Living Buddha, Living Christ
by Thich Nhat Hanh
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Book Summary Information
Author: Thich Nhat HanhIntroduction: Elaine Pagels
Foreword: David Steindl-Rast
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1995-09-12
ISBN: 1573220183
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Riverhead
Product features:
- Religion, Buddism, Christianity
Book Reviews of Living Buddha, Living Christ
Book Review: A Moving Call to Deeper Understanding
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
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