The theme this cycle is Questions. The title of this post reflects a question to which I have been returning repeatedly.
Christianity is widely perceived to be a set of beliefs, a list of doctrines, often focused on the afterlife. As in, “Believe and be saved from eternal damnation and the fires of Hell!” And where it does involve daily life, most people perceive Christianity as being about obeying rules. I’m not talking about rules against murder and things like that, but rather the injunctions against the pleasures of life. Even though many in the Church would immediately attempt to refute the characterization that Christianity is about doctrine—try messing with certain cherished concepts (on the Left or the Right) and watch the hackles rise. Economic Justice, Abortion, Egalitarianism, Homosexuality, Hell, Inerrancy, Creation, War and Peace, Global Climate Change . . .
I’ve heard that in America, by a large margin, the vast majority of religious books sold in national bookstore chains are on Buddhism. A bookstore manager explained that it’s because people perceive Buddhism as a way of life—practices to become happier, more peaceful, more compassionate. A Way of Life that will make me a better person.
So, WHAT IF the Way of the Christ was a little more like the Way of the Buddha? I’m not promoting blatant syncretism or simplistic pragmatism. Nor am I advocating totally tossing out theology or dismissing the afterlife. But I do think that a different presentation of Christianity, offering ancient and modern practices, can help skeptical and curious newcomers understand and experience the Christian faith in a more meaningful way. Perhaps for the purposes of the following questions, I’ll refer to this presentation of Christianity, with its special emphasis on contemplative practices, as The Way of the Christ.
Questions about this way of life, the Way of the Christ:
- What if a key component of the Way of the Christ were to be the practice of “centering prayer” just as the Way of the Buddha emphasizes meditation?
- What if the Way of the Christ involved practices intended to help me become fully present and free, in other words, more fully alive, as does the Way of Buddha?
- What if the Way of the Christ were to include practices designed to help me become more self-aware and honest with myself and others as does the Way of the Buddha?
- What if the practices of the Way of the Christ would help me acknowledge what I demand of life, why I demand it, and help me to gradually learn to relinquish illusion and selfishness for truth, as in the Way of the Buddha?
- What if the Way of the Christ were to teach practices which help me to gradually face my own lack of compassion toward others, and the degree to which I harbor bitterness and resentment toward individuals, groups, beliefs, or systems which threaten my sense of well being? And what if those practices helped me begin to work toward increasing compassion, loving-kindness and long-suffering in all my relationships as in the Way of the Buddha?
- What if those on the Way of the Christ were to view the very fact that I’m on this Journey as being the point, rather than directly or indirectly pressuring me to reach some level of holiness? What if this Way enabled me to simply and patiently continue on my journey without judgment, as in the Way of the Buddha?
- What if, being on the Way of the Christ, when I encounter intensely painful memories or realizations, a spiritual companion/mentor/teacher would come alongside to help me keep my bearings because they have experience in acknowledging, accepting, and experiencing their own pain, as in the Way of the Buddha?
- What if the practices of the Way of the Christ were to operate on the assumption that those on that Path are imbued with an innate compassion which can be tapped and developed? What if this enabled people to live life with greater purpose and authenticity, and genuine altruism toward oneself and others, as in the Way of the Buddha?
You may be asking, Gary, if you’re so enamored with the Way of the Buddha, why don’t you simply abandon Christianity and become a Buddhist? That’s a very good question. There are several reasons. First, I believe that the Way of the Buddha and the Way of the Christ lead to two different destinations. My understanding is that the Way of the Buddha seeks Nirvana, which is complete freedom from Samsara, the cycle of rebirth, and/or suffering. Whereas I believe that the Way of the Christ seeks eternal union with the Triune God. In both, the personality remains, but in the former, the identity is relinquished, and in the latter the identity is completely enmeshed in Christ.
I also choose the Way of the Christ because I believe that Jesus Christ, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, are the Triune God. I believe that Christ incarnated, died, and was resurrected that we might live fully in this life and in the next with love for God and our fellow beings. I also believe that for me, it is only through His Holy Spirit that I have any hope of living the Way of the Christ. So, though beliefs are involved in the Way of Christ, they may be held lightly because we are fallible, and they are not the primary focus. The Way of Christ is more about the tangible choices I make in the context of relationships than about a cognitive process in relation to a set of doctrinal positions.
