What Christians Can Learn From Buddhists
The title of this post may surprise you. You may assume that there is nothing within Buddhism that Christians can learn from. I disagree.
There is one thing in particular that I think that Christians can learn from Buddhists.
There is a teaching within Buddhism that speaks of the three treasures of Buddhism. These are the person of the Buddha, the Dharma (teachings of the Buddha), and the Sangha (the community of Buddhists).
I am not suggesting that Christianity should focus on the Buddha or his teachings. But would Christianity if we considered the three treasures of Christianity: Jesus Christ, the teachings of Jesus, and the community of Jesus followers.
You may think that is what Christianity already is. It should but I think that there are many other things that have been added to the mix. For many, a political worldview is pretty central to Christianity. For others, a very specific theological tradition to the core.
Also, I am being intentional in speaking of the teachings of Jesus. Many Christians believe that every verse of the Bible has equal authority for us. I believe that the teachings of Jesus should hold greater weight for those who are followers of Jesus.
I am not suggesting that only the words of Jesus are inspired. But I do believe that the teachings of Jesus should be our main focus, while still valuing the rest of Scripture, especially the rest of the New Testament.
I also believe that it is the person of Jesus that is the most important part of the Christian faith. Paul often speaks of being “in Christ” and I think that he is right on the mark. It is by being connected to Christ that we find life.
That life is lived out in community. We are meant to experience connection, whatever that might look like. While the church is an easy target for criticism but the church is also the body of Christ. This community life should be our focus.
I like how the Buddhists have gathered their treasure in such a helpful way. I also believe that this concept could be just as transformative for Christianity. We should focus on Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, and the community of Jesus followers.
