To start the blog dialogue, here’s a point that seemed particularly interesting to explore.

Reader’s comment: “I was talking to a friend about Shin Buddhism, the nature of Amida, the Vow, and Nembutsu. He said that the Dharma, the teaching, seems to be the same as the ‘dharma’ preached by other religions. Even Jesus could be a manifestation of Amida since he stressed love and compassion.”

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When we consider that Amida is the Infinite and eternal truth or Reality, then we can understand that Amida’s truth can be expressed under many forms and expressions. This is a theory usually call the Perennial Philosophy. I take the position that wherever there are similarities in religions, that indicates that the idea is universal, though it may be expressed in varying historical and cultural contexts. It doesn’t mean that all religions are the same. They each have their different histories, varying perspectives and approaches to reality that we must take seriously.

Yet, religion is a universal and human phenomena and given similarities among people, there could naturally be similarities in their thought. This is sometimes call parallelism. Similar thought and practices may arise in different locations even when there is no contact between the peoples in question. Similarities needn’t disturb us, but we can understand them as supports for the implicit truth of our human experience.

There are teachers who state that Jesus could be a bodhisattva and in a particular context, the embodiment of the compassion and wisdom of Reality. That isn’t the same as claiming that Jesus is the only savior of humanity as many Christians do. It simply affirms that there is also truth in things that Jesus taught and truth is ultimately one. These aren’t different truths but Truth with many expressions.

Gassho,
Al