Have you ever tried to explain the meaning of the cross to your audience and suddenly felt a lump come to your throat? How would they react to it? Would they shrug it aside thinking it was a "bloody religion"? Especially to Buddhists who are taught to reverence all kinds of life will not the concept of sacrifice for sin be abhorrent? I would think so. At least it would be rather incomprehensible to begin with. I used to wonder about it every time we had our communion services. Although church people have the rare capability of pretending to understand what we say, I knew that here was something that was an enigma. But yet, the cross is central to our faith.

Don Richardson has talked about "redemptive analogies". But t his would not apply here because Buddhism essentially is a self-help religion. Is it? Well, in the main, it is because it promotes the idea that by your own self-discipline, you may attain nirvana especially among the Theravadins. Mahayanists may resort to the help of other powers in their quest for liberation. But it is essentially a philosophy that does not espouse substitutionary sacrifice, put in those terms. How then can you share the cross with them? Here are the steps I have followed in attempting to share the cross with our people, using as my base, a concept latent in Buddhism itself, pattidana.

P A T T I D A N A

Pattidana primarily is the concept of merit transference. Merits or de-merits are accumulated in one’s life according to the good or evil deeds that you do, respectively. Among Sri Lankan Buddhists, the mechanics of it would be something like this.

Good deeds (kusala) have the power to accumulate good merits (pin). Evil deeds (akusala) have the power to accumulate evil merits (pau). This is the practical outworking of the central concept in Buddhism, the Law of Karma (Moral effect of the kusala-akusala phenomenon that determines one’s karmic destiny and after life.

All this is alright and is thoroughly in keeping with Buddhism. The closest we can get to them here is "whatsoever you sow that shall you also reap". And some Buddhists may say as they have done, "there you see the Law of Karma is within the Bible too". In practice, both in Theravada and Mahayana countries, merit accumulation is not something that can merely be done for oneself, but it can be extended to others too. Even to the departed dead. And this is significant for us as communicators of the Gospel. Very often families of deceased people will hold a dana (alms-giving) in the memory of the deceased. The purpose of this extravagant exercise where food is served to several invited guests and to less fortunate people also is to generate good merits (pin) on behalf of the departed person. When these acts of charity are performed in memory of the dead person, the belief is that somehow merit is transferred from the living to the dead, thus reducing his suffering or catalyzing his attainment of liberation (nirvana). Strange as it may seem, this is practiced even in the most orthodox of circles among the theravadins who vehemently insist that karmic status cannot be changed no matter what one may do.

Here in a sense is a paradox within Buddhism itself. Now let us examine how this belief and practice can be used to explain the concept of the cross to our Buddhist friends. I usually begin with a simple explanation of the law of karma. I would say that according to the law of karma good deeds (kusala) effect good merits (pin) while evil deeds (akusala) effect evil merits or results (pau). This is the belief among Buddhists. We are not stating at this point whether we agree or disagree with them. We are merely accurately representing their belief.

All of us know that we have accumulated so much demerits in our lives because of our own akusala.

Moreover, we have no method of quantifying our akusala, in order to be ever able to be akusala. Can we ever by ourselves generate enough kusala? This is where Christ comes in?

Christ was perfect. Therefore, He generated an infinite quantity of kusala, to negate all the akusala of all humanity for all time. And, because Christ was God incarnate, He not only could generate kusala, but He could also TRANSFER its merits onto me. This transference of merits is not difficult then, for our Buddhists to understand; individuals "transfer merit" all the time to their dead relatives. By His death, His sinless life and His resurrection, He has generated all the kusala that all the world needs for all of time. Moreover, on the cross, God transferred my guilt to Christ. Only God could transfer guilt. So, a double transference too place.

Often, a diagrammatic representation of it will prove even more helpful as can be seen from the following.

Step 1 is to draw the cross without any lettering whatever.

Step 2 is to introduce the lettering in the following order, explaining the meaning as you go along.

Kamma, Kusala, Akusala

Step 3 is to draw the minus signs depicting the sins of man, opening to Romans 5: 6-11 and 2 Corinthians. 5:21

Step 4 is to draw a big plus sign depicting Christ’s life and death explaining John 21 : 25 and 10: 18

Step 5 is to write in at the bottom pattidana (merit transference).

On the cross a divinely planned and executed exchange took place. The guilt of man was transferred to the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians. 5:21). Only God could transfer guilt. At the same time, the merits of Christ were transferred to man (Romans 5: 6-11). Christ by His innocent death on the cross liberates man. Merit was transferred from Christ who died (and rose again) to the living.

III. THE PROCESS OF CONVERSION

In this chapter, I shall attempt to set forth basic Buddhist beliefs that are common to all the schools of Buddhism. It is these beliefs that bind all the varied schools together. I have used the Pali words rather than the Sanskrit (Nibbana vs. Nirvana) as I am writing from within the context of Theravada. Furthermore, in relation to Nibbana, the explanation is based on the Theravada since the internal diversity within Mahayana forecloses any general, all-inclusive statements regarding this doctrine being made.

A. Dukkha or Suffering

This, monks, is the Noble Truth of Suffering (dukkha). Birth is suffering. Old age is suffering; grief, lamentation, pain, affliction and despair are suffering; to be united with what is unloved, to be separated from what is loved is suffering; not to obtain what is longed for is suffering; in short, the Five groups of Grasping are suffering.

There are 3 aspects to dukkha, as follows:

• Dukkha-dukkha or ordinary suffering -

Birth, old age, sickness, death, association with unpleasant persons, or all forms of physical and mental suffering which are universally accepted as suffering may be called dukkha-dukkha.

