It is a joyous occasion when holy beings appear in the world. They turn people’s minds away from hatred and greed and open their hearts to love and generosity. They offer humanity a way out of the cycle of selfishness and violence that causes so much suffering. Their very lives and words point us beyond our limited selves.
Therefore, we should celebrate the approach of Christmas, which marks the birth of Jesus, the Anointed One, with whom Gautama, the Awakened One, would have found much common ground. Like the Buddha, the mother of Jesus had celestial visions foretelling Jesus’ birth and greatness. Like the Buddha, Jesus’ birth tells a lot about his message and his audience.
Unlike the Buddha, Jesus was born into a poor family in humble, i.e. impoverished, circumstances. Shortly after Jesus’ birth, the Holy family is forced by political strife to flee to, and live as refugees in, another country. They do not return home until there is change in political leadership.
It is not surprising then when we encounter Jesus, as an adult, hanging out with and teaching the impoverished, the oppressed, and the outcasts. His teachings and stories are grounded in the everyday struggles and experiences of a people living in difficult situations with little if any political power or social standing. The miracles that surround Jesus address concrete needs: Hunger, Sickness, Death, and Hope.
The Christian message is not the same as the Buddhist Dharma. Nevertheless, we should honor Jesus and learn from and be challenged by his teachings. We should appreciate similarities, praise lives lived in deep faith, and rejoice in all good that is done in the name of Jesus.
Most importantly, we should celebrate the hope and promise that the baby Jesus offers a world filled with war, poverty, and discrimination. Jesus offers us Love: Love as a way of life and as cure for the ills of the world.
Namo Amida Bu!
Peace, Paul
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