Even though there are fundamental differences between the two Paths, there can be key similarities. Buddhism and Contemplative Christianity can offer practices which reward a courageous, intentional, honest journey involving the acceptance of reality, including pain, suffering, weakness and failure. I need a Path of Faith which welcomes me precisely where I am: lazy, resentful, cynical, desperately needy, and doggedly hopeful. I need a Way of Life which leads and sustains me on that journey.
Jesus said that He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. So far my experience of that reality has been a mixed bag. Yet I dream, I seek Him, and I ask questions.
Addendum: These are the simply the initial thoughts of a dreamer in response to an opportunity to post about questions. These questions may be overlooking huge, obvious objections. That’s OK. This is just a set of questions which arise from my own experience. But what if what I’m describing comes out of a personal desire to find a system or a person with all the answers? Am I looking a Christian Rinpoche/Roshi? Does this quote from Henri Nouwen apply to my rambling about The Way of the Christ?:
“We keep hoping that one day we will find the man who really understands our experiences, the woman who will bring peace to our restless life, the job where we can fulfill our potential, the book which will explain everything, and the place where we can feel at home. such false hope leads us to exhausting demands and prepares us for bitterness and dangerous hostility when we start discovering that nobody, and nothing, can live up to our absolutistic expectations.” — Henri Nouwen
I must admit that such unfulfilled expectations are indeed the source of cynicism and resentment in my life. However, I am learning more about resolutely facing those dark parts of my being as I stumble through an amalgam of Buddhist and contemplative Christian practices. I am learning more about what it means to follow Jesus, to ineptly and hesitantly walk in the Way of the Christ. And is it really so wrong to desire spiritual companions who “really understand our experiences . . . a place where we can feel at home?” I think that in the Christian contemplative tradition the answer might be that if those desires replace a desire for union with Christ, then they may distract me from the Path.
Ah, the longer I’m on this journey, the less I know. But I rather like that.
22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
Hi Gary,
I have just discovered this wonderful website, & will definitely be back to read more from all of you!
I have been wrestling with ideas about legalism and rules versus relationship/spiritual union (which I believe is what the way of Christ is all about) – & trying to put into words something that seems, at times, so far beyond what words can say! Thank you sharing this & giving “voice” to part of the picture!
Kerry,
Welcome to Communitas. Yes, here you will find others who seek freedom from the constraints of religious dogma and external forms. You will find many different voices here including those still involved in the Institutional Church, those who follow Christ apart from involvement in the Institutional Church, and those who have left the faith altogether.
The respectful conversation I find here is a beautiful, inspiring thing. I frequently see reflections of my own heart and history in the comments, questions, concerns, and stories here. I find that this makes me feel a little less alone. It also makes me feel affirmed in my desire for a deeply intimate relationship with Christ which is about faith rather than religion.
I shared this post with a few friends before posting it here. Their responses show that perhaps I have not communicated as clearly as I intended. Here are some of the interesting comments that I received:
1. “With my background as an evangelical (he’s a pastor) I had a knee-jerk reaction. I saw this as syncretism and the standard evangelical response is the assumption that when you combine two faiths, both have to be weakened or watered down. I thought that I should study this to see if and where you have strayed from the truth. However, then I stopped and took a breath. Then, my second response was a desire to look within myself to see why it was that this approach so threatened me. And that, I suspect, is precisely what you are advocating in The Way of The Christ.”
2. “Your initial question or ‘title’ is an intriguing question. I enjoyed your article. Your honest questions. I think through honest dialogue and conversation we are able to learn valuable lessons from those of other faith traditions. As evidenced by your article, we as Christians don’t do everything right, but the doing is not the most important part. What we believe is. I think your few paragraphs on why the way of Christ vs. the Way of Buddha was really good and directs us to the important part…thanks for sharing. If you do come up with the visualization of the concept let me know…I won’t expect it soon.”
3. “Nicely done. There are compatible similarities between some expressions of the Christian faith and Buddhism so certainly open dialogue is to be encouraged.”
