah Jesus, even as they confront injustice and fight oppressors, for as Jesus told the original disciples, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

If all this hasn't given you enough to think about, I'll just leave you with this final thought from the Apostle Paul:

"And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." (Romans 16:20)

5 comments:

  1. "The Buddhist path would have us eschew any effort to battle injustice or confront oppressors, and instead have us create good karma for the future by means of projected peaceful thoughts and gentle friction-soothing actions."

    I am reminded of the Buddhist monks who, during the Vietnam era, doused themselves with gasoline and set themselves on fire in public places to protest the war. In recent years, Buddhist monks in oppressed areas of the world have endured imprisonment, beatings, torture and death because they stood up strongly--albeit nonviolently--for the widows and orphans of the world. Perhaps these men and *women interpretted the teachings of the Buddha differently than you have here. (*Buddhist teachings apply to both genders equally; thus women can enter the priesthood.)

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  2. Once again, the argument is irrelevant because the premise is faulty. Would we have a discussion regarding the philosophy of Godzilla vs. Huck Finn? The "teachings" of jesus were "recorded" many years after the supposed fact of his existence by men--human, fallible men. What we should begin with is our definition of Peace, because i am almost positive that mine will be different from yours... Dictionary.com lists (among others) the definition of peace as "the normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community; public order and security"...Many have felt this "peace" with the passing of Prop 8, however even with the lack of violence in our community i cannot feel peace when my brother still cannot legally marry...
    The attainment of "peace" and what "peacefulness" truly is should be the discussion (and i would argue that it is different for each individual).
    ~shalome ;)

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  3. There are so many aspects to this one word, peace. It is a topic—or collection of topics—which bears greater exploration than allowed for in a single post. I am encouraged however that what I wrote was provocative enough to elicit your comments!

    One disclaimer: I am a novice when it comes to the “official” doctrines [if there are any] of Buddhism and am just beginning to explore its history and regional expressions. I welcome the opportunity to learn from anyone who can share his or her knowledge.

    I think that Buddhism may be evolving under two strong influences; modernity and western thought. This is, for now, just a theory on my part and I’ll have to look into it more to see if this is so. I have noticed that some Buddhists are more socially aware and involved than others. This may be one of those regional/cultural differences. I am happy to see Buddhists fight injustice and stand with the oppressed. Perhaps the quote I was responding to reflects a more traditional or “conservative” understanding of Buddhism and how evil is to be fought. At any rate, it was this quote and what I saw as its passive implications which interested me and which I saw as being in contrast to a Christian understanding of peace.

    A dialogue on the meaning of peace interests me a good deal. I think you have encouraged me to learn more and write more on this topic.

    --Allen

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  4. Briefly, for clarity's sake, not to split hairs: There are "tenets" of Buddhism. (First tenet: Life is suffering. Second tenet: We suffer because we want.) There are no "doctrines" in Buddhism as Buddhism is a teaching in regard to how we live our lives, how we choose to "be" in the world; it is not a religion.

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  5. I am a novice when it comes to the “official” doctrines [if there are any] of Buddhism and am just beginning to explore its history and regional expressions. I welcome the opportunity to learn from anyone who can share his or her knowledge.

    Thanks for the clarification about the tenets of Buddhism.

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