# Christianity & Eastern Spirituality



## Caesar

Hey,

I consider myself a Christian.  I was raised Baptist by converts from Catholicism.  I've pretty much gone back to the Catholic Church.  My older sister has converted to Eastern Orthodoxy.  I've been reading a lot about both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.  I've also started reading about a lot of different faiths and philosophies, such as Greco-Roman Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.  

I've seen that there are some groups on Yahoo! that are for Christian Buddhists, Christian Taoists, etc.

I've also seen books with titles such as "Zen Catholicism," " Zen for Christians," "Christ the Eternal Tao," "Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit," "Christ & the Tao," "Christ the Yogi," and many more.

It seems there are a lot of people who consider themselves Christian, but are also embracing a lot of elements of Eastern spirituality.

Does anyone here do that?  Is there anyone here who is a Christian, but has also drawn inspiration and influence from Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc.

I'm curious to know.  Thanks.  

Dante


----------



## pstarr

Well, "zen" ("chan" in Chinese) simply means, "meditation" and doesn't in and of itself necessarily require that practitioners follow one particular faith.  Zen can be practiced by people of any faith or even no faith.


----------



## Carol

Caesar said:
			
		

> Hey,
> 
> I consider myself a Christian. I was raised Baptist by converts from Catholicism. I've pretty much gone back to the Catholic Church. My older sister has converted to Eastern Orthodoxy. I've been reading a lot about both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. I've also started reading about a lot of different faiths and philosophies, such as Greco-Roman Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.
> 
> I've seen that there are some groups on Yahoo! that are for Christian Buddhists, Christian Taoists, etc.
> 
> I've also seen books with titles such as "Zen Catholicism," " Zen for Christians," "Christ the Eternal Tao," "Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit," "Christ & the Tao," "Christ the Yogi," and many more.
> 
> It seems there are a lot of people who consider themselves Christian, but are also embracing a lot of elements of Eastern spirituality.
> 
> Does anyone here do that? Is there anyone here who is a Christian, but has also drawn inspiration and influence from Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc.
> 
> I'm curious to know. Thanks.
> 
> Dante


 
Dante you asked for Christians to answer...and unfortunately I cannot answer as one, but perhaps I can tell you some of what my Christian friends see when they share our (Eastern) traditions.

Quite often we have gotten in to some involved conversations about our faiths (I am of an eastern discipline).  When I speak of my own faith's tenets about reducing ego, anger, and indulgence, my Christian friends have often smiled and said "We don't think they are good ideas either."

In the traditional way to practice my faith, one has a morning and evening reading of scriptures, where we open the holy book to a random page, and read through to the end of the section.   

Many things that are associated with "Eastern Spirituality" are rooted in philosophy and tradition and are not so much the practice of other faiths, but another way to practice your own faith and your own journey with God. 

Is a Christian any less Christian if, in the morning and evening, they respectfully prepare to read their Holy Bible, open it to a random page, and lovingly read through a segment of their sacred words?  I don't think they are.  Nor do I think a Christian is any less a Christian should they choose to read their Bible in a different fashion. 

For me, I read about God and choose to remember him in a way that honors those that came before me. 

For a Christian, it becomes one of the many ways that a Christian can celebrate their faith and love for the Lord Jesus should they choose to.  

Many of the Eastern teachings are like this.  There are traditions, and philosophies, with deep meaning and history...and are often times simply a frame...but a frame large enough to welcomingly fit many paths.   :asian:


----------



## Elayna

Im not sure if what i practice is what you are looking for, but here goes.
 Everything...LOL

Seriously though, i was raised southern babtist with preachers all the way back 5 generations.   Very strict as you can imagine.    But lets just say, I am deffinatly the black sheep of the family.  LOL

