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Christian Love and Buddhist Compassion
- Thread starter biased
- Start date
I don't know, but I tend to think love and compassion feed each other.
Buddhist Four Sublime States:
1) loving-kindness or benevolence (metta)
2) compassion (karuna)
3) empathetic joy (mudita)
4) equanimity (upekkha)
Wiki Article:
Brahmavihara - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1) loving-kindness or benevolence (metta)
2) compassion (karuna)
3) empathetic joy (mudita)
4) equanimity (upekkha)
Wiki Article:
Brahmavihara - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ablaze
Buddham Saranam Gacchami
In Buddhism, compassion is a form of indiscriminate, unconditional love that can be cultivated even for one's enemies. I am not as familiar with the Christian concept of Love, but I will add this to the discussion, to be viewed from a "comparative religions" standpoint:
The brahmavihāras (sublime states summarized in the above post) have an interesting etymology: the term "brahma" refers to the ancient Indian notion of a personal God (one of many). In Buddhism, of course, Brahma is said to be mortal, fallible, and "immersed in ignorance," yet he is thought of as a being of great love. When the Buddha encountered members of the brahmin caste, who clained to be "born from the mouth of Brahma," he occasionally taught them "the way to Brahma" via the brahmavihāras (divine abodes) - namely by cultivating unconditionally loving states of mind.
The brahmavihāras (sublime states summarized in the above post) have an interesting etymology: the term "brahma" refers to the ancient Indian notion of a personal God (one of many). In Buddhism, of course, Brahma is said to be mortal, fallible, and "immersed in ignorance," yet he is thought of as a being of great love. When the Buddha encountered members of the brahmin caste, who clained to be "born from the mouth of Brahma," he occasionally taught them "the way to Brahma" via the brahmavihāras (divine abodes) - namely by cultivating unconditionally loving states of mind.
Christian "fruits of the Spirit"
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(agapē, chara, eirēnē, makrothymia, chrēstotēs, pistis, praotēs, egkrateia)
psychoslice
Veteran Member
Christian love is what you are told to do, where as Buddist teach you to become what you truly are, compassion is only a pyproduct, you don't need to try and be compasionate, it is simply your nature.
biased
Active Member
That's pretty cynical view of Christianity. Have you looked at mystical or esoteric Christianity?
psychoslice
Veteran Member
Yes I have, and its sad that the main stream Christianity have ruined the name of Christianity, I see myself as a mystic, that is if I had to use a label.
Meister Eckhart, a Catholic mystic, said exactly the same thing centuries ago:
Do we really need to turn this thread into religious "one-up-manship"? Both Buddhism and Christianity have profound teachings on loving kindness.
It is something innate to human nature, accessible to conscience. It is therefore not the unique patrimony of any religion and I personally think that they are akin to one another.
yokomodoful
Member
Love and compassion have only one source, God. Christian love and Budhist compassion do not compete. We are just channels of God's love and compassion. The more we give, the more we receive from the one true source. Human language and theology are just tools to help us understand God, but all are inadequate for our finite minds to completely understand God. Love and compassion allow us to understand God more authentically and will give us the closest glimpse to the reality that is God.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Love is an aggregate of ego.
Buddhist compassion follows that of mindfulness and right action, but at times may not always be reflective as being love in the conventional sense in comparison as it's viewed in Christianity, where the concept of love is held in high esteem and remains as a static quality that one can possess and hold on to.
Buddhist compassion follows that of mindfulness and right action, but at times may not always be reflective as being love in the conventional sense in comparison as it's viewed in Christianity, where the concept of love is held in high esteem and remains as a static quality that one can possess and hold on to.
I'm not fully sure of what you mean by this, but I suspect it is a generalization.
There are types of love, for example there is that kind of love that could better be described as attachment. For example a drunkard may be attached to their alcohol, or a person may be so attached to their forefathers that they imitate their forefather's superstitions.
However there are other types of love, such as the love which exercises forbearance to those who insult you, and i fail to see how such other types of love are an aggregate of ego when to me they would seem rather befitting of humility rather than ego.
