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Living Buddha, Living Christ |
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| Book: Hardcover | 4.72 x 8.34in | 240 pages | ISBN 9781573220187 | 12 Sep 1995 | Riverhead | 14 - AND UP years |
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Buddha and Christ, perhaps the two most pivotal figures in the history of
humankind, each left behind a legacy of teachings and practices that have shaped the lives
of billions of people over the course of two millennia. If they were to meet on the road
today, what would each think of the other's spiritual views and practices?
Thich Nhat Hanh has been part of a decades-long dialogue between the two greatest
living contemplative traditions, and brings to Christianity an appreciation of its beauty
that could only be conveyed by an outsider. In a lucid, meditative prose, he explores the
crossroads of compassion and holiness at which the two traditions meet, and reawakens
our understanding of both. "On the altar in my hermitage," he says, "are images of
Buddha and Jesus, and . . . I touch both of them as my spiritual ancestors."
>A rare combination of mystic, scholar, and activist, Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat
Hanh is one of the most beloved Buddhist teachers in the West.
"[Thich Nhat Hanh] is a holy man, for he is humble and devout. . . . His ideas for
peace . . . would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity."
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in nominating Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967
Royalties from the sale of Living Buddha, Living Christ support Thich
Nhat Hanh's work at Plum Village and in Vietnam, and the development of a residential
retreat center in the United States.
Twenty years ago at a conference I attended of theologians and professors
of religion, an Indian Christian friend told the assembly, "We are going to hear about the
beauties of several traditions, but that does not mean that we are going to make a fruit
salad." When it came my turn to speak, I said, "Fruit salad can be delicious! I have shared
the Eucharist with Father Daniel Berrigan, and our worship became possible because of
the sufferings we Vietnamese and Americans shared over many years." Some of the
Buddhists present were shocked to hear I had participated in the Eucharist, and many
Christians seemed truly horrified. To me, religious life is life. I do not see any reason to
spend one's whole life tasting one kind of fruit. We human beings can be nourished by the
best values of many traditions.
Just as a flower is made only of non-flower elements, Buddhism is made only of
non-Buddhist elements, including Christian ones, and Christianity is made of non-
Christian elements, including Buddhist ones. We have different roots, traditions, and
ways of seeing, but we share the common qualities of love, understanding, and
acceptance. For our dialogue to be open, we need to open our hearts, set aside our
prejudices, listen deeply, and represent truthfully what we know and understand. To do
this, we need a certain amount of faith. In Buddhism, faith means confidence in our and
others' ability to wake up to our deepest capacity of loving and understanding. In
Christianity, faith means trust in God, the One who represents love, understanding,
dignity, and truth. When we are still, looking deeply, and touching the source of our true
wisdom, we touch the living Buddha and the living Christ in ourselves and in each person
we meet.
In this small book, I shall try to share some of my experiences of and insights into
two of the world's beautiful flowers, Buddhism and Christianity, so that we as a society
can begin to dissolve our wrong perceptions, transcend our wrong views, and see one
another in fresh, new ways. If we can enter the twenty-first century with this spirit of
mutual understanding and acceptance, our children and their children will surely benefit.
Body, Mind, and Spirit Award
International Prize Dialogue
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