Adzel, a Wodenite convert to Mahayana Buddhism, practices meditation;
Axor, a Wodenite convert to Jerusalem Catholicism, practices Christian faith.
Since I was educated as a Roman Catholic and now practice Zen meditation, which is part of the Mahayana, I have some personal interest in both of these traditions.
"Faith" is central to Christianity whereas meditation involves practice and experience, not acceptance of doctrines. I accept "karma," because I experience actions and their consequences but do not accept "rebirth" because I have not experienced memories of previous lives.
However, meditation involves trust in the practice and in other practitioners. I do not dismiss the experiences of others but am cautious about accepting accounts of post-mortem states because of their diversity.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
while I have respect at least for the purer, less garishly outlandish forms of Buddhism (Tibetan Buddhism strikes me as very "garish"), I still find the idea of meditation as an end in itself rather odd. The goal of Christian meditation is, ultimately, the contemplation of God, which I believe makes sense.
Sean
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