A friend of mine is rather confused. She is interested in Buddhism but is also a Christian. Some friend of hers told her she can't be both. Personally I disagree but would like to get some facts before I talk to her about it.

What should I tell her.

I suggest that she read ETHICS FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM by the Dalai Lama. It points to the common ground shared by Buddhism and other religions. I also suggest that as a Christian she might find some helpful teachings and practices in Buddhism. Some Christians (including religious orders) have taken up the practice of zazen without compromising their beliefs.

The Buddha did not seek to convert anyone away from other teachings.  He even sent one student back to another teacher, telling the student to stick with a good teacher and a good teaching and, in effect, not to shop around for a new religion.

There is even a term (bompu) for zazen meditation practiced for health and well-being ithout any obligation to become a Buddhist.

Having A Religion Mind Only Need You

 to understand yourself.

Zen master Dogen said:

'To study Buddhism is to study yourself,

 to study yourself is to forget yourself and

to forget yourself is to perceive yourself as

all things.'

With Metta to All

lol lol

Thank you. Very helpful.

"God had a dream, and you're it."

I am my own dream.

"
.........

I believe you, now wake up.

so is jesus god to you woodsman? to me he is the son of god. perhaps we have a soul and jesus might come back. but god is still a silent mystery. no one can proclaim to talk to god without being labeled a nutcase.

perhaps it is a question we reincarnate and go to heaven. heaven being a temporal place. much like hell.

but this is all speculation. one with which a rational mind would dare not answer with a straight face.

the only reason i believe in the soul is cause i had a out of body experience and freaked my mother out by opening doors and such.

"Some friend of hers told her she can't be both."

Harmony... I would say to your friend "When someone else tries to tell you how to practice, or that how you practice is wrong... RUN!!!" This path has many roads. We all choose the road we need, to get where we need to be. Many great beings have given us light to find our way on this well traveled path. (Do you think Christ would have said the Buddha's practice was wrong. Do you think the Buddha would have said Christ's practice was wrong....)

Metta to All... :-) 

I understand. And this is what I told her. -

"Do what you feel driven to do. Go where you feel driven to go. It's your journey and no one has the right to tell you what is right and what is wrong for you. It is a personal journey. Personal to you alone."

----Romans 12:2 -----

who is the other team,
and what are they playing?

What should I tell her. -----

there was no Christianity about at his time,
and himself was a Jew that converted to Buddhism,
its indicated in his teaching

on that note: anyone read Waiting for Godot?

----hide the salami...i'm a dick---

its cool,
in my previous i was a pig,
have no fear of it now.

----hide the salami...i'm a dick---

its cool,
in my previous life i was a pig,
have no fear of it now.

"
......... can one post without fear? or communicate at all?----------

hi aylamaya,

there none here to measure you, whats to fear.......
what about the romans you would like to be known.

Speech is an important form of action.

All actions should be undertaken mindfully, with consideration of the probable consequences.

The speaker always needs to consider the listener. One would not say some things to children or to vulnerable people.

Well said, wise one

Preventing Escalation Need Direct Reflective Action.  Guiding Others Now

to reflect again and again before doing every act,

in speaking every word and in thinking every thought

May All Be Well and happy

with metta

 To be a Christian or not.  To believe in God the creator or not.  Zen is not about picking and choosing.   Zen is about getting rid of erroneous thoughts that bring suffering.  In this way, Zen uses the four noble truths and practices the  eighfold path.

The four noble truths and the eightfold path may be practiced by anyone.  At the heart of both Buddhism and Christianity lies compassion.   Practice the eightfold path and have compassion and one could be called  a good Buddhist or a good Christian.

The idea of Zen is to neither pick or choose,   just be one with your true self.

I guess what comes to mind is "A path with Heart"(Jack Kornfield). It is as simple as asking yourself, when death is near, "Did I love well?" Also asking yourself  "What did I do that was good in this life?"  No matter what the philosophy or "religion", it comes down to... The Heart... Love... Care and Compassion... non judgement of others... shanti (peace).

Jesus and the Buddah are both depicted using mudra... I like that... it helps me to incorporate thier "teachings". Because, after all, it is thier teachings that benefit us most.

Metta to All... :-)

really?

Quote: "so this morning in service I'm reminded of Jesus...like I'm to "go back" and "from" but the understanding...........I cannot say any more......"
.........

Jesus would have said: Love Your Neighbour .Now Offer Humility

                                            to All

Really With Metta

Quote: "Quote: "Quote: "Believe you're on the cross, if you are, then let that go when you're not, if you're not. And for Christ sake, don't push away!!"
.........

Definitely want to make sure you get your feet free before your hands!

;-)
"
.........

This is what I'm talk'n about, En Shin, if you free your feet first you'll just hang there by the hands."
.........

I have no idea what these guys mean

Quote: "Kelvintan... are you speaking of reflecting like a mirror would?"
.........

Constant mindfulness would better explain instead of reflecting like a mirror where no changes takes place.

You take care

With Metta

neither hot nor cold... but the use of a kobakusa...is considerate..... watching the reflections of a fire on the wall called shadow ?

oh

Quote: "Quote: "Quote: "I heard somewhere that when Buddha was doing his wandering he met three Rabbis who led him to Jerusalem. When he was there he learned the ancient truth from the Prophets and brought it back to India where he began his holy mission. Anyone else hear that?"
.........

