Communion
I've been taking communion, and asking myself why? What do I mean by this? What do I see in this? We've been going to a house church on Sunday night* and they have communion each week, so I've had to consider this rite more frequently. We had communion at my SDA church this Saturday too so I guess I got a double helping this weekend.
The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has taken part in the Eucharist. He said in reference to that, "To me, religious life is life. I do not see any reason to spend one's whole life tasting just one kind of fruit. We humans can be nourished by the best values of many traditions."
He also considers the Eucharist/Communion a call to mindfulness which puts us in touch with ultimate reality, with Christ.
In taking communion I am trying to touch what Christ might be and take what he might offer. What he is and what he offers, I don't know for certain.
I have said that I am Buddhist already because in a very practical sense I already "take refuge" in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. "Taking refuge" in the three jewels is how one "offically" becomes a Buddhist. But already, though I've made no formal vows, I turn to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha for guidance or "refuge"
So to I must still be a Christian because I look to the life of Christ for guidance, I wrestle with the Scriptures and I take refuge in the Christian Sangha. (i.e. Christian Community)
But Thich Nhat Han considers Christ to be one of his spiritual ancestors. He even has a little statue of Christ on his shrine. The title of his book, "Living Buddha, Living Christ." refers to his belief that we make the Buddha and Christ "living" when we live out their teachings.
I have few problems with being this kind of Christian, but I have been told I must believe that Christ was more than just enlightened. I've been told that the historical Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth, and the light", the only way for men to be saved. I've been told that I must accept the divinity of Christ to be a "real" Christian.
I have no way to accept this now. The supernatural element, sometimes superstitious way of Christianity has no reality for me. I see the positive effects
of certain Christian practices, but I've seen nothing to convince me of the divine. For the Buddhist the "divine" is in the present moment. Thich Nhat Han says something like, 'The miracle is not to walk on water, the real miracle is to walk on earth.' I can look around and see that this is true. I can see the miracles all around me. But to go and thank some unseen God for making them? I don't know.
*(Yes, I go too church twice a week now, plus a Saturday night study, Emergent Cohort monthly and I've got a possible Women's group coming up. For a semi Buddhist, agnositc, halfventist I'm more "religious" than anyone I know.)
The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has taken part in the Eucharist. He said in reference to that, "To me, religious life is life. I do not see any reason to spend one's whole life tasting just one kind of fruit. We humans can be nourished by the best values of many traditions."
He also considers the Eucharist/Communion a call to mindfulness which puts us in touch with ultimate reality, with Christ.
In taking communion I am trying to touch what Christ might be and take what he might offer. What he is and what he offers, I don't know for certain.
I have said that I am Buddhist already because in a very practical sense I already "take refuge" in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. "Taking refuge" in the three jewels is how one "offically" becomes a Buddhist. But already, though I've made no formal vows, I turn to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha for guidance or "refuge"
So to I must still be a Christian because I look to the life of Christ for guidance, I wrestle with the Scriptures and I take refuge in the Christian Sangha. (i.e. Christian Community)
But Thich Nhat Han considers Christ to be one of his spiritual ancestors. He even has a little statue of Christ on his shrine. The title of his book, "Living Buddha, Living Christ." refers to his belief that we make the Buddha and Christ "living" when we live out their teachings.
I have few problems with being this kind of Christian, but I have been told I must believe that Christ was more than just enlightened. I've been told that the historical Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth, and the light", the only way for men to be saved. I've been told that I must accept the divinity of Christ to be a "real" Christian.
I have no way to accept this now. The supernatural element, sometimes superstitious way of Christianity has no reality for me. I see the positive effects
of certain Christian practices, but I've seen nothing to convince me of the divine. For the Buddhist the "divine" is in the present moment. Thich Nhat Han says something like, 'The miracle is not to walk on water, the real miracle is to walk on earth.' I can look around and see that this is true. I can see the miracles all around me. But to go and thank some unseen God for making them? I don't know.
*(Yes, I go too church twice a week now, plus a Saturday night study, Emergent Cohort monthly and I've got a possible Women's group coming up. For a semi Buddhist, agnositc, halfventist I'm more "religious" than anyone I know.)
Comments
I have to admit not all of this is easy - I have spiritual struggles of my own. Yet no matter how confusing things get, I cannot help but see the ways God has worked in the past, and I can't help but think that He will continue to work in the future.
Sometime I'd like to share my life story with you. It's not pretty, but it may at least be something for you to ponder as you take this journey.
And by the way - don't stop asking questions! I totally commend you for searching things out for yourself rather than being a blind follower.
Maybe all his teaching are true, I don't know, but I don't think the ways we have interpreted them are always true. There is a mystery there that we gloss over.
As for how God has worked, I can't grasp that. One person suggested God led me to Buddhism to help me get over my anxiety, panic attacks and depression. But most SDA's would interpret that differently.