• Viparinama-dukkha or suffering produced by change -

Even happiness, a pleasant feeling or a condition of happiness is only transitory. When this feeling of happiness passes away, the change itself produces unhappiness and pain. This is viparinama-dukka - - suffering produced by change.

• Samkhara-dukkha or suffering as conditioned states -

This is the most important philosophical definition of dukkha. The ‘person’ or ‘being’ is a composite of Give Aggregates (matter, sensations, perception, mental formation and consciousness) and these five aggregates themselves are dukkha.

Dukkha is fundamental to existence because it is precisely an awareness of the lack or incompleteness of existence itself (Khantipalo 1973 : 32). The cause of dukkha is craving (tanha) which is the thirst or fever of unsatisfied longing: a state of mind which leads to rebirth, involving attachment to lustful enjoyment (Jayawickrema 1973 : 39).

B. Anicca or Impermanence

Impermanent are all component things, they arise and cease, that is their nature: They come into being and pass away, release from them is bliss supreme.

The doctrine of impermanence is a central concept in Buddhism and is t he base on which the other interdependent concepts of anatta (no self) and dukkha (suffering) are built. According to the anicca doctrine, everything --the whole universe, is in a constant state of flux and incessant change with no static phase whatever. Passing away conditions new origination, origination leads to change and to renewed passing away.

The following quotation clarifies this theory even further.

Change or impermanence is the essential characteristic of all phenomenal existence. We cannot say of anything animate or inanimate, organic or inorganic, "this is lasting", for even while we are saying this, it would be undergoing change. (Piyadassi 1973:2)

C. Anatta or No Self

What do you think, monks, is the body permanent or impermanent ?

Impermanent Sir.

Are the sensations ....., perceptions .....,mental phenomena......., is conscientiousness permanent or impermanent?

Impermanent, Sir.

That which is impermanent, is it sorrowful or joyful?

Sorrowful, Sir.

It is right then to regard that which is impermanent, sorrowful, subject to the law of decay, as ‘This is mine, this am I, this is myself’?

Surely not, Sir.

 

The empirical person is without self and is a complex of soulless factors. The idea of the self is an imaginary, false belief which produces thoughts of desire -- and ‘I’, ‘me’ or ‘mine’.

The Buddhist analysis of the person in the first stage falls into 2 categories, Nama and Rupa -- Name and Form.

The word Nama though literally translated as Name, means mind.

The next stage is the analylsis into other 4 Aggregates -- the Pancakkhanda.

Nama consists of the four aggregates of sensation, perception, mental formation and consciousness and Rupa is matter.

Buddhism is unique in that it rejects the existence of the self or soul (Rahula 1974:51). There is no ‘I’ or ‘being’ in reality.

The Buddhist theory of the N0-self (Anatta) must not be taken as annihilationism is eternalism (I have a self). The Buddhist theory is that what we can ‘I’ or ‘being’ is a combination of physical and mental aggregates, working together interdependently in a flux of momentary change within the law of cause and effect and there is nothing permanent in the whole of existence.

Anatta does not mean the denial of the existence of a personality in the empirical sense; it is the denial of the existence of the personality in the ultimate sense. The personality is compounded and dynamic - a process rather than an entity. The individual in Buddhist terms is santana--a flux of continuity. The continuity of this psycho-physical phenomenon is bound together by the kammic force and is conditioned by kamma. This is the Buddhist substitute for the permanent ego or immortal soul of other religions (Narada 1975:46). According to Buddhism, there are 3 factors necessary for the birth of a human being: the female ovum, the male sperm and kammaveca (kammic energy). The kammic energy is sent forth by a dying individual at the moment of his death, but no transmigration of a soul takes place.

D. Samsara or Cycle of Rebirth

O bhikkus, this cycle of continuity (samsara) is without a visible end, and the first beginning of beings wandering and running around, enveloped in ignorance (avijja) and bound down by the fetters of thirst (tanha) is not to be perceived.

Gotama Buddha--Samyutta-Nikaya

For a being to be born here a being must die somewhere. The birth of a being, which strictly means the arising of the five aggregates or psycho-physical phenomena in this present life, corresponds to the death of a being in a past life, just as in conventional terms, the rising of the sun in one place means the setting of the sun in another place. This enigmatic statement may be better understood by imagining life as a wave and not as a straight line. Birth and death are only two phases of the same process. Birth precedes death, and death, on the other hand, precedes birth. The constant succession of birth and death in connection with each individual life flux constitutes what is technically known as Samsara--recurrent wandering. (Narada 1975:35)

Will. Volition, desire, thirst to exist is the greatest force or energy in the world. This force does not stop with the non-functioning of the body (death), but continues manifesting itself in another form, producing re-existence which is called rebirth. The person who dies here and is reborn elsewhere is neither the same nor another (na ca so na ca anno). The difference between birth and death is only a thought-moment (Rahula 1974:34). The last thought-moment in this life conditions the first thought-moment in the next life and Samsara--the cycle of continuity goes on as long as there is a thirst to exist. It can only stop when its driving force is cut off through wisdom which sees reality, Nibbana. This life stream flows ad infinitum, as long as it is fed by the muddy waters of ignorance and craving (Narada 1975:35). The primordial of this cycle is outside Gotama’s interest as any speculation about it cannot contribute to liberation (Schumann 1974:50).

E. Kamma or Law of Moral Causation

Owners of their kamma, or volitional actions, are the beings, heirs of their kamma, the kamma is the womb from which they have sprung, kamma is their friend and their refuge. Whatever kamma they perform, wholesome or unwholesome, kusala or akusala, they will be heirs of their kamma.