I think the two are portraying a similar being sure to leave out the dogma that comes with orhtodoxy. Often times the Christian dogma gets in the way of the love your neighbor concept or it misses the point completely. Eastern orthodoxy gets a bit closer in my view.
Walkntune
Well-Known Member
I agree. The more someone dies to their need to be right in their own understanding of theology , the more they will walk in this love. Once we place laws and conditions then separation occurs.
Walkntune
Well-Known Member
This is my belief as a Christian or should say follewr of Christ because I dont believe Jesus would have been what we label a Christian. When you walk in love you walk in grace.Walking in love is unconditional.If you walk by commandments then you walk by conditions to be pleasing to God.When you walk in love you keep the commandments but keeping the commandments doesnt mean you walk in love. This is why Jesus gave love as the greatest two to hang all other commandments on.God is Love which is unconditional for those who choose to walk in it.He gave the greatest blessing while we were yet sinners. He loved those who hated him and blessed them which cursed him and gave his very life which there is no greater love..You can't be anymore unconditional than that and there is no greater blessing to receive based on conditions.You can even walk in his faithfulness over your own faithfulness.To truly love is to die to yourself and to trust Gods faithfulness over our own.
True Christianity is about becoming one in Christ and about becoming the" I am " in love insteads of having "to do" based on conditions which is not love because love is unconditional. Love is not an attribute of God but its his very definition.This is my beliefs.
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psychoslice
Veteran Member
Hi Walkntune, yes I agree with all that you said, and that is how I see the scriptures also, but sadly most Christians don't see that and this is where the name of Christianity is flawed. Yes you are a true Christian, I hope you can enlighten many others to see what is in front of them.
This is not true in my experience. The majority of Christians I know are truly kind and aren't just trying to be kind. The kind Christians I've know were also kind because of their nature.
psychoslice
Veteran Member
Yes it can seem that way until they are tested, but i'm certainly not saying your friends are not kind.
A war between Love and Compassion? Nah.
The struggle would fall more between Agape and Eros, the two ways of Love.
Christian Agape, Loving-Kindness or Selfless-Love w/ Equanimity, would fall inline with Buddhist Compassion, as it's laid forth, I feel.
And don't feel it presents a struggle, when seen in that light.
I'm not even sure they are different exactly.
The way they are explained however, is nuanced and, might be insightful to either 'side' here.
At least one linguistic difference I can think of is the place the example to practice comes from.
In Christianity, the Energy of Loving-kindness, which is Jah-Itself, can be sought after, practiced and attuned within our life through the voluntary synergy with those Engergies and of our Freewill.
I bring this example from the Eastern Orthodox Church's theological perspective, as best as I am able to relay and explain it.
Buddhist Compassion can be contemplated on through Bodhisattvas, either directly, or as a tool to experience this abode inside of our self, depending on how one views them.
Both however are ever present and merely need our cooperation to shine them forth in our life and in the world.
Conflicting, no..... not in my opinion.
Complementary... I feel so, as they are each said differently...
But, if one who hears both could certainly grow from listening.
:namaste
The struggle would fall more between Agape and Eros, the two ways of Love.
Christian Agape, Loving-Kindness or Selfless-Love w/ Equanimity, would fall inline with Buddhist Compassion, as it's laid forth, I feel.
And don't feel it presents a struggle, when seen in that light.
I'm not even sure they are different exactly.
The way they are explained however, is nuanced and, might be insightful to either 'side' here.
At least one linguistic difference I can think of is the place the example to practice comes from.
In Christianity, the Energy of Loving-kindness, which is Jah-Itself, can be sought after, practiced and attuned within our life through the voluntary synergy with those Engergies and of our Freewill.
I bring this example from the Eastern Orthodox Church's theological perspective, as best as I am able to relay and explain it.
Buddhist Compassion can be contemplated on through Bodhisattvas, either directly, or as a tool to experience this abode inside of our self, depending on how one views them.
Both however are ever present and merely need our cooperation to shine them forth in our life and in the world.
Conflicting, no..... not in my opinion.
Complementary... I feel so, as they are each said differently...
But, if one who hears both could certainly grow from listening.
:namaste