On Monday (Nov28) two Buddhist monks from The Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS) in eastern PEI came in to have a discussion with my Religious Studies: Buddhism: East & West class. Liu and Frank were not what I had expected. Frank spoke the better English so he did most of the talking. He had a PhD from Colorado in metalology or something, so he could pretty much tell us anything about any kind of metal. He was easy to talk to and quite funny.
There has been a lot of ignorance-rooted talk about the Buddhists down east. Being from Montague myself, I know how closed-minded things can be in that area, especially regarding Taiwanese monks coming into town with a culture that is completely reversed from our own! It's a good thing they didn't show up 15 years ago, when my friends and I were in high school; we probably would have lynched them!!
And then there are the demon-hunting Christians who are quick to judge, and unfortunately slow to understand. Its hard to have discussion with someone when the only words coming out of your mouth are ones of superiority and condemnation. Oh, to remember our lives before the sweet grace of the Savior worked on our hearts. Humility need not be discarded after we accept Him, in fact its needed just as much, maybe more?
I listened to 'teaching' about the demonic motive behind the GEBIS, and how they worship demons, hold seances over the land, corrupt the fishing industry, leave a path of perversion and lust across the land, and seek to destroy all we hold dear, so, I decided to personally ask them.
All the students in the class had the opportunity to ask ANY question they wanted. No topic was off limits. Knowing that Buddhism strongly prohibits lying in any form, I was confident that the monks would not be in a deceiving kind of mood, and would answer as truthfully as they were able to whatever was asked, as should the Christian be.
The first question I asked was this:
What are your aspirations for PEI? What is your plan for the next 5yrs, 10yrs? What do you desire to see happen here?
Answer: Frank answered that the monks came to PEI because it is quiet and peaceful; conducive for meditation. They want to train Buddhists from Taiwan and China, and then send them back there.
That was it. No plan for Island-wide domination?! No plan to sacrifice Christian babies to Lord Buddha?! Weird.
Oh, they also had aspirations to cultivate Island wide organic farming, working with local farmers, and they want to save the forests. Blasphemous! I almost threw my book at them!
The second question I asked them:
What has been the response of Christian churches in the area towards you? Have you been contacted or received well?
Answer: They said that they did go to the Catholic day of prayer last month, when 'in the Spirit of Assisi' Catholicism promoted a day of inter-religious prayer. They also went to a Christina funeral of the mother of a girl who they knew. But other than that, they said that they did not have any contact with the churches in the area. Noone has extended a hand to them, but neither have they sought out communication. "Maybe we should," Frank said. "It would probably be a good thing."
Indeed it would.
Things we Christians can learn.
#1 Be healthy
They made they point that organic farming is good because it makes your body healthy and its hard to meditate long if your body is unhealthy.
Christians need some of this revelation. Maybe the reason we forsake the discipline of prayer is because our bodies are filled with garbage that we accumulate mainly through our Western diet? Just a theory.
Most of the Christians I know take little thought to what they put in their bodies. This needs to change. We need to be healthier. Jenny and I went vegan mainly for ethical reasons, partly for diet, partly for environmental. We recognized that our diet was not conducive for Kingdom glorification, so we are making changes so that it is. To be healthy is to be more effective in regards to anything we do, and you know what, when you're healthy, you feel better!
#2 Respect Nature and Creation
The monks said they want to keep the forests and farm organically. Pretty good things, me thinks. They also have an immense respect for other living nonhumans to such an extent that they bought and released lobster back into their home (the sea), and they also buy land so that they can put "some horses and cattle on them so they can live their lives out. These animals are not for killing - they're giving these animals a good retired life".
Many Christians I know do not have respect for the land on which we live. Sure, there is a lot of talk of 'taking back the land' and 'blessing the land' and 'reversing the curse' but this is usually nullified by the fact that we plunder the land and exploit it just as much as any greedy secular. As with a lot of areas, what we preach and what we do are different things. This needs to change. The earth was not given for us, but to us. There is a stewardship that has been neglected. Even in regards to animals; their killing and eating has become so lackadaisical in our lives that we see them only as resources and not sentient beings whom God has endowed with the breath of life as we ourselves. CHANGE. Animals are not resources to be plundered for our selfishness and greed. What would they say to us if we could but understand them? What boundaries should we put on compassion in light of how compassionate God was (and is) with us? God did not give us nature to rape it, He gave it to us to care for.
#3 Select Who Influences You Wisely
And thirdly. They said that you cannot practice Buddhism by reading books, it must be through mentorship. Reading books will gain you knowledge, having a mentor who is more mature than you will help your practice.
How do you know if the one you have selected is more mature than you?
Apart from the obvious things, they said that if you need to give them $$ for teaching, you had better look elsewhere.
