20
Apr
2009
Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh explains things far better than I ever could, so I will share some sections of LBLC:
“When we read, ‘The Heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove,’ we can see that Jesus Christ was already enlightened. He was in touch with the reality of life, the source of mindfulness, wisdom, and understanding within Him, and this made Him different than other human beings… Sitting beneath the Bodhi tree, many wonderful, holy seeds within the Buddha blossomed forth. He was human, but at the same time, he became an expression of the highest spirit in humanity. When we are in touch with the highest spirit in ourselves, we too are a Buddha, filled with the Holy Spirit and we become very tolerant, very open, very deep, and very understanding.”
O.K., so you might be saying to yourself, “what kind of New-Age crap is that?” It’s not.
So, some explanation. Mindfulness is the practice of being in the moment. When you are walking, walk. When you are eating, eat. It is through mindfulness that we live deeply, touching both enlightenment and the Holy Spirit.
I studied Comparative Religion in college, and I have a lot of issues with Buddhism. Mainly, as it is practiced in Asia (not the imported, Westernized version celebrities have popularized), it is an elitist religion. Only monks get to work towards enlightenment, and if you are not a monk in this life, well, sucks for you, better luck next time. Because of this, Buddhist monks, mostly, tend to be wrapped up in themselves, and do not work for the community as some other religious orders do.
But Thich Nhat Hanh is talking to everyone here. Everyone can reach enlightenment. You don’t have to be a monk. You don’t even have to be Buddhist. In fact, he encourages non-Buddhists to stick to the religion that they were raised in. Connecting to, and reverence of, ancestors, he says, helps to root us. But these are not just genetic ancestors. Thich Nhat Hanh considers Jesus to be a spiritual ancestor.
It is not unusual to practice more than one religion in Asia, where blending of folk religions, philosophy, Buddhism, and lately Christianity has been going on for centuries.
Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to explain that philosophy has to be put into motion. He writes:
“To take good care of yourself and…living beings and…the environment is the best way to love God. This love is possible when there is the understanding that you are not separate from other beings or the environment. This understanding cannot be merely intellectual. It must experiential, the insight gained by deep touching and deep looking in a daily life of prayer, contemplation, and meditation.”
And really, what is prayer but introspection and meditation. Most of our prayers seem to go unanswered, but maybe the act of prayer, like the act of mediation, is the answer itself.
Buy Living Buddha, Living Christ 10th Anniversary Edition on Amazon
If you like this book/author, you might like:
(my reviews in blue)
Thou Art That by Joseph Campbell
Lamb by Christopher Moore
Deep River by Shusaku Endo
Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra
Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment by Deepack Chopra
The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore by Deepak Chopra
The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels (translator)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Persig
The Yoga of Jesus: Understanding the Hidden Teachings of the Gospels by Paramahansa Yogananda
History of Religious Ideas, Volume 2: From Gautama Buddha to the Triumph of Christianity by Mircea Eliade
Yoga: Immortality and Freedom by Mircea Eliade
The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus by The Dalai Lama
The Collected Poems of Thomas Merton by Thomas Merton
The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions by Karen Armstrong
Buddha by Karen Armstrong
Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings by Marcus Borg
Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha by Jack Kerouac
Searching for God by Francis L. Gross
The Gospels with Salt: Jesus Wildman-Jesus Woman: Meditations on the Gospels by Francis L. Gross
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
Dakota by Kathleen Norris
Other works by Thich Nhat Hanh:
Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers
Chanting from the Heart: Buddhist Ceremonies and Daily Practices
A Rose for Your Pocket: An Appreciation of Motherhood
Cultivating the Mind of Love
Hermitage Among the Clouds: An Historical Novel of Fourteenth Century Vietnam
Being Peace
Calming the Fearful Mind: A Zen Response to Terrorism
Call Me By My True Names: The Collected Poems of Thich Nhat Hanh
Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends from Vietnam
Breathe, You Are Alive: The Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Friends on the Path: Living Spiritual Communities
A Pebble for Your Pocket by
Buddha Mind, Buddha Body: Walking Toward Enlightenment
Finding Our True Home: Living in the Pure Land Here and Now
The Blooming of a Lotus: Guided Meditation Exercises for Healing and Transformation
Each Breath a Smile
The Energy of Prayer: How to Deepen Your Spiritual Practice
Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training by Annabel Laity
The Art of Power
Taming the Tiger Within: Meditations on Transforming Difficult Emotions
Understanding Our Mind: 50 Verses on Buddhist Psychology
Teachings on Love
Joyfully Together: The Art of Building a Harmonious Community
No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life
Peace Begins Here: Palestinians and Israelis Listening to Each Other
The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra
Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen Practice
The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation
Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha
The Stone Boy and Other Stories
Under the Rose Apple Tree
Keeping the Peace: Mindfulness and Public Service
Transformation and Healing: Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness
The Hermit and the Well
Thundering Silence: Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Catch a Snake
The Raft Is Not the Shore: Conversations Toward a Buddhist/Christian Awareness
Touching Peace: Practicing the Art of Mindful Living
True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart
Present Moment Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living b
Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation
The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology
The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Diamond Sutra
Peaceful Action, Open Heart: Lessons from the Lotus Sutra
Master Tang Hoi: First Zen Teacher in Vietnam and China
Love in Action: Writings on Nonviolent Social Change
Two Treasures: Buddhist Teachings on Awakening and True Happiness
Opening the Heart of the Cosmos: Insights on the Lotus Sutra
The Sutra on the Eight Realizations of the Great Beings: A Buddhist Scripture on Simplicity, Genrosity and Compassion
Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism
A Taste of Earth: And Other Legends of Vietnam
Thich Nhat Hanh: Essential Writings
A Lifetime of Peace: Essential Writings by and about Thich Nhat Hanh
Freedom Wherever We Go: A Buddhist Monastic Code for the Twenty-first Century
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go: Waking Up To Who You Are
The Sun My Heart
Be Free Where You Are
Fragrant Palm Leaves: Journals, 1962-1966
Answers from the Heart: Compassionate and Practical Responses to Life’s Burning Questions
Calm, Ease, Smile, Breathe by Logan Payne
For a Future to Be Possible: Buddhist Ethics for Everyday Life
Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism
The Path of Emancipation: Talks from a 21-Day Mindfulness Retreat
Touching the Earth: Guided Meditations for Mindfulness Practice
I Have Arrived, I Am Home: Celebrating 20 Years of Plum Village Life
Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching
My Master’s Robe: Memories of a Novice Monk
Our Appointment with Life: Discourse on Living Happily in the Present Moment
