The Gospel for Buddhists and the Dharma for Christians

by Roebert, Donovan; Rinpoche, Samdhong; De Gruchy, John W.

• ISBN13: 9781606080405
• ISBN10: 1606080407
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-02
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Pub

Summary

In this book Donovan Roebert provides a path for Christians and Buddhists who wish to better understand the essential, living tenets of their own faith while exploring how these two great religious paths can provide insights of real benefit to adherents of either. Without lapsing into syncretism or demanding a departure from orthodoxy, this book provides a sound and thorough basis on which Christians and Buddhists Â- and all those seeking greater insight into faiths other than their own - can explore the rich possibilities for learning from one another. Beyond describing in detail the doctrines and practices of Christianity and Buddhism, this book describes the authentic human path of religious development with a strong focus on the problem of 'self' or 'ego' in spiritual growth, discussing obstacles to growth and exploring their remedies. Brief histories of both religions are provided, enabling the reader to understand how diversity is an inevitable consequence of historical development and, rather than standing as a problem in religious dialogue, is always a means to spiritual enrichment.The Gospel for Buddhists and the Dharma for Christians is the fruit of a personal spiritual journey of thirty years. It demonstrates that the search for religious freedom becomes richer and more rewarding when a spacious mind engages with, rather then flees from, religious paths outside of its own tradition. Finally, it is a plea for sincere friendship across factitious religious divides.

Author Biography

Donovan Roebert is the author of Samdhong Rinpoche: Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World (2006) and Jungian Moon (1994). Formerly involved in Christian mission work, he converted to Buddhism in 1997. He is the founder of the Christian Friends of Tibet in South Africa.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Author's Preface	p. xi
Foreword by Ven. Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche	p. xv
Foreword by Prof. John W. de Gruchy	p. xix
Introduction	p. xxi
Syncretism, Exclusivism and the Middle Way
Extreme Syncretism
Exclusive Conformism
Self, Relativity and the Absolute
Relative Selves, Relative Paths
A Middle Way
The Relative Nature of Self and Religion
Positively Open or Negatively Shut
Faith and Knowledge.	p. 1
The Teachers: Jesus Christ and the Buddha
Jesus in the Gospels
The Historical Jesus
The Teaching of Jesus
His life as Teaching
His Death and Resurrection
The Pattern of Christian Growth
Evil Defeated
Christlike Sacrifice
Knowing God and His Kingdom
The Life of the Buddha
The Life of the Buddha as Teaching
The Buddha's Dharma: The First Noble Truth
The Second Noble Truth
The Third Noble Truth
The Fourth Noble Truth: The Eightfold Path
Other Teachings.	p. 17
The Saving Work of the Teachers
The Nature of the Teachers and the Nature of People
The Buddha as Universal Teacher
The Dharmakaya Emanation
Transcending Karma
A Buddhist View of Christ
Intellectual Analysis and Spirit
Other Complementary Truths
Fallenness: Eating The Fruit
Repentance and Renewal
Renewal in Buddhism
The Sense of Fallenness
In Christ
In the Three Jewels
A Pause to Look Back.	p. 66
Outline Histories of Christianity and Buddhism
History, Diversity, Division and Authenticity
Brief History of Christianity
The First Century
Early Scriptures
Institution
Doctrine
Method and Practice
Summary of the First Period
The Second and Third Centuries
The Imperial Church
After Constantine
The Roman Church
The Later Byzantine Church
Schism
The Medieval Church
The Reformation
The Counter Reformation
Protestantism
Later Developments
The Modern Church
Christian Diversity
The Christian Understanding of History
Brief History of Buddhism
The Early Sects
Monasticism
The First Scholastic Splits
Early Buddhist Practice
Early Missions
The Mahayana
Developments in Mahayana Doctrine to 500 AD
The Hinayana in the Same Period
Later Buddhist Missions
The Tantrayana
The Later Spread of Buddhism
Chinese Buddhism
Japan
Tibet
Buddhism After 1000 AD
Revision and Diversity
History, Diversity and the Mean.	p. 127
The Paths and the Goals
The Christian Goal in the World
Personal Will, Habits of Mind
Human Instinct
The Buddhist Goal in Samsara: Wisdom
Compassion
Comparative Comment
Christian Perseverance
Buddhist Determination
A Note on the Stages of the Path
Stages of the Christian Path
First Stage: The Path of Renewal
Second Stage: The Path of Awareness
Development of Self-View on the Path of Awareness
Other Aspects of Growth
Third Stage: The Path of Dying
Falling Away on the Path of Dying
Stability on the Path
Fourth Stage: The Path of Death
Purification
Complection
Fifth Stage: The Path of Resurrection
Two Approaches to the Christian Path
Obstacles on the Christian Path
Carnal Self-Centredness
Distraction
Doubt
Fear
Fear of Evil
Perfect Love as Antidote to Fear
Temptation
Actual Sin
Discouragement
Presumption
Despair
Summary: Mind on the Christian Path
Stages of the Buddhist Path
First Stage: The Path of Accumulation
Second stage: The Path of Preparation
Meditative Preparation
First Step: Cultivating Non-Distraction
Second Step: Identifying the Wrongly Perceived 'I'
Third Step: Reasoned Negation of the Inherent Existence of 'I'
Fourth Step: Cultivating Calm Abiding (Shamatha)
Fifth Step: Single-Pointedness (Vipashyana)
Purpose
Mind and Modes of Consciousness
General Growth on the Path of Preparation
Third Stage: The Path of Seeing
Analytical Meditation on Emptiness
Alternating Meditation
Meditation on Emptiness
Attainments of Seeing
Meditation and Post-Meditation
Fourth Stage: The Path of Meditation
Wisdom-Compassion and the Perfections
Fifth Stage: No More Learning
Obstacles one the Eightfold Path
Wrong View of the Self
Wrong View of Others
Wrong View of Phenomena
Wrong View of Events
Wrong View of Dharma
Wrong Attitude to Self
Wrong Attitude to Others
Wrong Attitude to Phenomena
Wrong Attitude to Events
Wrong Attitude to Dharma
Distraction as Source of Obstacles on the Christian and Buddhist Paths
Overcoming Afflictions (Obstacles on the Christian Path in Buddhist Perspective)
Wrong Views and Attitudes (Obstacles on the Buddhist Path in Christian Perspective)
Self and the Inner Energy
Method
Empowerments
The Goal
Beyond Physical Death
The Christian View
The Buddhist View
Common Ground.	p. 203
Conclusion: An Invitation to Spaciousness
The Essential Path
Doctrine
Spaciousness.	p. 309
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