Gotama Buddha in Majjhima-Nikaya

Kamma means "action" or "doing" but in the Buddhist scheme of things, it means only "volitional action". Good kamma (kusala) produces good effects while evil kamma (akusala) produces evil effects. Kamma, whether good or bad has one force as its effect--to continue, either in a good or bad direction. This is a mere natural law which has no relationship to deity nor is there the concept of reward and punishment in it. It operates in its own field. The Law of kamma is the Buddhist answer to the inequality, and imbalance in the world. What is now, is because of what was done before. And what is done now will result in what will happen in the future.

Although kamma is not fate or predestination imposed upon man by Another Power, it is of its own making: one has the possibility to divert the course of kamma to some extent. How far one diverts it depends on oneself. But since rebirth--existence is determined more by the mental attitudes of the doer than by the actual deed, the same deed may yield different effects with different persons (Schumann 1974:54). So man has it in his power to direct and mould his destiny by means of his own will and actions. It is his kamma which regulates whether he would be happy or miserable.

It also needs mentioning that it is merely the last kammical volition, immediately before death that determines the nature of the immediately following re-birth.

F. Nibbana or Extinction

The sphere where there is neither earth nor water nor fire nor air, neither the sphere of the infinity of space nor the sphere of the infinity of consciousness nor the sphere of nothingness nor the sphere of non-perception or perception; neither this world nor a world yonder nor both, nor sun and moon. I declare, monks, that there is no coming and going, neither duration nor destruction nor origination. It is without basis,developent, and condition. This is the end of suffering.

The ultimate goal of the Buddhist way of life is the attainment of Nibbana. Nibbana is the extinction of the fires of greed (Lobha), hatred (Dosa) and delusion (moha) and the attainment of Realisaton-by-Insight which destroys craving and thus brings samsaric exitstence to an end.

From a metaphysical standpoint, Nibbana is deliverance from suffering. From a psychological standpoint, Nibbana is the eradication of egoism. And from an ethical standpoint it is the destruction of lust, hatred and ignorance.

Nibbana can be distinguished into pre-mortal and post-mortal Nibbana. Pre-mortal Nibbana is Nibbana that is experienced while the Arahat (Saint) is still living. All his cravings, fears, hatreds and delusions have ceased but he is still alive in terms of the 5 aggregates. Post-mortal Nibbana is attained when he comes to the end of his life when the disintegration of the 5 grups (khandas) takes place and there is no more becoming. Nibbana therefore is neither matter nor energy nor is it located in any place, like a heaven. It is a realization that one comes to when craving is ended.

G. The Four Noble Truths

The four Noble Truths is the very essence of the Buddha’s teaching. It is an inquiry into the cause of suffering from both practical and theoretical perspective. Practical because it accepts the empirical reality of universal suffering and theoretical because it ventures to probe into the deep psychological roots of suffering.

In content the Four Noble Truths are as follows:

1. The Noble Truth of the existence of Suffering--dukkha Birth, decay, disease, death, the 5 aggregates are all suffering.
2. The Noble Truth of the arising of suffering--samudara It is the craving for existence, or the craving for non-existence that causes suffering.
3. The Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering--Nirodha It is the deliverance from craving that is the key to the cessation of suffering.
4. The Noble Truth of the Way leading to cessation of suffering--Magga It is the Noble Eightfold Path consisting of Right Views, Right Aspirations, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Modes of Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

H. The Noble Eightfold Path

Nibbana is attained through following the Noble Eightfold Path. These Right factors may be seen under three categories such as Wisdom (Panna), Morality (Sila) and Concentration (Samadhi), thus:

1. Morality (Sila)

a) Right Speech (Samma-Vaca) Abstinence from slander, falsehood and frivolous speech.

b) Right Action (Samma-kammanta) Abstinence from killing, stealing and sexual mis-behaviour.

c) Right Livelihood (Samma-ajiva) Abstinence from the following 5 trades --

trade in arms, humans, animals for slaughter, intoxicants (drinks and drugs), poison.

2. Concentration (Samadhi)

a) Right Effort (Samma-vayama)

Effort to discard already arisen evil and the prevention of unarisen evil and the effort to develop unarisen good and the promotion of arisen good.

b) Right mindfulness (Samma-sati)

Constant mindfulness regarding the body, feelings, thoughts and mental objects.

c) Right Concentration (Samma-samadhi)

This is the advanced stage of Right Mindfulness.

3. Wisdom (panna)

a) Right Understanding.

This is the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. The understanding of things as they really are without mental projections.

b) Right Thoughts (Samma-sankappa)

The elimination of evil thoughts and the cultivation of pure thoughts.

 

These are the fundamental principles that should regulate the life of the Buddhist who wishes to attain Nibbana.

A. Dukkha:

All creatures seek happiness (sukha.) The Christian Gospel promises that this blessed state is a glorious possibility. The possession of things, objects or experiences is not the key to Christian sukha. All these only provide anicca-sukka! The basis of Christian happiness is not things but in a relationship with the Eternal---nicca. The misery, pain and dukkha of all human existence can be rooted in the fall of humanity due to disobedience and the primary ignorance (Genesis 3). While we cannot claim to answer all the problems regarding dukkha, one question of paramount importance is answered -- the ORIGIN of dukkha. The Christian realisation of the incompleteness of existence drives him to Christ to find Him that fulfillment -- "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10.) So without Christ one is incomplete -- dukkha. But in Christ one is made complete -- sukkha. For "in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily". (Colossians 2:9)

It is not the attempt at the affirmation of being that brings sorrow but that lack in our being that brings sorrow. We are told in Buddhism, that ignorance (avijja) regarding the existence of dukkha is the most fundamental ignorance (Jayawickrema 1973:40). However, it is quite an obvious fact that even the most ignorant person in this world is wise to the reality of the existence of dukkha. And yet this does not liberate him. If the cause of dukkha is tanha and the aim of life should be, to be free from all tanha is it not paradoxical that the "tanha" to eliminate dukkha via the Middle Way will bind the being in an unbreakable chain simply because of the "desire" to be delivered from "desire"? Now however, that we find ourselves in the world, there are one of two courses of action that we may forge. We could either immerse ourselves in the pleasure of this life--a baptism of self-indulgence, or recoil into total self-renunciation. If we were to do the former, life would lead to even greater sorrow. For all the pleasures of life are only temporary and so we would experience viparinama-dukkha-sorry due to change. Nothing in this world can be permanently enjoyed, nor does it permanently satisfy.

