Zen Buddhist vs Christianity or Zen Buddhist Christian ???

[ZenbdaGirl]

Hi Yall
Isnt zen buddhism and Christianity kinda the same ? If not whats the difference from zen buddhism and christianity? And cant some one be a zen buddhist christian? Y or y not

 

[Jonathan95]

One can't be a follower of Jesus Christ, which means one believes what the Bible says, and yet embrace Zen Buddhism which holds to teachings contrary to the Bible.

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." in John 14:6. In other words, one can't gain eternal life but through Jesus Christ.

 

[gord44]

Zen Buddhism is really nothing like mainline Christianity. The differences are really too many to mention.

The main practice of a Zen Buddhist is usually zazen, which is a type of sitting meditation. A Christian could do zazen.

 

[Jonathan95]

Zen Buddhism is really nothing like mainline Christianity. The differences are really too many to mention.

The main practice of a Zen Buddhist is usually zazen, which is a type of sitting meditation. A Christian could do zazen.

A Christian couldn't do zazen, which is a practice that is contrary to the Bible.

 

[gord44]

A Christian couldn't do zazen, which is a practice that is contrary to the Bible.

Sure they could. Please provide scripture where it says one shouldn't sit on a pillow and stare at a wall.

 

[awitch]

Sure they could. Please provide scripture where it says one shouldn't sit on a pillow and stare at a wall.

What if the Christian was sitting on a pillow and staring at a wall while thinking about Jesus?

 

[gord44]

What if the Christian was sitting on a pillow and staring at a wall while thinking about Jesus?

That wouldn't really be zazen. But that would be some good old fashioned Christian meditation.

You do make a point though. If the thought of Jesus popped into the someones mind during zazen, they would try and ignore it, let it pass through their mind and not build upon it. Still that doesn't mean a Christian shouldn't do it. It may give them some clarity in their faith.

 

[dlamberth]

Hi Yall
Isnt zen buddhism and Christianity kinda the same ? If not whats the difference from zen buddhism and christianity? And cant some one be a zen buddhist christian? Y or y not

I know several Christians who practice Buddhism, in fact I'm married to one. I often go to a Trappist Monastery and sit in meditation with the Monks there, one of which has been to Buddhist retreats. That monastery has one of the finest meditation rooms that I've had the pleasure to sit in.

If one desires to explore Christianity mysticism and Buddhism further from the mystical direction, one of my more favorite reads is a book by a Jesuit Priest who's name is William Johnston. His book is called "The Inner Eye of Love: Mysticism and Religion". Johnston explores the Buddhist experience with the Christian experience from the mystical experience perspective. From that trajectory, he explores the mystical experiences of unity with God as reported from the various Christian mystics with that of the Buddhist experience as reported by some of those figures such as Shusaku Endo, Takashi Nagai and the Dali Lama.

As an aside, I also know Muslim's who are also practicing Buddhist.

.

 

[gord44]

I know several Christians who practice Buddhism, in fact I'm married to one. I often go to a Trappist Monastery and sit in meditation with the Monks there, one of which has been to Buddhist retreats. That monastery has one of the finest meditation rooms that I've had the pleasure to sit in.

If one desires to explore Christianity mysticism and Buddhism further from the mystical direction, one of my more favorite reads is a book by a Jesuit Priest who's name is William Johnston. His book is called "The Inner Eye of Love: Mysticism and Religion". Johnston explores the Buddhist experience with the Christian experience from the mystical experience perspective. From that trajectory, he explores the mystical experiences of unity with God as reported from the various Christian mystics with that of the Buddhist experience as reported by some of those folks figures such as Shusaku Endo, Takashi Nagai and the Dali Lama.

As an aside, I also know Muslim's who are also practicing Buddhist.

.

 

[dlamberth]

A Christian couldn't do zazen, which is a practice that is contrary to the Bible.

Where in the Bible does it say that?

.

 

[dlamberth]

...no man cometh unto the Father...

So... how is that experience of Unity with the Father not the same as the experience of Nirvana of which the Buddha spoke of?

.

 

[Wesley1982]

Christianity and Buddhism are generally incompatible they don't mix very well together.

 

[morningstar2651]

One can't be a follower of Jesus Christ, which means one believes what the Bible says, and yet embrace Zen Buddhism which holds to teachings contrary to the Bible.

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." in John 14:6. In other words, one can't gain eternal life but through Jesus Christ.

A Christian couldn't do zazen, which is a practice that is contrary to the Bible.

Christianity and Buddhism are generally incompatible they don't mix very well together.

Not saying that you're wrong - just wondering if you could elaborate a bit more? I get the distinct impression that neither of you know enough about Zen Buddhism or meditation to adequately answer the questions raised in this thread.

