Living Buddha, Living Christ

Rating:
Summary: Reflections of Inner Peace and of Beauty
Review: "Living Buddha, Living Christ" is a very simple insight into our lives. Don't expect complex discussions on theology or doctrine, because you won't find it in this work. The reading is very simple, but valuable to those needing improvement in their everyday lives. Most importantly, it breeds religious tolerance. It urges us to participate in interfaith dialogue, transcend dogma, and live in the teachings and life of the Buddha and Christ. Reading this book did not inspire me to go become a Buddhist or a Christian, but rather just to become a better person everyday. I extol Thich Nhat Hanh on what he has had to say here.

A personal note of my own: Chapter 3 is called 'the First Supper.' He tells us that, "mindful eating is an important practice... we eat our meals in silence to make it easier to give our full attention to the food and to the other members of the community." I encourage you to read his work mindfully. I read it in solitude with ambient music as my background. There is no material too complex for any readers. Thich Nhat Hanh gives us something simple but wholesome to offer.

(pp. 58)"To breathe and know you are alive is wonderful."

Rating:
Summary: Slow start, excellent finish
Review: Although this book is hindered in the beginning by various saccharine comments about how life can be beautiful when one discovers an Ultimate truth, Thay (as Hanh is known to his friends and admirers) quickly falls into an appropriately pragmatic guide book for bridging the gap between the seemingly disparate worlds of Buddhism and Christianity.

I, as a Catholic who is currently making the oft-painful jump from that worldview to Buddhism, was concerned at charges I'd heard that Thay delves too much into criticism of Christianity and that he is not ecumenical enough. However, I discovered that the concerns he raised about how Christians see the world (especially the "one true way to God" conundrum) were handled delicately by Thay as he demonstrated that some Christians precepts were just as important to him as a Buddhist as the basic tenets of his own worlview. He knows Christianity as well as he knows Buddhism, and it is in this fact that he proves that "knowledge is power". In fact, the questions he raises about Christianity are legitimate concerns that Christians should face on their own.

The acknowledgement that people find peace in both Buddhism and Chritianity is to me one of the most pleasing aspects of the book. I cite a story from the book, in which Thay eases the alarm a Christian friend has about experiencing a "fruit salad" of beliefs. He says, simply, "Fruit salad can be delicious!" It is this emphasis on dialogue and compassion for the "other side" that I found refreshing in this book.

Rating:
Summary: Christ discussed through Eastern eyes
Review: I love Thich Naht Hanh 's books. His works get to the heart of Buddhist practice and are written in a simple beatiful tone. Let me preface this review by saying that I am a Buddhist and have practiced Zen Buddhism for years now. However, I came from a Christian tradition, even attending Catholic school in my childhood and teenage years.
That being said let me say that this book, although wonderful reading, misses the mark. Living Christ's teachings, as a Buddhist would live the Dharma, is not the same thing as being a Christian. Christian's don't merely belive that Christ's teachings were wonderful, they belive that Christ is the Truth. The son of God, who died for the sins of all humanity, but lives as part of the Holy Trinity. Following the teachings are not enough. A person has to belive in the divininty of Christ to be saved. Faith is what matters most in the Christian tradition.
This is dramatically different than the Dharma (the Buddhist path). Buddhism is something that is done, not something faith based. Equatiting Christ's teachings to that of the Buddha's is something that can be done and done well, but may be an inapproprate in looking at what Christianity is supposed to be: a Faith and not merely a practice.
That being said this is a beatiful book, just one that shows a misunderstanding of the Christian faith. A famous Buddhist saying discribing the Dharma is that the Raft is not the shore. In the Christian faith it is the Raft itself that matters most.