But, what of the other option, self-renunciation? Suppose total renunciation were to take place--physically, what guarantee is there that total mental renunciation can be done? It is obvious that none of these options can solve the problem of dukkha. The solution is in relating in a proper way to the world which is God’s-- "The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof", but although it is God’s world, it is also at the same time antagonistic to Him-- "Wherefore as by one man sin entered in the world ..."(Romans 5:12.) It is in the grip of sin. It is also in this context that we can understand Christian renunciation-- "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the World". We are called to renounce what is antagonistic to Him. Nut, in man’s natural state, he is also antagonistic to Him. So, the problem primarily is not out there as it in within. When my inner problem is dealt with, I begin to rightly relate to God’s world--accepting what is His and rejecting what is not. For, God’s world is a world in the process of redemption.

Up to the present, we know, the whole created universe groans in all its parts as if in the pangs of childbirth. Not only so, but even we, to whom the Spirit is given as firstfruits of the harvest to come, are groaning inwardly while we wait for God to make us his sons and set our whole body free, for we have been saved, though only in hope. Now to see is no longer to hope: why should a man endure and wait for what he already sees? Romans 8:22-24 (NEB)

Now, dukkha, I see results not so much because of annica but because of the perverseness of my own nature which grasps after the things that are anicca rather than the things that are nicca--eternal. The things that are seen are impermanent, but the things unseen are eternal. As a Christian therefore, I do not self-renunciate nor self-indulge. I relate to the world with responsibility because I am part of God’s redemptive purpose in this His world.

1. The Origin of Dukkha

Eve was ignorant (avijja) regarding the fact that there are two kinds of wisdom (panna)--Pure Wisdom and Impure Wisdom. Pure Wisdom comes from God and Impure Wisdom comes from Satan.

Pure Wisdom is motivated by love and truth, while impure wisdom is motivated by subtlety and falsehood. Impure wisdom (false wisdom) leads into rebellion, disobedience and thus results in decay of matter, relationships and one’s own being. Impure wisdom also militates against God and refuses to submit to Him resulting in separation from Him. What Eve did was, when she was left with the choice, she through her gross ignorance of this fact, desired after the false wisdom (which is in effect foolishness). She desired to be as God (Genesis 3:5) and she had desire (tannha) for it.

Impure wisdom made them see themselves (Adam and Eve) as sensual beings -- "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked ..." (Genesis 3:7.) Pure wisdom had canopied them up to this point. But pure wisdom and impure wisdom cannot cohabit. When Adam and Eve desired Impure Wisdom (falsehood against Truth), the canopy that protected them from non-sensuality disappeared.

Sensuality, as we know is the root cause of suffering. Therefore, we see that IGNORANCE regarding TRUE WISDOM is the root cause of all the suffering in the world. And this ignorance is a matter of choice, because man desires the life of sensuality and sin rather than a life of sanctity from sin. True wisdom is obedience to God. "The fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". Departure from God always brings dukkha. Therefore, God warned Adam and Eve that ordinary suffering (dukkha-dukkha) would be their lot because of this departure--" in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children". (Genesis 3:16) and "cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorry shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life". (Genesis 3:17.) Birth, sickness, old age, death, unpleasantness, occupational sorrow all are rooted in this story. But, God did not want man to continue in this state of dukkha, for ever. Therefore, He ensured that man himself in his present fallen state should be anicca." .... and now lest he put forth his hand and take of the tree of life and life forever". So, not all impermanence is regretful. Man in his fallen state was by grace made anicca in order that suffering may not be nicca (eternal). God prevented him from eating of the tree of life. We see here the grace of God. So while samkhara-dukkha shows us that pleasure is temporary, it also enforces the truth that pain, suffering is anicca (impermanent) because of redemption.

This present order of suffering is only temporary. That is to say, even dukkha is anicca. Here now is an aspect of anicca that we can rejoice about! "For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers until now ....waiting for the redemption of the body". (Romans 8:22, 23.) "And I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us" Rom. 8:18. This existence is characterised by suffering (Ps. 90:10; Ecclesiastes. 2:23).

2. The Supreme Sufferer

When God warned man that dukkha would be his lot because of ignorance--rebellion, He also promised emancipation from dukkha. And this emancipation is not merely conceptual but incarnational and personal.

Since the serpent originated the false wisdom (ignorance-rebellion) that force and power had now to be cancelled and nullified by means of True Wisdom (knowledge-submission). There had to be a personification of supreme knowledge-submission that would meet head-on, ignorance-rebellion. "He shall bruise the head and thou shalt bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15.) The person who most qualified for this conflict would have to be one who was the personification of goodness--a perfectly good person. Here we see the meaning and necessity of the incarnation. For, if there must be a conflict with evil, for good to triumph, there must be perfect goodness. Total goodness must triumph over total evil. So, Christ came into the world. He had no ignorance in Him at any time. He never wandered seeking wisdom. He is Wisdom. ".. is made unto us ....WISDOM’ (1 Corinthians 1:30.) In Christ we see WISDOM and PURITY personified. One would imagine that a Person such as this should never suffer. There was never any "akusala" (evil action) that would have merited evil kamma. This is correct. He merited no evil suffering. But, what is the state of the world, of man? Man is supreme impurity and ignorance--rebellion, while Christ is Supreme Purity and Wisdom--submission. "I came not to do mine own ... but the will of Him that sent me..."