 

[Jonathan95]

A follower of Jesus Christ doesn't do meditation other than upon the word of God which is something different.

Buddhist Meditation is an occult practice, and we don't participate in that. We are told to fix our minds etc on God, not on "nothing".

 

[Zoness]

Buddhist Meditation is an occult practice

occult

I keep seeing this word and I don't think it means what you think it means.

 

[morningstar2651]

A follower of Jesus Christ doesn't do meditation other than upon the word of God which is something different.

Buddhist Meditation is an occult practice, and we don't participate in that. We are told to fix our minds etc on God, not on "nothing".

As mentioned in the previous post - I don't think occult means what you think it means. Buddhist meditation is not an occult practice.

Second - there is more to Buddhist meditation than fixing your mind on nothing.

Buddhist Meditation - ReligionFacts
Buddhist meditation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Hi Yall
Isnt zen buddhism and Christianity kinda the same ? If not whats the difference from zen buddhism and christianity? And cant some one be a zen buddhist christian? Y or y not

There are a lot of people who happen to be involved in Buddhist practices and claiming Christ - and they are able to do so because they know how to keep the Lord central while also seeing ways that the culture they grew up in can be compatible with that...similar to Paul in Acts 17 when it came to Athens/Mars Hill and him using things central in the culture as bridges for explaining the Lord and noting how He'd seek to become all people - however far possible he could go and yet still remain in Christ - so that others would come to the Lord ( 1 Corinthians 9:18, 1 Corinthians 9:20 and 1 Corinthians 9:22).

There are others I've come across that deal with similar issues. Brother Philip Jenkins, in his book "The Lost History of Christianity" noted often the way that believers went into Asian lands and contexualized the Gospel within Tao and Buddist terms that the locals could readily understand (discussed here, here, and here at The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia--And How It Died - Page 14 ). The Nestorians were well known for this - and many are not aware of how the Nestorians/other Eastern Christians impacted where so many didn't - going as far as India, Mongolia, and China as well as Japan.. ...more shared more in-depth elsewhere as well (#5 #10, #26 , #63 , #126 )

Others, such as St.Francis Xavier and others had the same mindset...for there are many other things that were revelations from the Lord. Partial truth, if one wishes to call it such, that was given as a foreshadow of what was to come later...or what had already come (as Islam came after the Church began) and yet had not yet been fully understood by the people that hadn't encountered it yet. If aware of something known as Ancient Faith Radio, they did a series on the issue of how in some cultures, it seems that they were already being prepared for the presentation of the Gospel…with it being established that GOD was at work in all cultures far before any others with revelation of what the Hebrews had came around. The radio brodcast from "Ancient Faith Radio" was on a book entitled “Christ the Eternal Tao”…and for more info, one can go online/look up "Christ the Eternal Tao - Ancient Faith Radio". I thought it was interesting to see from an Eastern Christian perspective how the Tao Te Ching is presented as an imperfect, incomplete foreshadowing of what would later be revealed by Christ.

Indeed, it's amazing how the Gospel was contexualized in other cultures of Asia such as in Chineese culture. There was a book I was able to come across a couple years ago about the first Christian missionaries to China (in the 6th century, I think) - for they were Nestorian Christians from the Middle East. It was really cool to see how they "contextualized" the gospel into terms and images that resonated with the local Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian cultures. ..

A book I was informed of awhile ago is entitled "The Jesus Sutras" by Martin Palmer.....of which there is an entire series on the subject entitled The Jesus Sutras (Part 10): ‘He is the scaling ladder' - The Jesus Question / The Jesus Sutras (Part 1): Introduction - the Jesus Question

It is an historical account of the first Christian mission to China (led by the monk Alouben) in 635, a piecing together of various strands of evidence: a long-lost Christian monastery now used as a Buddhist temple (with Christian statues in the eighth-century pagoda), a sutra (holy writing) of stone in a stone library, and “The Jesus Sutras,” a collection of scrolls found hidden in a secret library that was sealed around 1005.

From these fragments, the author pieces together a framework for what these early Christians believed, how they acted and interacted with the myriad of cultures and religions around them. The result is a fascinating depiction of a Christianity that is adaptive, hospitable, and relevant.

These early Chinese Christians drew upon imagery from their understanding of the Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Jainism and Shamanism of Tang Dynasty China, which allowed them to present a radical image of Christ as the Dharma King, sending “your raft of salvation to save us from the burning streams” - even saving us from karma and reincarnation.

