MovieChat Forums > The Dhamma Brothers (2008) Discussion > Buddhist Christianity

Buddhist Christianity

posted 16 years ago by alfonsothepirate
6 replies | jump to latest

this movie looks awesome... hopefully everyone will understand one of the major points i believe it will make. i have nothing against christianity or christians, but the issue is, a lot of americans are having a very hard time sitting down and meditating or thinking (rather than having the tv on), and a lot of us are having a hard time loving and respecting one another. what with the news freaking us out and the commercials yelling at us and the movies and tv shows and video games making us stupider... american life is hectic and exhausting. the principles of buddhism may sound like a load of garbage to a lot of people, and even though i am not a buddhist i recognize that its philosophies are about calmness and peace with oneself. it IS possible to be both buddhist and christian. my friend's father was a jesuit priest and he attends the catholic church, but he is also a zen master. this movie looks worth seeing.

[–] unduality 16 years ago

I totally agree with you. I know a Catholic Dominican Monk, that is also a Zen master, and has been teaching Buddhist meditation for years. Just as it is no conflict in beeing a barber and a christian its no conflict in being a practiotioner of buddhist meditation and a christian. Im not a Christian, but im not not a christian either. All monastic traditions be it eastern or western ones has spent more than one thousand years looking into thear hearts and mind. It not stupid to give them a listen at least since they has spent over a millenia in contemplation. Myself i spend my time in a Swedish university, and i was suprised by how healthy, insightful and kind those monastic monks and nuns where. Highly developed human beings not to mention learned and compassionate.

If people should use any of the easter or western techniques and watch their minds closely for a few days they would be very suprised to see how much is going on in there. How much vulnerability and strength there is. And a stillness that carries a gentle whisper. They would also be suprised how much garbage alot of advertisers has put there, stuffed the place with values that has nothing whatsoever with doing who you truely are. So much conditioning from all the things people told them to be true about them self. Nothing that is said about anyone can be essentially true. To be or to exist just isnt a language thing, even if we try to talk about it.

As i visited both Christian and Buddhist monasteries i found that they where more alike than i ever could imagine. I didnt expect to hear so much laughter and see so much joy. It was'nt the shallow or hollow laughs from Fresh Prince or M.A.S.H, but joyful laughter arising from the deep from the heart.

Take care, and hope i didnt make someone angry in some way with my words.
Gooxy.

[–] stopcallingmeshirley 14 years ago

From a Christian perspective, I disagree that a person can be both a Buddhist and Christian. Yes, both posters above know people who claim to be both, but Jesus would not allow this. Buddhism instructs a person to look within themselves for solace and comfort. Christianity instructs a person to look away from their sinful, imperfect selves, and instead look to God. Both of these core ideas are at completely opposed to one another.

Furthermore, fundamental Buddhism teaches a person not to believe in things which defy common sense and logic, and not to "hear and believe" but rather to "see and know". This, again, is completely at odds with men walking on water, men coming back from the dead, and people listening to preachers or priests and taking what they say as gospel.

You may know a person that claims to be a Christian and a Buddhist. From a Christian perspective, this person will go to Christian hell because they are dividing their faith between Jesus and their own 'self' (man). One cannot serve two masters.

http://diaryofanatheist.blogspot.com/2009/11/there-is-no-such-thing-as-free-bible.html

[–] logJammin2 12 years ago

"Yes, both posters above know people who claim to be both, but Jesus would not allow this."

This statement is based on a certain perspective of what it means to be a Christian. In this perspective, to be a Christian is to accept that the historical personality of Jesus Christ was the son of God who sacrificed himself for sinners. This is one interpretation. However, it's necessary to deeply research Christianity in order to get past the mainstream understanding.

In certain denominations, like Orthodox, Quaker, Christian Science, to be a Christian is to live your life as Christ did. That means to sacrifice yourself for others, to be charitable, to love everyone. This is the true meaning of believing in Christ. The word believe is related to livid, libido (longing), etc. In other words, to follow Christ with all of one's being. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote the following:

"There are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it. For example, a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain other points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ’s birth may have been in this position. And always, of course, there are a great many people who are just confused in mind and have a lot of inconsistent beliefs all jumbled up together. Consequently, it is not much use trying to make judgments about Christians and non-Christians in the mass."

[–] NapoleonBender 11 years ago

If you have faith in yourself as a christian, isn't that having faith in one of gods creations? I've never understood how christians believe their religion when it's incredibly obvious that a god wouldn't need to torture people for an infinite amount of time for doing something he enabled them to do, but I don't see Buddhism being contradictory to Christianity. Of course plenty of fundamentalist Christians will say so, but there are a lot of different interpretations.

[–] fugosushi 11 years ago

Buddhism is not a religion, it is an education -- an education on how to let go of form (man) and find God (within). Furthermore, it very much teaches you to believe in things that defy common sense and logic (including walking on water). To go beyond the world of form and "see" without looking requires letting go of your common sense and logic. It's a paradox that is at the heart of Buddhist teachings.

You are correct that one cannot serve two masters, which is why you must learn to find the God within and let go of the world of form.

[–] frogca 10 years ago

>From a Christian perspective, I disagree that a person can be both a Buddhist and Christian. Yes, both posters above know people who claim to be both, but Jesus would not allow this.

I see a misunderstanding. The original poster described someone who was a Christian and a Zen master. The latter is not a religious thing, though the poster described it as buddhism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_master

A person can be a Christian and practise traditional meditation techniques that are used by buddhists and others but do not require Buddhist religious beliefs, as in the movie.

Very touching and thought-provoking movie, by the way.