Buddha gazes upon Christ. Christ gazes upon Buddha.
This wonderful picture, which was taken during a Buddhist retreat at a Christian monastery, speaks deeply of the relationship between Christ and Buddha. They, Buddha and Christ, are different, yet they both exist in the shared space of our world. Because this is a Buddhist retreat, the followers of Buddha are bowing toward the image of Buddha. This does not devalue the existence, life, and teachings of Christ. Rather it is only a shift in focus.
Likewise, if the photo had been taken from the other perspective, i.e. behind the image of Christ, with Christians at prayer before Christ, their prayer and focus on Christ would in no way diminish the life and teachings of Buddha.
Here Christ gazes over the prostrating forms and sees Buddha. Buddha looks over the heads of the disciples and sees Christ.
Both, I imagine, rejoice in lives lived in deep faith, love, and compassion.
Namo Amida Bu!
Ananda
Tags: Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Catholic, Christ, Christianity, Compassion, faith, Jesus, Namo Amida Bu, Refuge, Retreat, suffering
Peace Paul's Blog 
January 28, 2014 at 12:47 am |
Superb, what a website it is! This blog presents useful data to us, keep it up.
December 27, 2017 at 4:53 am |
Reblogged this on Peace Paul's Blog and commented:
Here is a re-post of a blog from four years ago. A belated Merry Christmas and Happy Bodhi Day.
December 27, 2017 at 9:49 am |
Paul, my current writing is a series, “The Doom Healer.” I merely listen to my characters, and they tell me what to write. Well, they have told me that Jesus was a reincarnation of Gautama.
🙂
December 28, 2017 at 4:57 am |
Aloha Bob, why does that need to be the case? Why can’t Christ and Buddha be two different beings that arise in very different contexts but nevertheless both offer ways of life that lead to greater love and compassion in the world? Diversity and difference is a good thing. Jesus and Buddha do not need to be the same.