Here's one of the sutras:

Beyond knowing, beyond words
You are the truth, steadfast for all time.
Compassionate Father, Radiant Son,
Pure Wind King - three in one…
Supreme King, Will of Ages,
Compassionate Joyous Lamb
Loving all who suffer
Fearless as You strive for us
Free us of the karma of our lives,
Bring us back to our original nature
Delivered from all danger.
Sutra of Praise to the Three Powers, A.D. ca. 780-790


​

Another book I think is worth reading on the subject is known as "Faith of Our Fathers: God in Ancient China" by Dr. G. Wright Doyle - more discussed in The One True God In Ancient China - Journey To Orthodoxy. It's truly amazing considering what many other Chinese have noted when it came to the differing religions of their cultures - and how MONOTHEISM was already present in the ancient history of China....with the other religions that developed later losing sight of the roots that were always present - and those new religions all having aspects of early truth that as lost

God in Ancient China

​

There've been other threads dedicated to more in-depth discussion on the ways the Gospel was contexualized within the cultures of others. One thread that comes immediately to mind is Cochin & Hindu Hebrews: Are most Messianic Jews familar with Indian Jewish Believers? , on what life was like for believers in the Hindu world...including Jewish believers as well and the ways they found ways to spread the Gospel The work of E.Stanley Jones always comes to mind, seeing how he worked with others in the Hindu world as a Methodist minister and radically shaped the ways others saw evangelism. The man was a big inspiration for others like Dr.Martin Luther King in the work he did---and to see how many came to Christ because of his heart for the Kingdom of God always encourages me (more shared here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here , here, here and here). St.Francis Xavier did similar when it came to his work amongst others in Japan, which has always amazed me in so many ways...just as the Nestorians did as well in their own context with working with the Mongols as well as Japan even before Xavier arrived (more here ).

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Hi Yall
Isnt zen buddhism and Christianity kinda the same ? If not whats the difference from zen buddhism and christianity? And cant some one be a zen buddhist christian?

On your question,

As said elsewhere, I'd think it would come down to seeing what exactly one means by the terms - and whether or not we're talking on where concepts from both systems overlap one another or if we're meaning being both in the entirety of what each system offers. In my view, there are aspects of Buddihism which are true and confirm what was found in the history of the Scriptures/Christendom. But on the same token, those aspects are not meant to be signs that all things within the Buddhist system are able to be adapted by a believer or seen as having no flaws. Truth can be present within a system in the sense that it foreshadows what Christ came to bring - but the system will always be incomplete.

For some places to go where one can do good review on the issue:

• Orthodox Way of Life: The truth of Buddhism
• Can Orthodox Christianity Speak To Eastern Religions?
• Buddhism And Orthodox Christianity - Ancient Faith Radio
• The Goals of Christianity and Buddhism - Orthodox Church in America
• MYSTAGOGY: A Young Buddhists Path Towards Orthodox Christianity
• Buddhism and Eastern Asceticism Compared to Orthodox Christian Asceticism ...
• Through The Eastern Gate - From Tibetan Buddhism to Orthodox Christianity ...
• The Eastern Orthodox Theology and Buddhism - The Institute of

Technically, all countries have differing levels of tolerance or boundaries on the issue....and climate can make a difference on a lot of things. I once came across an article on the issue concerning how the Catholic Church actually had the founder of the Buddhist religion included as a saint...as seen in the article entitled Laputan Logic--St. Buddha of India. Specicially, although the beatification/sanctification of Buddha didn't occur until the 16th century, the story of his early life was something that was quite popular in Europe during the Middle Ages where he was Christianized under the name of Josaphat, the Indian prince (known as St. Josaphat).

For more discussion/info:

• What The? Buddha is an Orthodox Saint... - OrthodoxChristianity.net

Of course, Buddha lived before Christ, so how could the king get upset about Christianity? One quickly wonders if there was some confusion between this Josaphat and the medieval name given to Buddha - but indeed, it seems that the story is accepted by Catholics -as seen in Barlaam and Josaphat/Catholic Encylopedia.

 

[Mikeb85]

Buddhism, especially sects which come out of the Mahayana tradition (like Zen), are very different religions from Christianity. The two are about as compatible as Paganism and Islam...

Traditional Christianity (especially Orthodox) has a long tradition of mystics and contemplative prayer (which is outwardly similar to meditation), so combining Zen and Christianity is not only confusing, but redundant.

 

[morningstar2651]

Buddhism, especially sects which come out of the Mahayana tradition (like Zen), are very different religions from Christianity. The two are about as compatible as Paganism and Islam...

Traditional Christianity (especially Orthodox) has a long tradition of mystics and contemplative prayer (which is outwardly similar to meditation), so combining Zen and Christianity is not only confusing, but redundant.

Your response confuses me.

One one hand, you claim they are incompatible.

On the other hand, you say that they are redundant, implying that they are very similar.

Which is it - are they very similar, or are they very different?