Man, because of his ignorance---rebellion, merits suffering and Christ does not. But, a SUBSTITUTION takes place ... and this is the Christian Gospel -- The gospel of vicarious suffering. Christ voluntarily, on behalf of me SUFFERED, though He did not merit it at all. So, even though the law of moral causation is effective, now because of VICARIOUS SUFFERING, I can be free!! And there was no suffering, like unto Christ’s suffering, (Lamentations 1:12.) He was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. He bore our sufferings (Isaiah 53: 3,4.) Because He suffered, He now succours us (Hebrews. 2:18.)

3. Dukkha and Salvation (moksha)

There is salvation from dukkha if we recognize that the primary problem is not dukkha but doha.

D T Niles has put it well.

Until and unless this evil is deal with, both in the world and in us, there is no final solution to the problem of living. For life’s basic ill is not dukkha but doha--that attitudes of rebellion and disloyalty which we have towards God who is the ground of our being, the final cause of the world, and the purpose which gives meaning to life.

The cause of dukkha is my clinging to self; it is this same self-centralism which is also the cause of doha: the unconscious or conscious assumption that I hold within myself the clue to life’s meaning and can of myself discover and obey that clue. Dukkha comes as a result of the self’s craving to satisfy itself with the things of this world; doha comes as a result of the self’s attempt at self-satisfaction. The first seems good to eat; it also brings the promise that we shall be as God (Gen. 3:5-6).

It is not enough, therefore that I seek to walk in the middle path--the path of discipline--nor is my need for a teacher who will teach me that path. My need rather is for a saviour who will do for me what I cannot do for myself, who will take away from me that twist in my nature so that I can come to live naturally and spontaneously in God. It is I who am the problem and not the world; it is my doha and not the world’s dukkha that needs primary solution (Niles 1967:49)

As Niles has so correctly explained, it is the "twist in my nature that needs removing. And how is this disease cured? While it is this "twist" that causes sorrow, faith opens the door to healing and restoration. (Psalm 32:10.)

One can either be mastered and conquered by sorrow or one can turn sorry into godly repentance that leads to salvation and healing.

Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation but the sorry of the world works death -- 2 Corinthians 7:10

Through repentance from my sin, faith in Him, and a continuing, ongoing fellowship with Him, I can be healed and be set free--liberated. This is good news. Sorrow exists, but it can be made extinct. From Dukkha caused by Doha, I have now come to experience moksha.

B. Anicca or Impermanence

1. The truth of Annica.

The truth of annica is a self-evident obvious truth as stated in the Bible.

... the structure of things of this world passes away. (1 Corinthians. 7:31)

In the morning, it (the grass) flourishes and grows upon, in the evening it is cut down and withers. (Psalm 90:6)

The grass withers, the flower fades because the spirit of the Lord blows upon it: then surely the people is as grass. (Isaiah 40:6)

Unfortunately, not sufficient numbers of Christians realize the truth of anicca. They live in this world of impermanence as if it were their permanent resting place. Although this is merely the "house of their pilgrimage" (Psalm 119:54), Hebrews 11:13, I Peter 2:11) delusion makes them treat it like an abiding place.

Impermanence is the nature of all things because all things are created. Anything that is created has to disintegrate. And anything that disintegrates can never be the source of lasting happiness. Therefore, the order of things of this world, because they are anicca cannot of themselves give meaning of happiness to man. Neither can man himself by looking within himself. For he himself is a created being and by nature anicca. The displacement of Buddhism is that man looks within himself to find meaning. This is the dead-end.

2. Anicca and the quest for meaning.

There are two things according to Buddhism which cannot, because of their very nature be impermanent -- Nibbana and the doctrine of anicca itself.

Once one has realized Nibbana that realisation (whatever it means) remains for ever. It is nicca. There is no more a returning from that realisation. Secondly, the doctrine of anicca is an ever operative, present, unchanging reality. If these exceptions do exist, is it not possible that others may exist too?

Since therefore, we have already, granted the possibility of an exception, we may ask whether, the very craving for life and immortality within man, which is the root of all evil, does not signify the very existence of eternity and immortality. Can we not say, that this meaninglessness which characterises this impermanent existence could be transcended by an eternal order of things, thus infusing meaning and purpose to an otherwise meaningless existence? So, while anicca speaks of emptiness and meaninglessness, nicca signifies for us meaning and purpose. "The eternal God is your Refuge" (Deuteronomy. 33:27.)

The quest for meaning is completely thwarted if we look for it only in the things that we see. And our perspective will be limited by the temporality of things. The Bible proclaims that some things are eternal and that some things are temporal. Our greatest mistake can be, merely because of what we perceive as temporal, to conclude that all is temporal.

In fact, the Bible clearly states that the invisible God is testified to, by the visible world of phenomena (Romans 1:20.) Buddhism denies this other side of existence.

It is only as we understand this other side of life, can we find meaning in this existence as Niles has so eloquently stated:

What then is life’s meaning? Life cannot yield it, it must be brought into life. It is like bringing meaning into heaps of stones and sand and cement and timber. Their meaning is not in themselves; their meaning is not even in the men who handle them. They get meaning when they are brought within the purposes of an architect and are related together in a building. So it is with life.