With respect, I have to say that in all my studies of Buddhism I have never encountered this notion.  So far as anyone knows, the Buddha never left the area that is now northern India.

Moreover, there is virtually no resemblance between early Judaism and early Buddhism.  Additionally, the Buddha specificlly gave many teachings which must be seen as completely at odds with the Judaic teachings, including the denial of a permanent self, the affirmation that one must question any teaching, however revered, the notion that scriptures have no authority, and many others.

On the other hand, there are some threads in later Judaic, and post-Hellenic Greek, thought which seem to have come from contact with the Buddhist world, and there are archeological artifacts from the Middle East and Mediterranean which clearly indicate trade and other contact between the Buddhist world and Classical Antiquity.  The Buddha lived about 550 years BC.  The Buddhist king Ashoka lived about 250 BC, and was known in the Greek world.  By the time of Christ, the largest university in the world, Nalanda, was in Buddhist India, and Buddhism was already spreading to China and Tibet.

In the final analysis, the notion of learning a "Holy truth from ancient prophets" is completely antihetical to the core teachings of Buddhism.  Buddha taught against this very notion many times throughour his career.  Even on his deathbed, after 45 years of teaching the Dharma, Buddha enjoined his followers to "be a lamp unto yourself, work out your own salvation with diligence." 

Peace,

En Shin 
"
......... what do you mean by antithetical? "
.........

you see I don't understand this...i feel very cared for and held by .....and....

Quote: "Quote: "I heard somewhere that when Buddha was doing his wandering he met three Rabbis who led him to Jerusalem. When he was there he learned the ancient truth from the Prophets and brought it back to India where he began his holy mission. Anyone else hear that?"
.........

With respect, I have to say that in all my studies of Buddhism I have never encountered this notion.  So far as anyone knows, the Buddha never left the area that is now northern India.

Moreover, there is virtually no resemblance between early Judaism and early Buddhism.  Additionally, the Buddha specificlly gave many teachings which must be seen as completely at odds with the Judaic teachings, including the denial of a permanent self, the affirmation that one must question any teaching, however revered, the notion that scriptures have no authority, and many others.

On the other hand, there are some threads in later Judaic, and post-Hellenic Greek, thought which seem to have come from contact with the Buddhist world, and there are archeological artifacts from the Middle East and Mediterranean which clearly indicate trade and other contact between the Buddhist world and Classical Antiquity.  The Buddha lived about 550 years BC.  The Buddhist king Ashoka lived about 250 BC, and was known in the Greek world.  By the time of Christ, the largest university in the world, Nalanda, was in Buddhist India, and Buddhism was already spreading to China and Tibet.

In the final analysis, the notion of learning a "Holy truth from ancient prophets" is completely antihetical to the core teachings of Buddhism.  Buddha taught against this very notion many times throughour his career.  Even on his deathbed, after 45 years of teaching the Dharma, Buddha enjoined his followers to "be a lamp unto yourself, work out your own salvation with diligence." 

Peace,

En Shin 
"
.........

Oops! I think I got it all backwards. I get those guys mixed up! When you hear one truth youve heard em all....its the fabrications and the myth making and all the written histories that get fuzzy

Quote: "Quote: "Quote: "Quote: "I heard somewhere that when Buddha was doing his wandering he met three Rabbis who led him to Jerusalem. When he was there he learned the ancient truth from the Prophets and brought it back to India where he began his holy mission. Anyone else hear that?"
.........

With respect, I have to say that in all my studies of Buddhism I have never encountered this notion.  So far as anyone knows, the Buddha never left the area that is now northern India.

Moreover, there is virtually no resemblance between early Judaism and early Buddhism.  Additionally, the Buddha specificlly gave many teachings which must be seen as completely at odds with the Judaic teachings, including the denial of a permanent self, the affirmation that one must question any teaching, however revered, the notion that scriptures have no authority, and many others.

On the other hand, there are some threads in later Judaic, and post-Hellenic Greek, thought which seem to have come from contact with the Buddhist world, and there are archeological artifacts from the Middle East and Mediterranean which clearly indicate trade and other contact between the Buddhist world and Classical Antiquity.  The Buddha lived about 550 years BC.  The Buddhist king Ashoka lived about 250 BC, and was known in the Greek world.  By the time of Christ, the largest university in the world, Nalanda, was in Buddhist India, and Buddhism was already spreading to China and Tibet.

In the final analysis, the notion of learning a "Holy truth from ancient prophets" is completely antihetical to the core teachings of Buddhism.  Buddha taught against this very notion many times throughour his career.  Even on his deathbed, after 45 years of teaching the Dharma, Buddha enjoined his followers to "be a lamp unto yourself, work out your own salvation with diligence." 

Peace,

En Shin 
"
......... what do you mean by antithetical? "
.........

Mutually incompatible. So what he's saying is "be a lamp unto yourself, work out your own salvation with diligence," so long as it agrees with my beliefs. DEEEERRRRRRRRR!"
.........

dear,

while walking to do breakfast a deer stood in the roadway and we looked at one another... for quiet some time, you see.... (seeing throught he eyes of a deer might be)and the deer came closer...but I had to go to make breakfast...so I slowly walked up the road and the deer walked into the feild next to the road... I got to the farmhouse and went inside...by the time I turned around the deer was right at the doorway to enter........ I wonder what might have happened had I left the door open  :)

Haven't seen him recently, wouldn't know... if his buddies are anything to go by it all seems terribly loaded.

Regards,

Harry.