Rating:
Summary: A Moving Call to Deeper Understanding
Review: In the spirit of full disclosure, I want to start by saying that I am a Buddhist and admirer of Thich Nhat Hanh. With that said, this is my heartfelt take on this book: Many have said that "Living Buddha, Living Christ" misrepresents and distorts Christianity in favor of Buddhism, but I feel they are incorrect. What Nhat Hanh argues for in this book is the dropping of our concepts of Christ and of Buddha. If we are caught in our own concepts, then we believe we have nothing to learn. If we stop learning and realizing, then we will not continue our voyage of spiritual discovery. Culturally, the East and West have been caught in dogma instead of direct spiritual experience, and Thich Nhat Hanh asks us to let go of our concepts and realize that the Truth is indeed beyond our petty attempts to capture it in our narrow, sectarian views. Many observations he makes may not be "orthodox", but that is the point: religions must be open to examination and honest inquiry if we are to grow beyond our current limited understanding. This applies to both Buddhism and Christianity. He is not afraid of reinterpreting his own tradition or others, because the faith expressed in this book is one of personal experience, not mystical conjecture. Nhat Hanh insists that a belief must be open to examination and reinterpretation or else it is frozen and "dead". His quoting of Gnostic gospels is, in my opinion, very fitting, precisely because it is not status quo. It shows that alternate views are historically and culturally relevant. If it had not been for the politics of the early Christian church, some form of Gnostic view would very likely be the orthodox view today. (Note: "Gnostic" is a very broad term which actually comprises several different views which were grouped together as one "heresy" by their detractors. These views were very popular among many early Christians.) Nhat Hanh's use of Gnostic references is a valid attempt to show that just because something is orthodox does not mean it is the only (or best) answer. It must not be overlooked that Nhat Hanh is not tryng to set up new dogma, but rather trying to show us how to transcend our narrow views. It is a verifiable fact that all experience is subjective, and he makes an excellent case for humility and wisdom when dealing with others' perceptions of reality. Perhaps if we all could let go of our desire to have THE answers and THE inside track, we could see beyond the established views we have been fed and experience the world around us with clarity and compassion, which are core teachings of both Christianity and Buddhism. This beautifully written, poetic prose points us to a place beyond comfortable "because-I-said-so" theology, and helps put us face to face "the All", of which we are a part.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME READ!
Review: IN TIMES PAST AS IS NOW, I BELIEVE GOD HAS HIS OWN TIMETABLE... REVELATION (THE CONCEPT, NOT THE BOOK) IS A LINEAR THING...AND IT IS ABOUT TIME WE CHRISTIANS OPENED OUR UNDERSTANDING TO THE EASTERN THOUGHTS THAT ARE SO IN TUNE WITH THE WORDS OF CHRIST!
THICH HAS FINALLY OPENED THE DOOR FOR BELIEVERS IN CHRIST TO READ THE TRUTH OF THE BUDDHA AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEY FIT TOGETHER LIKE A PUZZLE.
CHRISTIANS UNDER THE GUISE OF SUPERIORITY HAVE GONE INTO FOREIGN LANDS AND CONVERTED THE "HEATHEN" AND TRIED TO AMERICANIZE CULTURES THAT ARE A THOUSAND YEARS OR MORE OLDER THAN OUR OWN 21ST CENTURY GARBAGE.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT EVERY BORN AGAIN CHILD OF GOD READ THIS BOOK! THIS NOT A CULT BOOK, IT IS GOD'S TRUTH FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN THAT WILL OPEN YOUR EYES AND STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH. THE PAST IS GONE..WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT... THE FUTURE IS AHEAD..THAT TOO IS UNKNOWN TO US...WE LIVE IN THE NOW..THIS MOMENT...GOD IS THE GREAT "I AM"..IN THE NOW..ALWAYS IN THE NOW!! FAITH IN JESUS THE CHRIST REMOVES THE PAST...ASSURES US OF THE FUTURE...AND LIVES WITH AND IN US NOW!
TO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT....YOU WILL BE SCARED OF THE TEACHINGS OF BUDDHISM....HE ISN'T A SAVIOR..HE IS A TEACHER... HEED THE WORDS OF THIS HUMBLE MONK....AND BE CHANGED FOREVER!
DON'T BE LIKE THE CHILD STANDING WITH HIS EYES CLOSED WISHING HE COULD SEE THE FOREST AND GRASS AND FLOWERS AND ANIMALS AND BIRDS... SIMPLY OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE TRUTH THAT WAS THERE FOR YOU TO SEE ALL THE TIME.... IF ONLY WE WOULD SET ASIDE TIME FROM OUR HURRY HURRY RUSH RUSH SCHEDULE AND SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH THE MAKER AND SUSTAINER OF THE UNIVERSE...THICH TELLS YOU HOW....
IF ONLY YOU WILL HEED THE WORDS ... OF BOTH THE CHRIST AND THE BUDDHA....AND SEEK WHAT IS WITH YOU NOW..THIS MOMENT..IT MAY BE ALL YOU HAVE! USE IT WISELY!!!