Life is stuff with which lives are built. It has no meaning in itself. Neither can we give it meaning, except meanings which are temporary. If it is truly to receive meaning, we who live must first find meaning ourselves by being related to a purpose that is eternal, a purpose outside life itself, a purpose which can exist only in the ground of all life, in life’s final cause. "The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord abides forever". (1 Peter 1:24, 25)

3. Anicca and the promise of Life Eternal.

It is in the context of the meaninglessness and the transitoriness of all human existence that the daring claim of Jesus "I have the Words of eternal life" (John 6:68) should be understood. And it must be clearly understood that what we mean by eternal life is not merely an endless existence without meaning, as if the availability of infinite time itself brings meaning into existence. No. It is the availability of a higher quality of life here and now through a divine-human interaction which incidentally is eternal. The emphasis is on the quality of life -- it is divinely bestowed life, into my human existence, bringing me to an entirely new dimension, enabling me to experience new vistas of existence.

So meaningful, eternal life is a NOW possibility--not a mere hope of reality in the distant future. And this life is a gift from God given to those who come to Him in true repentance and faith.

When this new life is received, through a higher level of consciousness, one can know that one has this gift from God--

I have written unto you, that you may know that you have eternal life .. 1 John 5:13

 

C. Anatta and True Self-hood

According to Buddhism, there is no ‘I’ or ‘being’ in reality. What is called the ‘I’ or ‘being’ is an aggregate of interdependent factors that is impermanent. The chief difference between Christianity and Buddhism is that in Christianity there is the belief in personality not only in the empirical, but also in the ultimate sense. The person is not a mere process but a product. And the continuity of the person is not based on the kammic force but in a personal, creator God who is the "ground of being".

Furthermore, the "soul" or the "Spirit" by itself is not the person. The person is to be viewed holistically. However, within that holistic framework, we are given clues to the composition of man. These are not necessarily total, informationally, but they are adequate for our understanding of man both in his man to man, as well as man to God relationship.

1. Soul/mind--Nephesh /Psuche

Nephesh is used 756 times in the Old Testament and is a world that is translated as soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetites and emotions. God’s breath made the body a nephesh-living being (Gen. 2:7). However, this is also true of animals (Gen. 2:19.) Nephesh or its Greek counterpart psuche is the life that man shares in community with the animals. It is the seat of the appetites (Psalm 107:9; Jeremiah 31:25; Matthew 26:38, Mark 14:34; Romans 2:9.)

It is life that can be destroyed (Matthew 2:20, 6:25, Mark. 3:4; 1 Peter 2:11, 25; 4:19.) The life principle, the seat of the appetites and emotion is the psuche which could more correctly be translated as mind rather than soul. This of course is not eternal. So, Christianity does not teach an eternal soul/mind. At this point, the Biblical psyche/nephesh corresponds to the Buddhist Nama (mind).

2. Flesh--Basar, Sarx, Soma

Basar in Hebrew denotes the flesh substance common to both animals and man (Genesis 41: 2-19); Exodus 4:7.) In the Greek two words are used which need to be distinguished from each other. The sarx is the flesh-substance that man shares in common with the animal kingdom (1 Corinthians. 15:39) and it is also that which causes him to obey the law of sin (Galatians 5:17; Ephesians. 2:3.)

What then is soma? Soma is used in the Pauline corpus in a more holistic sense to denote the totality of physical existence (Matthew 5:22, Romans 6:12; 1 Corinthians 6:19.) And the some can be both natural and spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:44.) In this sense, the soma is "eternal" in that it carries the resurrection. However, soma does not refer to a particular type of flesh. The sarx is part of the some (Colossians 1:22.)

3. Spirit--Ruach - Pneuma

The predominant use of ruach is in reference to the Spirit of God (Numbers 11:7; Isaiah 11:2,4:16; Psalm 139:7) but it also extends to mean breath (Job 15:30) wind (Genesis 8:1) and Spirit (1 Kings 10.5.) It is the ruach that makes man the unique being that he is, capable of a relationship with the Almighty.

The primary use of the New Testament pneuma is again to the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16) but the use is widened to include the gifts of the Spirit (John 7:39, Acts 19:2,1 Corinthians 14:12) foul spirits (Matthew 8:16), a Christian spirit in communion with God (Rom. 7:6) and to the human spirit (Matthew 26:4; 27:50; Acts 7:59; 1 Corinthians 7:24; James 2:26). In1 Corinthians 2:11 the human spirit is contrasted with the divine spirit.

The spirit of man departs at death (Mark 14:38; Luke 1:47; 8:55; Acts 7:59; Romans 7:6; Romans 8:15) and continues to exist (Hebrews. 12:33; I Peter 3:19.) This is the eternal nature of the Spirit. It is therefore quite logical that the primary response of man to God is in the realm of the Spirit. "God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24.)

Let us now compare the Buddhist analysis with the Christian analysis of man. We may say that the chief difficulty with the Buddhist analysis in comparison with the Christian is not its inconsistency but its inadequacy. For instance, Nama/ Rupa (mind/body), corresponds to the Vivlical psuche/sarx. Nama is further subdivided within Buddhism into sensation, perception, volition and consciousness and this analysis may be not inconsistent with Christianity. Rupa is subsided within Buddhism to include earth, water, fire, air or the elements. Man was made out of the earth, or dust, and we may quite easily concur with Buddhism on this point and even commend the philosophy for its accuracy, thus far.

When in Buddhism the doctrine of Anatta (no self/soul) is propagated, the chief idea behind it is that the psycho-physical phenomena called man has no continuity of identity--he is a process rather than an entity. In that sense, there is no PERMANENT entity that passes from one life to another, nor for that matter from one moment to the other. It is the permanent nature of individual human identity that is disputed.

