To borrow heavily from Nathan\u2019s post (see the original<\/a> for more from the Buddho-blogosphere):<\/p>\n Tom Armstrong has a\u00a0fascinating post<\/span><\/a>\u00a0examining the languaging on homelessness in a newsletter for a branch of Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento. The newsletter opens with a quote from Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield, and then goes on to make a decidedly Christian statement about homeless people:\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span> They may look like humble clay as they trudge along 12th Street towards Loaves & Fishes but the stress of shared homelessness cracks open their humanity and gives us glimpses of the spark of divinity within them.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span> Tom goes on to comment, \u201cCatholics, like other Christians, see people as essentially sinful. The Buddhist view is the opposite: People are essentially noble and good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span> Check out the whole article for more; it\u2019s worth looking at partly because I think some convert Buddhists, who were immersed in Christian traditions before becoming Buddhists, really struggle to flip over the narrative that people are \u201csinful by nature.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The \u2018sinful by nature\u2019<\/span><\/b> language is definitely a turn-off for many converts in the West to Buddhism. And like Nathan (in his comment on Tom\u2019s blog), I too missed the subtle spin given to the original story by L&F.;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But here\u2019s the basic idea: In Jack Kornfield\u2019s story, the clay\/muck statue which was so-so symbolized us in our daily lives. The golden Buddha within it represents us at our fullest potential, our awakened nature.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n On the other hand:<\/span><\/p>\n In the Catholic L&F; version via Tom\u2019s post, the clay\/muck statue represented \u2018certain of our clients\u2026\u00a0but the stress of shared homelessness cracks open their humanity and gives us glimpses of the spark of divinity within them.\u2019 \u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s subtle, but the twist seems to be that while Kornfield was suggesting we see the inner Awakened Nature hidden within each of us, the L&F; message is that we might see beyond our human nature to our \u2018spark of divinity.\u2019<\/span><\/span> Ultimately Though\u2026<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span> This week, Nathan at Dangerous Harvests pointed me to an interesting post by an old friend, Tom Armstrong at his Sacramento Homeless Blog. To borrow heavily from Nathan\u2019s post (see the original for more from the Buddho-blogosphere): Tom Armstrong has a\u00a0fascinating post\u00a0examining the languaging on homelessness in a newsletter for a branch of Loaves and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>
Awakened Nature\u2026 Spark of Divinity<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
Are they the same?\u00a0Are they\u00a0different?\u00a0Are they\u00a0both the same and different?\u00a0Are they\u00a0neither the same nor different? (basic Buddhist logical categorization)<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
I think it\u2019s number 3: both the same and different<\/i>. Why?<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
Awakened Nature in Buddhism and the Spark of Divinity in Christianity are the same<\/i> because both demand that we look beyond our narrow (egocentric) visions of ourselves. Both push us instead toward a unifying aspect of \u2018us\u2019 \u2013 the \u2018us\u2019 that is awake, just like everyone else, and the \u2018us\u2019 that is a part of and one with God, just like everyone else.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
Each thus provide for an alleviation of suffering in one who is trapped in selfish and superficial clinging\/aversion. \u00a0Each too points to a wisdom that is beyond our ignorant (sinful?) knowledge of things as they are.<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
Awakened Nature is different<\/i>\u00a0from the Spark of Divinity for many reasons, context and historical traditions among them. But in particular is the drive in (mainstream) Catholicism and Christianity toward \u2018other power\u2019 \u2013 that is surrendering yourself to another force in the Universe for salvation. This does occur in Buddhism as well, and has historically been very popular in China after the 6th century and Japan some centuries later. However, most Buddhist traditions subscribe to some form of \u2018self power\u2019 \u2013 the notion that we and we alone are responsible for our eventual awakening. So the idea of a \u2018divinity\u2019 within us that is found under stress is naive at best, escapist and delusional at worst.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span>
Just how <\/i>you understand all of this should be a matter of your own practice, be it Christian or Buddhist. One of my dear Catholic friends once told me that in Christianity, humanity is fundamentally sinful, but even more fundamentally pure<\/i>. I think he might have gotten that from Tony De Mello (book links below), himself influence by Hinduism and Buddhism. And my own knowledge of Catholicism is that it is very diverse; many Catholics have far more in common with H.H. the Dalai Lama than they do with H.H. the Pope.<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
And, as mentioned, many Buddhists would perhaps agree in some sense with the L&F; spin on Kornfield\u2019s story; that our \u2018humanity\u2019 is but clay encasing our divine\/Buddha nature. Humanity in early Buddhism is the most favorable realm of the \u2018sense-realm\u2019 to be born into (better than gods, animals, etc); but it is not the BEST rebirth = so called \u2018once returners\u2019 will be born in the \u2018form realm\u2019 of purity before rebirth, and those who awaken under the Buddha will not be reborn at all. So we should not get too caught up in our humanity and all its foibles.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
A LOT of Buddhism and Catholicism aims to make us see the foibles of our \u2018human condition\u2019 (be-it sinful or ignorant) and to work toward its alleviation. \u00a0The vehicles are certainly different, true. And at times even contradictory, yes. But even different schools of Buddhism, or different teachings within<\/i>\u00a0schools might be seen as contradictory.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
In Contradictions is the Light\u2026<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>
But when we find these contradictions, they might just be a call to look deeper. One of my teachers expressed the notion of \u2018views\u2019 very well with a figure of a pyramid or triangle. We get stuck to \u2018views\u2019 on one edge or the other, but it\u2019s only in the middle (when we let go<\/i>) that we can move upward toward Truth. And guess what \u2013 when people on the \u2018other side\u2019 do the same, we both end up at the same place.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
Of course that doesn\u2019t mean that our views must all be let go of. Sometimes (oftentimes) we need them to function in life and to work toward positive change in the world. And it\u2019s not to say that all views have some inherent dignity or truth. Like \u2018flat-earthers\u2019 or Sarah Palin about pretty much everything; some things simply don\u2019t relate to reality on any<\/i>\u00a0level.<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
When it comes to the \u2018fundamental\u2019 meaning of Catholic wisdom or most Buddhism, I simply cannot say I know. That is for you to seek for yourself.<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
Be diligent in your path. Be Wise. But don\u2019t be narrow.<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
BOOKS by De Mello:<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
Seek God Everywhere: Reflections on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius<\/a>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=montanafreethink&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385531761\")
Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality<\/a>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=montanafreethink&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385249373\")
The Way to Love (Image Pocket Classics)<\/a>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=montanafreethink&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=038524939X\")
The Song of the Bird<\/a>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=montanafreethink&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385196156\")
Wellsprings: A Book of Spiritual Exercises<\/a>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=montanafreethink&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385196172\")
Awakening: Conversations with the Masters<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=montanafreethink&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385509952\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/tracker\/7907151-7334391188470802837?l=americanbuddhist.blogspot.com\")