Rating:
Summary: Buddhism and Christianity complement each other...
Review: Oil and water meet in this book. This is a stimulating and provocative book written by a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who attempts, in good will and world peace, to bring Buddhism and Christianity into a harmonious relation.

Thich Nhat Hanh hopes that, if people would look at what these faiths have in common, there could be tolerance and acceptance of each other.

To bring harmony to these two religious belief systems is no small task, and only someone with a large amount of both faith and love would attempt this. Christianity and Buddhism are diametrically opposed: Faith in God. Faith in Self. So acknowledges Hanh when he says, "In Christianity faith means trust in God, in Buddhism faith means confidence in our ability to wake up our deepest capacity."

But then, Hanh has a large amount of both faith and love, and he is no ordinary Vietnamese Buddhist monk. He has been engaged in peace works for almost 40 years. In 1966 he came to the United States and met with Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to protest the war in Vietnam. Pushing forward in his belief in peace, he went on to develop The Fellowship of Reconciliation, an interfaith peace organization, with members like Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Merton and Father Daniel Berrigan. Through his life, and with the contact of many strong Christians, he converted to dualism of beliefs.

"On the altar in my hermitage in France are images of Buddha and Jesus and I touch them both," Hanh says. He believes that ignorance brings bondage and disparity, but understanding of another brings liberation and "unlocks the door to the prison of suffering."

He acknowledges as a Buddhist monk that Buddhism does not hold to the belief of God and he recognizes that Christianity is not a religion of believers in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And in his own, very unique way, he believes too. Especially important to him is Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Hanh describes his understanding of Jesus Christ as "one through whom the divine was manifested" but not the only expression of the divine, "it is said that there are 84,000 Dharma doors, doors of teaching . . . it would not be very Buddhist to say that yours is the only door."

In addition to highlighting concepts of Buddhism, Hanh offers Christians a new prism, a new angle from which to look at Jesus, the Holy Spirit, their Christian faith and those of other faiths. He says, "If you satisfy yourself only with praising the name of Jesus, it is not practicing the life of Jesus. We must practice living deeply, lovingly and acting with charity if we wish to truly honor Jesus."

Living Buddha. Living Christ is not a primer on either Buddhism or Christianity but rather a compilation of the two by a Buddhist monk who understands where these two great religions can touch and sometimes even dance. Though Hanh never gets the oil-and-water to mix, he does get them to complement each other. This in itself is a great achievement. An index would have greatly assisted in making this a good reference book as well. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Unparallelled eloquence, insight
Review: When you begin to read it you can see it is written by a Zen master because Thich Nhat Hanh is able to say much with few words. I am a Christian and this book introduced me to Buddhism. Nearly every sentence would cause me to stop in my tracks and think. I was introduced to many completely new ideas and philosophies through the course of this book. Although I will never be a Buddhist and I do not agree with everything Thich Nhat Hanh believes, I have a great respect for their beliefs as well as others. It also helped me to understand Christianity and Christ's message, and shaped my own beliefs. You will gain a lot of cultural and philosophical insight if you read this book.