Buddhism In My Life
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006
Being a Japanese-American, I’ve grown up with Buddhism. Mostly around funerals but also other traditions like the Obon festival. Being a firm Christian, I’ve never been attracted to Buddhism, but it has always raised some internal conflicts.
Let me start by saying that I’ve never researched exactly what Buddhists teach although it seems like there are different types of Buddhists and you can end up at different places. What I do understand is fundamentally you must do something like find wisdom or reach enlightenment to get to that place. How you know if you reach enlightenment is beyond me. This differs from Christianity that say that you can’t do anything to reach Heaven, except to have faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins. And even that faith is a gift from God. (For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9)
So this leads to that big conflict that nobody, including myself, wants to examine. What happens to our Buddhist and other non-Christian family members and friends when they die? If I’m true to my Christian faith, then I can’t honestly say they are with God. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) See, that’s just not something I want to think about. So what am I to do? Start evangelizing all my friends and family. Sounds good until I start alienating everyone, which might be okay with friends but not really practical for family. So, I just pray that God will send the Holy Spirit into their hearts. Maybe my using me and my family or by some other divine means.
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