At this point of course, we must vehemently disagree with the Buddhist view. Individual identity is of a permanent nature and man is not a mere process in a flux of continuity although there is impermanent in man in the sense that the mind/body complex in its present state will not last forever. A person in this life, is identifiable as the same in the life hereafter as is clear from the story of Lazarus and Dives (Luke 16:19-31.)

The concept of an "eternal soul" however is a syncretism between western theology and western philosophy and this has been furthered by the translation of nephesh and psuche in our English Bibles as "soul" when it may have been translated as life, life principle or mind. Theology in attempting to assert the eternal nature of human identity used the term "soul" rather than spirit because "eternal soul" was in current usage. However, this poses problems because nowhere in the Scripture is an eternal psyche asserted. There are over 100 references to psyche in the New Testament and none of them claim an eternal soul. Therefore, when we as Christians state that the soul is eternal, we are not affirming what the Bible affirms. Since in Buddhism, the Soul-self is denied, a permanent IDENTITY, we are not affirming what Buddhism denies either. The arguments are on two completely different tracks.

What the Bible does affirm is that man is an eternal being in the sense that he has a distinct identity and that identity does not change, because he is pneuma--a spiritual being. This is precisely where the Buddhist analysis falls miserably short. It fails to see man as he truly is. Man without God is ANATTA, in one sense of the term, because he is devoid of his true identity as a God-man relational being. Man’s true identity is derived from his relationship with the ground of all being, God. The primary distinction therefore is that while Buddhism claims that man is a psycho-physical phenomenon with no permanent identity, the Bible declares man to be a psycho-physical-pneumatic being with an eternal identity, who apart from God is without self (anatta). But man in communion with the Almighty is atta-with an identifiable self.

According to Buddhism, man is nama/rupa, according to the Bible he is nama/rupa/pranca, or psyche/sarx/ pneuma.

The unregenerate man is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians. 2:1, 5: 5:14; Col. 2:13.) Because man is made in the image of God, and to be made in that image means to be a self-conscious person, in dynamic communion with the creator, there is no selfhood apart from Him.

The person who is not in that relationship has no authentic selfhood. He is anatta. He is only name/rupa. But there is a higher dimension which is, the dimension of divine companionship. And this is in the realm of the prana (spirit). Without a relationship with the creator, the prana is dead because it is dead relationally. I can only have full personhood as nama-rupa-prana with my prana being made alive by the Divine Spirit. By and of myself I am anatta. But in Him, I am atta-self.

It is not at all surprising, and may I say even logical, from the Buddhist perspective, that the Buddhist analysis is anatta, because Buddhism sees man only from man’s perspective. But the biblical view of man is in a broader form--man as God made him and as made FOR God. This makes the distinctive difference. "What will a man gain by winning the whole world, at the cost of his true self"? (Luke 9:25.)

D. Samsara and the New Life

What is life? It is a gift from God. The originator of the life stream is God "And God breathed ... ... and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7.)

What is death? In the Christian perspective, it is also a gift from God. Desire, thirst to exist is the greatest force or energy in the world. And while Buddhism attempts to liquidate and counteract that desire as the road to freedom from this meaningless existence, the Gospel of Christ reveals the road to a meaningful, existence. The thirst is holy and it is holiness in Christ that ultimately and completely satisfies.

Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:13,14)

For this corruptible must put on incorruption.. (I Corinthians 15:53-55)

My destiny is a definitely not in terms of death, but in terms of life. True liberation according to the Christian view, from Samsaric existence is not escapism but an engagement with God--a vital union and partnership with Him, by which He invades and pervades my existence, making my existence in Him the basis.

If, my life after life, at the end of a long process, given enough time, liberation is achieved, are we not saying, that the mere availability of time, will solve the human problem? Is this not too simplistic a solution when the nature and the complexity of the human dilemma is what defies solution? Now, life is a gift from God and because of the nature of this life and because He has created me in His image, I am responsible to Him. It is my responsibility to Him based on His activity towards me that determines my destiny--not an uncontrollable, ineradicable cosmic force. Death in Buddhism brings the end of this beingness because the one born in the next birth is neither the same nor another. There is therefore a finality, an "endness" about death in the Buddhist scheme of things. But in the Christian faith, it is exactly the opposite.

Samsara is the process by which the flame of existence diminishes from birth to birth. But according to the Christian faith as life progresses its potentiality increases when this life is linked to God. "For though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16.) Renewal (Anakoinia) means that there is a repetitive freshness--an action of the spirit upon me in the very inner core of my structure working in opposition to the decay of the outer man.

Since I am the subject of His Kingdom, I have hope not only in this life, but also in the life to come (I Corinthians 15:19.) According to Samsara, one needs many lives in which to attain the final state of blessing. But according to the Bible that blessed state is achieved through the new birth. It is not a distant other worldly dream but it is a this-worldly reality. This existence has meaning when we experience the new birth which is God’s unmerited gift. "The wind blows where it wills and you cannot tell from where it comes or whither it goes. So with everyone who is born of the Spirit, (John 3:8.)

This rebirth is a divine act by which God recreates a new dimension of perception and a new relationship is established between man and God. Thereby man is liberated from the bondage to a cycle of rebirth that goes on beyond his control and becomes subject to the law of God. Instead of a cycle of existence which LEADS to emancipation ultimately, what the Christian Gospel offers is a New birth now which BEGINS an emancipated existence.

According to the Bible, it is not the thirst for existence that causes existence, but God. THIRST is not the cause and existence the EFFECT, but God is the CAUSE, the creator of life.

According to Buddhism, the origin of life and its continuance of THIRST & THE end of it is POST-MORTAL NIBBANA. But according to Christianity the ultimate state is Eternity in heaven.