Um...........
Christianity seems to fall short in this area as well. I cannot count the number of 'Christian teachers' that highly promote their new teaching series that is your key to, well, just about anything you need. It's a valid point, if you need to pay for impartation, they it may be good to look elsewhere.
This also needs to change. Things have gotten so complicated in Christendom; a return to more simplicity would be welcome.
#4 Discipline
The monks day starts at 3:50am (to fight laziness) and ends about 9:30pm. It is filled with: prayer, ritual, classes, cooking, cleaning, maintenance, management, etc etc.
Enough said. They are working towards a goal: enlightenment.
Christians may not need to 'work' to attain salvation, but they need not be lazy either. There is also much work to be done. While our motive may be different, our output should not be.
There is an interest on PEI towards Buddhism. GEBIS holds an open house each July in Montague where people are invited to come and see what they are all about. This past July over 600 interested people took part.
For the brave churches who read this, hold an open house this spring and see how many interested 'seekers' come take part. My guess is that their will not be near 600; why?
Because we haven't done our job. We have misrepresented Christ, and we should repent, and bear fruit in keeping with that repentance.
Let's Love; agape filled, charity filled, unconditionally filled, simple, active Love. Let's let that be what characterizes us. To any and all, deserving and undeserving, Christian or Buddhist.
In saying all this, I just want to make Christians more aware of the world around them, and the differences it contains. I do not believe that the Buddhists have their theology (yes, they believe in gods, millions, perhaps billions of them) straightened out, and am more than willing to confess that the historicity behind their core founder is far from solid.
Jesus is unique in history, undoubtedly. 'He' is the Savior, none else. But there is room in our tradition to love those whose position is like the one we used to be, estranged from a relationship with God's Son that is a fulfillment of the assurance of salvation. Buddha sets a path before you, but Christ promises assurance, and that is a BIG word. Assurance of salvation. 1 John 5:13
We Christians need to learn some things from them there monks though, in regard to living our lives with a Kingdom focus at the forefront; this includes rethinking our views on ecology, compassion for nonhumans (animals), and the environment, discipline, and health, to name but a few areas.
The most beloved saint who has ever lived, Francis of Assisi, exemplified these traits to a degree that maybe no other Christian has, and his simple life still speaks to millions over 700 yrs after his death. People are still captivated by what he did, and what he stood for. We can learn from those like Francis, but that is not enough. We must also exemplify, or practice those same things. We are here to steward the world, not plunder it for our own selfishness/shortsightedness.
There is more at stake than we might think.
There has been a lot of ignorance-rooted talk about the Buddhists down east. Being from Montague myself, I know how closed-minded things can be in that area, especially regarding Taiwanese monks coming into town with a culture that is completely reversed from our own! It's a good thing they didn't show up 15 years ago, when my friends and I were in high school; we probably would have lynched them!!
And then there are the demon-hunting Christians who are quick to judge, and unfortunately slow to understand. Its hard to have discussion with someone when the only words coming out of your mouth are ones of superiority and condemnation. Oh, to remember our lives before the sweet grace of the Savior worked on our hearts. Humility need not be discarded after we accept Him, in fact its needed just as much, maybe more?
I listened to 'teaching' about the demonic motive behind the GEBIS, and how they worship demons, hold seances over the land, corrupt the fishing industry, leave a path of perversion and lust across the land, and seek to destroy all we hold dear, so, I decided to personally ask them.
All the students in the class had the opportunity to ask ANY question they wanted. No topic was off limits. Knowing that Buddhism strongly prohibits lying in any form, I was confident that the monks would not be in a deceiving kind of mood, and would answer as truthfully as they were able to whatever was asked, as should the Christian be.
The first question I asked was this:
What are your aspirations for PEI? What is your plan for the next 5yrs, 10yrs? What do you desire to see happen here?
Answer: Frank answered that the monks came to PEI because it is quiet and peaceful; conducive for meditation. They want to train Buddhists from Taiwan and China, and then send them back there.
That was it. No plan for Island-wide domination?! No plan to sacrifice Christian babies to Lord Buddha?! Weird.
Oh, they also had aspirations to cultivate Island wide organic farming, working with local farmers, and they want to save the forests. Blasphemous! I almost threw my book at them!
The second question I asked them:
What has been the response of Christian churches in the area towards you? Have you been contacted or received well?
Answer: They said that they did go to the Catholic day of prayer last month, when 'in the Spirit of Assisi' Catholicism promoted a day of inter-religious prayer. They also went to a Christina funeral of the mother of a girl who they knew. But other than that, they said that they did not have any contact with the churches in the area. Noone has extended a hand to them, but neither have they sought out communication. "Maybe we should," Frank said. "It would probably be a good thing."