I have found, through life experience, and studying of religons on my own, that there is in fact, a bit of truth in all of them.   Anywhere from Voodoo to Christian.
Now of course, its like...Ahhhh???   But i really do believe that.  
I dont believe in dark stuff you know, but i do believe that if you take the good parts out of all the religions on earth, both major and smaller tribal religions  you will find a truth that is so amazing.   I still have to find it...it is a lifes work.   But life is the best teacher out there donta know.  
I would say to you...look on your own...question everything but what your heart tells you.   For man is a tricky creature.  And for all the good intentions even the most honorable of men and women can let their own thoughts and desires sway them and you.
Western Religions mixed with easter religions can be a very good combination if the right aspects of them are taken and put to good use.    The Dahli Lama is a perfect example of Eastern religion mixed with western thought, in my opinion.
I hope my thoughts help....Good wishes to you...


----------



## heretic888

Caesar said:
			
		

> Hey,
> 
> I consider myself a Christian. I was raised Baptist by converts from Catholicism. I've pretty much gone back to the Catholic Church. My older sister has converted to Eastern Orthodoxy. I've been reading a lot about both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. I've also started reading about a lot of different faiths and philosophies, such as Greco-Roman Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.
> 
> I've seen that there are some groups on Yahoo! that are for Christian Buddhists, Christian Taoists, etc.
> 
> I've also seen books with titles such as "Zen Catholicism," " Zen for Christians," "Christ the Eternal Tao," "Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit," "Christ & the Tao," "Christ the Yogi," and many more.
> 
> It seems there are a lot of people who consider themselves Christian, but are also embracing a lot of elements of Eastern spirituality.
> 
> Does anyone here do that? Is there anyone here who is a Christian, but has also drawn inspiration and influence from Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc.
> 
> I'm curious to know. Thanks.
> 
> Dante


 
Dante,

At their root, there is no fundamental difference between traditional Christianity and the so-called "Eastern faiths". They seem different to many modern "Christians" because they are only familiar with the "baby steps" training-wheels version of Christianity that gets bandied about in popular culture. In essence, most fundamentalists and literalists are akin to children that know basic arithmetic and lament about how calculus is "corrupting" the purity of math.

I would suggest the writings of Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating for a good introduction into the teachings of Christian mysticism and contemplative prayer. This stuff has been in Christianity since the beginning, but most "Christians" are just completely oblivious to it.

Laterz.


----------



## Indagator

I believe the higher levels of Catholic thinking (you mentioned you had returned to Catholicism, so I will comment within that context) actually resonate very well with many of the concepts within Eastern philosophy.
Thomistic philosophy (that of St Thomas Aquinas for those who don't recognise the term) is particularly compatible, but also the more obscure Duns Scotus I have found resonates very deeply with the base concepts.

Hope something here helps.


----------



## Touch Of Death

I feel that Americans too readily embrace Eastern philisophy, before fully exploring their own faith.
Sean


----------



## Stac3y

Touch Of Death said:


> I feel that Americans too readily embrace Eastern philisophy, before fully exploring their own faith.
> Sean


 
And what, pray tell, is the Americans' "own" faith?


----------



## Touch Of Death

Stac3y said:


> And what, pray tell, is the Americans' "own" faith?


That would depend on the American in question. Glad to have answered that prayer for you.:ultracool
Sean


----------



## chrispillertkd

Caesar said:


> Hey,
> 
> I consider myself a Christian. I was raised Baptist by converts from Catholicism. I've pretty much gone back to the Catholic Church. My older sister has converted to Eastern Orthodoxy. I've been reading a lot about both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. I've also started reading about a lot of different faiths and philosophies, such as Greco-Roman Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.
> 
> I've seen that there are some groups on Yahoo! that are for Christian Buddhists, Christian Taoists, etc.
> 
> I've also seen books with titles such as "Zen Catholicism," " Zen for Christians," "Christ the Eternal Tao," "Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit," "Christ & the Tao," "Christ the Yogi," and many more.
> 
> It seems there are a lot of people who consider themselves Christian, but are also embracing a lot of elements of Eastern spirituality.
> 
> Does anyone here do that? Is there anyone here who is a Christian, but has also drawn inspiration and influence from Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc.
> 
> I'm curious to know. Thanks.
> 
> Dante


 
If you're Catholic you might want to actually familiarize yourself with what the Church actually teaches on prayer. To that end, the best place to start is the Catechism of the Catholic Church which has as one of its four parts a very extensive section on prayer. 