Instead of man’s life being in bondage to thirst, man is invited to an emancipated existence in the Kingdom of God. It is this life that is promised by the Lord Jesus Christ when He said, "I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10.) All my tanha (desire, thirst) for existence instead of my attempting to destroy it and quench it, is now satisfied, as I drink freely of the water of life. When I drink of it , I shall never thirst again (John 4:14.) Therefore, I can say that in this life, I can experience the samsaric goal--never to thirst--because my thirst has been fully satisfied by Christ.

Through the new birth by the power of the Spirit which I can experience now, I am plunged into a place of existence which totally conquers all the dilemmas of samsaric existence as, 1 Peter 1:3-5 says,

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us new birth into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!

The inheritance to which we are born is one that nothing can destroy or spoil or wither.

It is kept for you in heaven, and you because you put your faith in God, are under the protection of his power until salvation comes -- the salvation which is even now in readiness and will be revealed at the end of time.

The inheritance I receive cannot be destroyed, spoil or withers; quite the opposite of anicca (impermanence) dukka (suffering) and anatta (no self).

E. Kamma and the Cosmic Christ

He rescued us from the domain of darkness and brought us away into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom our release is secured and our sins forgiven. He is the image of the invisible God; his is the primacy over all created things. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, not only things visible but also the invisible orders of thrones, sovereignties, authorities, and powers: the whole universe has been created through him and for him. And he exists before everything, and all things are held together in him. He is, moreover, the head of the body, the church. He is its origin, the first to return from the dead, to be in all things alone supreme. For in him the complete being of God, by God’s own choice, came to dwell. Through himself, making peace through the shedding of his blood upon the cross--to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven, through him alone. - Colossians 1:13-20

Make no mistake about this: God is not to be fooled; a man reaps what he sows. If he sows seed in the field of his lower nature, he will reap from it a harvest of corruption, but if he sows in the field of the Spirit, the Spirit will bring him a harvest of eternal life. - Galatians 6: 7 - 8

The law of kamma is the Buddhist answer to the inequality and imbalance in the world. The power of the law is CONTINUATION and the direction is determined by the DOER. The control of one’s destiny is NOT in one’s hand either. What is supreme is the law of kamma. Everyone is SUBJECT to it. So in comparing Buddhism with Christianity on this point, the difference primarily is in the fact that as a Christian I submit to the sovereignty of Christ while the Buddhist submits to the sovereignty of the law of kamma. However, the fact that according to the theory, it is merely the last thought-moment that determines the rebirth, there is a sense of gross injustice here. One can live a wicked life, and at the last thought-moment alter one’s destiny totally cancelling out all the effects of the wickedness of a total life span or, one can live a righteous life and because of the wickedness of the last thought-moment negate all the goodness of the total life span. This can hardly be considered justice. In the fact of this law, what does the Bible claim?

First and foremost, it asserts that I am subject not to any law primarily, but supremely to a law-giver--God Himself. My bondage is not to a law but to the cosmic Christ Himself, who is the supreme over all created things, who is the creator of all things and by whose power and Word, the whole world order is held together and coheres. The cosmic Christ is before all things. Moreover, this cosmic Christ who is the incarnation of God and embodiment of perfect panna (wisdom), power and perfection by His supreme meritorious act (pattidana) has generated enough kusala (good kamma) so that all men everywhere may enjoy the benefits of His good works which were culminated on the cross. It is through the cross, that the whole universe will be brought back to original order. The cosmic Christ is the creator Christ--the first and final cause.

Christ has not created and abandoned the world to its own destiny but participates in life and rules sovereign and supreme. Christ is "Far above all principality and power..." Ephesians 1:21-23.

Secondly, the Bible asserts that man is a free moral agent, a responsible thing. The difference between man and the animal kingdom is that man has the power to reason, being made in the image of God. Everyone has to give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:12.) The human predicament, the generation of universal evil kamma, is the result of man's ignorance and rebellion, and I am responsible for appropriating the power of God into my life to negate the effects of evil kamma. There is ample evidence in the declaration of God (scripture) here I am told that God is the God of heaven and earth (Genesis 24:3) so that He is supreme.

He is also a holy and gracious God (2 Chronicles 30:9.) Therefore, I can experience His blessings through grace - unmerited favour. For my sins, He has promised pardon (Nehemiah 9:17) thereby making me righteous before Him and able to appropriate what He has offered me as His child - freedom from bondage to any other power, force or law. He is a refuge and strength in trouble (Psalms 68:20.) Moreover, no matter hat forces are against me, God has declared Himself as one with hom all things are possible (Matthew 19:26.) And itis the hole course of my life, rather than just the last thought-moment that determines my after life. He knows my heart (Acts 15:18.) Since He cannot be tempted with evil, I can rest confident that He will exercise perfect justice towards me (James 1:13.) The moral law (Galatians 6:7,8) operates because God is the author of it. Is is He who gives to all what they deserve. This is why, I am under obligation to bey Him. Is is as I obey Him and become part and parcel of His purpose that I experience the cosmic Christ in His ability to bring light, life and deliverence to my human dilemma.

I can summarize therefore, the Christian response to the law of kamma thus,

God is the God of heaven and earth - Genesis 24:4

He is the Supreme Power - Genesis 48:3

All the issues of life are in His hands - Psalm 68:20

He is a forgiving God, able to cancel all the effects of Akusala - Isaiah 55:7

He is supreme even over the law of Kamma, for all things are possible with Him - Matthew 19:26

All men are equal in His sight and have to give an account of themselves before Him - Romans 2:11, 14:12

God was incarnated in the cosmic Christ - Col 1:15

Christ the holy and perfect, died for the unholy and thereby offers the merits of His life and death to us free - Romans 5:1, 6:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3

Christ's resurrection is the proof of His cosmic and universal power - 1 Corinthians 15:14-19