Just to be clear, I am not advocating a merging of the Buddhist faith with the Christian faith. I am simply suggesting that what I am finding in Buddhist practices and understanding of human nature is very similar to what I am finding in contemplative Christianity practices and understanding of human nature. Of course there is a huge gulf when it comes to the inherent state of humanity. Buddhist teaching assumes a foundational goodness and beauty, whereas Christianity presumes a fallen state of inherent sinfulness. However, if one contrasts the Christian perspective of the human indwelt by the Holy Spirit, a more harmonious picture emerges. Still a difference as to the source of that goodness, but nonetheless, I find that if I translate the Buddhist teachings through that prism, they fit nicely.
I believe that the Message of Christ is not heard by normal people (non-Christians) because they have this concept that Christianity is a religion intrinsically tied to a set of doctrines and practices. While in my opinion there are core beliefs (perhaps found in the Apostles’ and/or Nicene Creeds) and there are certain sacraments (baptism and the Eucharist) which can make room in our hearts for a greater experience of God’s grace, the Way of the Christ is far more than that.
Let me put it another way. Christianity as I understand it has not given me the tools I need to live life fully and to face reality full-on. To be honest, I think the lacking is not so much in Christianity as it is in my own inability to fully trust God and therefore in my inability to feel grounded in His love for me.
However, I am finding resources for life in Buddhist practices and teachings, viewed through the lens of my Christian faith, and in conjunction with Christian contemplative practices and teachings. This whole concept arises out of my own need and experience. As such, it is a partially formed concept with little personal history (though the practices in both faiths go back over 1,500 years.) But still, it is the path I currently tread.
One final note: Father Thomas Keating, one of the reinventors of the practice of “centering prayer” says that this renewed exploration of contemplative Christianity was not permitted even in cloistered communities 40 years ago. He was not allowed to teach classes even in the monastery with the word “contemplative” in the title because it was seen as a prideful practice. Now both the Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches are actively exploring the contemplative life. The world has shifted again. The time is right for this approach.
Still, most fundamentalists and many evangelicals view contemplative practices as dangerous New Age error. To which my friend who I quote in comment No. 1 above replies, “There’s nothing NEW about contemplative practices at all. They go back almost to the very beginning of our faith.”
Here’s a comment from another friend:
This is the approach I have taken in my later life journey into Christianity. In fact, a few years ago when I first started coming to the church I go to now, I asked my priest “can I be a christian if I don’t believe in God?” She smiled and said “so who is this God that you don’t believe in? Because if you’re thinking of who i think you’re thinking of I don’t believe in that god either.” later, when I was able to admit to the possibility of God, if I crossed my fingers behind my back and only filed the idea under metaphor, I told my priest that there were a lot of “beliefs” that I just couldn’t accept and she said “God doesn’t care what you believe. He just wants your presence.” That has been a cornerstone of my credo ever since.
As much fun as it is discussing the intricacies of theology, really it is just for our own amusement. God does not care what we believe as long as we follow the path or way Christ has pioneered for us. So when Christ tells us I am the way, the truth and the life he is not talking about being the gate or way to get to heaven, he is talking about being the truth that frees us in this life, the way we must follow to be in communion with God, the new life we can live if we follow. Jesus is not our ticket to heaven, but our guide and mentor. If you think about Christ’s teachings they are always about practice, not doctrine. Jesus is all about removing obstacles and clearing the way for us.
Christ himself practised many of the spiritual techniques you mention. There is a theory that Christ traveled to India and picked up some eastern spiritual practises and incorporated them into his own life. Jesus himself may have been a syncretist
Gary,
This was excellently written – you took some thoughts that I had swirling around in my mind and articulated them! I have wondered these same things about the way of Buddha and the way of Christ. I am probably more confused and less doggedly hopeful. I border on being cynical at times but I don’t want to be. I very much relate to what Henri Nouwen wrote…he’s one of my favorites (if only he were a Buddhist….just kidding!)
Barbara, I can relate to being cynical but not wanting to be that way. Yeah, Nouwen is one of my favorites too.
I know that you read Chodron. What have you found in her writings that has been most helpful for you?