Other books by reputable Catholic authors such as Jean Danielou (_Prayer: The Mission f the Church_), Hans Urs von Balthasar (_Prayer_), Peter Kreeft (_Prayer for Beginners_), etc. are also well worth time spent reading them. The technique one uses in prayer isn't the most important thing. (There are many famous mystics who have lived throughout the Church's history, such as Pseudo-Dionysius, Augustine, Bonaventure, Aquinas, Theresa of Avilla, John of the Cross, Therese of Liesieux, etc. If you're interested in mysticism or meditation a study of their writings would profit you - or anyone - greatly. Each had their own method of prayer and each method they used has been responsible for producing people of ratehr astounding holiness.) The most important things about prayer are 1) that you _do_ it, and 2) that it is focused on _Jesus_.

As far as mixing eastern and Christian spirituality, as a rule I would counsel against this since at bottom relgions such as Buddhism and Christianity have quite different views of metaphysics, God, anthropology, the purpose of meditation, the nature of salvation, etc. People often gloss over these profound differences in favor of some fairly superficial similarities. Presenting synchratism as somehow open minded and orthodoxy as being close minded is neither accurate nor fair (to any of the belief systems in question). Henri De Lubac's writings on Buddhism would be a good place to start if you're interested in reading what one of the most profound Christian thinkers of the 20thcentury had to say on the subject of a possible relation between Buddhism and Catholicism. 

Pax,

Chris


----------



## Touch Of Death

I took a philosophy course and the teacher said he believed that most American Budhists were simply rebellious Christians, and that what draws these rebellious Christians is the similarities between the religions and not what is different. 
Sean


----------



## Ken Morgan

Touch Of Death said:


> I feel that Americans too readily embrace Eastern philisophy, before fully exploring their own faith.
> Sean


 
Americans in general too readily embrace all faiths.


----------



## jks9199

Touch Of Death said:


> I feel that Americans too readily embrace Eastern philisophy, before fully exploring their own faith.
> Sean


Excellent point!  There's a lot more to Christian theology, as only one example, than most folks ever bother to learn.


----------



## jks9199

Touch Of Death said:


> I took a philosophy course and the teacher said he believed that most American Budhists were simply rebellious Christians, and that what draws these rebellious Christians is the similarities between the religions and not what is different.
> Sean


But what do YOU think for yourself?  And why?

Are there differences in world view between Catholics, other Christians, and Buddhists or Hindus or Shintoists or Daoists?

Do those differences in psychology effect or shape religious practice?


----------



## Touch Of Death

jks9199 said:


> But what do YOU think for yourself? And why?
> 
> Are there differences in world view between Catholics, other Christians, and Buddhists or Hindus or Shintoists or Daoists?
> 
> Do those differences in psychology effect or shape religious practice?


Thats just it in a nutshell. Western thought is based on how we view the concept of truth,(ie closer and further) and I really don't think of truth in other terms, and I doubt most American Converts do either. 
Sean


----------



## chrispillertkd

Touch Of Death said:


> I took a philosophy course and the teacher said he believed that most American Budhists were simply rebellious Christians, and that what draws these rebellious Christians is the similarities between the religions and not what is different.
> Sean


 
I've taught universty courses on religion and the understanding that the Christian undergraduates I had of their own religious tradition was abyssmal. Too often they had mentally checked-out of their catechesis aroun 8th grade and thought they either still remembered everything they had learned when they were 13 but didn't remember 1/2 of it, _or_ did remember what they earned then and still had a 13 year old's understanding of it. 

