Appreciation

I have been a Buddhist for some years. And I am a follower of Christ.

Which makes me a rather confusing dude to some people-of-the-cloth. And a heretic to others.

No prob. I appreciate feedback, but judgement ... that, I leave to the Divine.

I don't get Buddhism. And I don't get Christianity. On the one hand, I can't understand how Buddhists - especially my fellow monks - can delve so deep into matters as they do.

When I see a cow, they see 256 spinning vortices of energy, the anima and the animus to be a bit Jungian, and a whole lot of stuff that is hidden and strange to us norms.

I don't get Christians, either. How people can say "In my big black book, it says that ... and so this is how it is!". Without considering the culture or the people or the circumstances under which the particular scripture was written.

But what I do get is faith. What I do get are the burning hearts, the wish to understand, the willingness to devote time to study human psychology and physiology, as the Buddhists (and especially, my variety, Tibetan Buddhism) have done for millennia. What I truly can relate to, are Christians who say "sure, I don't understand everything in the Bible. Or this world. But I believe in Jesus, who came with his new commandment: Love",

And I truly appreciate people with faith, who dare to face the mysteries of this universe with "Yup! There's gotta be something larger than this hum-drum life!"

A lay preacher once spoke of faith in a sermon. About how we all, no matter our religion, have faith. When we sit down, we have faith that the atoms of the chair will meet us and support us. If you know a little bit about physics, you know that this is actually not self-evident.

So, next time you are in a theological discussion, and someone questions your faith ... why not simply say "Yeah. Sure, I have faith. I believe in Love!"

Tends to make even the most salvation-eager shut their yap. Which is something I truly appreciate. Though a priest and monk, I am not too eager on others saving me. I'd rather save myself, with help from above.