Indeed it would.
Things we Christians can learn.
#1 Be healthy
They made they point that organic farming is good because it makes your body healthy and its hard to meditate long if your body is unhealthy.
Christians need some of this revelation. Maybe the reason we forsake the discipline of prayer is because our bodies are filled with garbage that we accumulate mainly through our Western diet? Just a theory.
Most of the Christians I know take little thought to what they put in their bodies. This needs to change. We need to be healthier. Jenny and I went vegan mainly for ethical reasons, partly for diet, partly for environmental. We recognized that our diet was not conducive for Kingdom glorification, so we are making changes so that it is. To be healthy is to be more effective in regards to anything we do, and you know what, when you're healthy, you feel better!
#2 Respect Nature and Creation
The monks said they want to keep the forests and farm organically. Pretty good things, me thinks. They also have an immense respect for other living nonhumans to such an extent that they bought and released lobster back into their home (the sea), and they also buy land so that they can put "some horses and cattle on them so they can live their lives out. These animals are not for killing - they're giving these animals a good retired life".
Many Christians I know do not have respect for the land on which we live. Sure, there is a lot of talk of 'taking back the land' and 'blessing the land' and 'reversing the curse' but this is usually nullified by the fact that we plunder the land and exploit it just as much as any greedy secular. As with a lot of areas, what we preach and what we do are different things. This needs to change. The earth was not given for us, but to us. There is a stewardship that has been neglected. Even in regards to animals; their killing and eating has become so lackadaisical in our lives that we see them only as resources and not sentient beings whom God has endowed with the breath of life as we ourselves. CHANGE. Animals are not resources to be plundered for our selfishness and greed. What would they say to us if we could but understand them? What boundaries should we put on compassion in light of how compassionate God was (and is) with us? God did not give us nature to rape it, He gave it to us to care for.
#3 Select Who Influences You Wisely
And thirdly. They said that you cannot practice Buddhism by reading books, it must be through mentorship. Reading books will gain you knowledge, having a mentor who is more mature than you will help your practice.
How do you know if the one you have selected is more mature than you?
Apart from the obvious things, they said that if you need to give them $$ for teaching, you had better look elsewhere.
Um...........
Christianity seems to fall short in this area as well. I cannot count the number of 'Christian teachers' that highly promote their new teaching series that is your key to, well, just about anything you need. It's a valid point, if you need to pay for impartation, they it may be good to look elsewhere.
This also needs to change. Things have gotten so complicated in Christendom; a return to more simplicity would be welcome.
#4 Discipline
The monks day starts at 3:50am (to fight laziness) and ends about 9:30pm. It is filled with: prayer, ritual, classes, cooking, cleaning, maintenance, management, etc etc.
Enough said. They are working towards a goal: enlightenment.
Christians may not need to 'work' to attain salvation, but they need not be lazy either. There is also much work to be done. While our motive may be different, our output should not be.
There is an interest on PEI towards Buddhism. GEBIS holds an open house each July in Montague where people are invited to come and see what they are all about. This past July over 600 interested people took part.
For the brave churches who read this, hold an open house this spring and see how many interested 'seekers' come take part. My guess is that their will not be near 600; why?
Because we haven't done our job. We have misrepresented Christ, and we should repent, and bear fruit in keeping with that repentance.
Let's Love; agape filled, charity filled, unconditionally filled, simple, active Love. Let's let that be what characterizes us. To any and all, deserving and undeserving, Christian or Buddhist.
In saying all this, I just want to make Christians more aware of the world around them, and the differences it contains. I do not believe that the Buddhists have their theology (yes, they believe in gods, millions, perhaps billions of them) straightened out, and am more than willing to confess that the historicity behind their core founder is far from solid.
Jesus is unique in history, undoubtedly. 'He' is the Savior, none else. But there is room in our tradition to love those whose position is like the one we used to be, estranged from a relationship with God's Son that is a fulfillment of the assurance of salvation. Buddha sets a path before you, but Christ promises assurance, and that is a BIG word. Assurance of salvation. 1 John 5:13
We Christians need to learn some things from them there monks though, in regard to living our lives with a Kingdom focus at the forefront; this includes rethinking our views on ecology, compassion for nonhumans (animals), and the environment, discipline, and health, to name but a few areas.
The most beloved saint who has ever lived, Francis of Assisi, exemplified these traits to a degree that maybe no other Christian has, and his simple life still speaks to millions over 700 yrs after his death. People are still captivated by what he did, and what he stood for. We can learn from those like Francis, but that is not enough. We must also exemplify, or practice those same things. We are here to steward the world, not plunder it for our own selfishness/shortsightedness.
There is more at stake than we might think.