Some of the people I have taken doctoral seminars in Theology with have been little better I am sad to say.

Pax,

Chris


----------



## Indagator

chrispillertkd said:


> I've taught universty courses on religion and the understanding that the Christian undergraduates I had of their own religious tradition was abyssmal. Too often they had mentally checked-out of their catechesis aroun 8th grade and thought they either still remembered everything they had learned when they were 13 but didn't remember 1/2 of it, _or_ did remember what they earned then and still had a 13 year old's understanding of it.
> 
> Some of the people I have taken doctoral seminars in Theology with have been little better I am sad to say.
> 
> Pax,
> 
> Chris


 

I couldn't comment on other denominations as I am not familiar with them at all, but with Catholicism one notices a significant decline in comprehension of the Faith spiralling out from the VII council.
As for the metaphysics, like I mentioned before, Aquinas and Duns Scotus both write of things with which one can hold an appropriate context to approach much of the Eastern spirituality inherent within the martial arts. I am not sure if I was clear about this statement before so I have tried here to clarify it.

Anyway, what I have said here is what it is - I have no interest in discussion or argument (there is enough apologetic out there to speak for itself without my ignorant mind adding to the fray).
In my experience these topics can often have a tendency to spiral out of control into debates and arguments, so I will leave it at this.

If someone finds it useful, great. If somebody disagrees, then that is their choice. I do not begrudge you that.

PAX ET BONUM SIT SEMPER VOBISCUM, FRATRES!


----------



## chrispillertkd

Indagator said:


> As for the metaphysics, like I mentioned before, Aquinas and Duns Scotus both write of things with which one can hold an appropriate context to approach much of the Eastern spirituality inherent within the martial arts. I am not sure if I was clear about this statement before so I have tried here to clarify it.[/qote]
> 
> I'd be very interested in seeing what Aquinas wrote on the topicof metaphysics (and to a lesser extent Scotus) that lends itself to an approach of eastern spirituality, especialy if you could give references to their original works so I could read them.
> 
> Pax,
> 
> Chris


----------



## ronagle

Elayna said:


> Im not sure if what i practice is what you are looking for, but here goes.
> Everything...LOL
> 
> Seriously though, i was raised southern babtist with preachers all the way back 5 generations.   Very strict as you can imagine.    But lets just say, I am deffinatly the black sheep of the family.  LOL
> 
> I have found, through life experience, and studying of religons on my own, that there is in fact, a bit of truth in all of them.   Anywhere from Voodoo to Christian.
> Now of course, its like...Ahhhh???   But i really do believe that.
> I dont believe in dark stuff you know, but i do believe that if you take the good parts out of all the religions on earth, both major and smaller tribal religions  you will find a truth that is so amazing.   I still have to find it...it is a lifes work.   But life is the best teacher out there donta know.
> I would say to you...look on your own...question everything but what your heart tells you.   For man is a tricky creature.  And for all the good intentions even the most honorable of men and women can let their own thoughts and desires sway them and you.
> Western Religions mixed with easter religions can be a very good combination if the right aspects of them are taken and put to good use.    The Dahli Lama is a perfect example of Eastern religion mixed with western thought, in my opinion.
> I hope my thoughts help....Good wishes to you...




I was raised protestant and have gone through very brief wiccan period, ultimately joined a Sufi order that has some quasi buddhist ties, hows that for a mix?


----------



## Touch Of Death

ronagle said:


> I was raised protestant and have gone through very brief wiccan period, ultimately joined a Sufi order that has some quasi buddhist ties, hows that for a mix?


You are a Christian.
Sean


----------



## Tez3

Touch Of Death said:


> You are a Christian.
> Sean


 

No, he's Manx.


----------



## ronagle

Touch Of Death said:


> You are a Christian.
> Sean



raised yes, initiated as no, I am a sufi in that regard.


----------



## Indagator

chrispillertkd said:


> Indagator said:
> 
> 
> 
> As for the metaphysics, like I mentioned before, Aquinas and Duns Scotus both write of things with which one can hold an appropriate context to approach much of the Eastern spirituality inherent within the martial arts. I am not sure if I was clear about this statement before so I have tried here to clarify it.[/qote]
> 
> I'd be very interested in seeing what Aquinas wrote on the topicof metaphysics (and to a lesser extent Scotus) that lends itself to an approach of eastern spirituality, especialy if you could give references to their original works so I could read them.
> 
> Pax,
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I did say that I would not be posting again in this thread, but for clarity's sake I will make the following comments.
> 
> 1. I should have hyphenated V-II Council rather than posting VII Council as I did, which looks more like it refers to a seventh council as opposed to the Second Vatican Council.
> 
> 2. (Directly pertaining to the quoted text)
> I believe you may have misread or misunderstood the statement which is made here. This may be my fault, so I will elaborate slightly in order to attempt to clarify what it is that I have said.
> 
> Within the frame of reference of or pertaining to the realm of metaphysics (of which both referenced authors dealt with immensely) there are fundamental elements, points or ideals from whence one can (whilst firmly grounded in Thomism/Scotism) operate within an appropriate context (the context here being rooted in either or both of the Dominican or Franciscan metaphysical basis) with which to approach much of the Eastern spirituality that is inherent within the scope and mantle of the martial arts.
> 
> This is a definitive distinctive separation from the impression I seem to have given you, however in my poorly defined explanation I have muddied the waters such as to cause the confusion which is exhibited in the interpretation you have shown here.
> 
> As I originally stated, however, I will not be participating in open discussion over the topic of spirituality or religion. I am happy to help and clarify any of my statements further with you, if you would like to PM me.
> 
> There are a number of works from either author which deal with what I refer to, again just PM me and I can get back to you about some of that - from the posts you have made I assume you can read Latin fine, which is good as most of the works I have are in the original Latin. If not, no problem, however it may take me a bit longer to find English versions of these works.
> 
> Anyway, I hope I have cleared up at least some of what I meant to say, and I apologise for having been unclear in the first place.
> 
> PAX DOMINI SIT SEMPER VOBISCUM, FRATRES.
Click to expand...


----------



## Yondanchris

I believe that we can observe certain religious "traits" such as the patience and persistance of buddism 
or the hard work ethic of Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses and draw that into our understanding of faith. 
Now I will say that certain traits and practices are not fully compatible with other faiths. 
Out of my own experience I grew up in the Christian church but left for a time in which 
I accepted many facets of religion, only to come back and realize the truth found in the Bible.

_*I hope I will only have to say this once: *_

_*Jesus was very clear*_ on the path, way, journey, religion, of _*all mankind*_: 

"Jesus said to him, &#8220;I am *the way*, and *the truth*, and*the life*. _*No one*_ 
comes to the Father _*except through m*__*e*_" (underlines and italics are mine)
John 14:6 

Jesus forcefully stating the priority of his message and the objective statements
of being in very essence THE way, THE truth, and THE life! 

Every "religion" accepts to some degree the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth (the Messiah/Christ) 
but He did not come to be a "good teacher" or a "moral man"
He came to "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10) 

Jesus also said to a man seeking the right path:

"&#8220;For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, 
that _*whoever believes in him*_ should not _*perish but have eternal life.*_ 
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, 
but in order that the world might be saved through him. 
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, 
but whoever _*does not believe is condemned already*_, 
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" 
John 3:16-17 
(Italics and Underlines are mine) 

One more thing I will share, that Jesus made the way "do" easy for all: 

"because, if you _*confess*_ with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and _*believe *_
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, _*you will be saved.*_" 
Romans 10:9 

If any of you want to know more...send me a message or e-mail me at
Chris@trinitydowney.com 

Grace and Peace, 

Chris


----------

