The Dalai Lama and many other Buddhists invite Christians to be tolerant of their beliefs, just as they seemingly are with ours. If that means treating them with dignity and kindness, then as Christians we should not hesitate to do both. But if that means being silent about the ultimate issues of life, then as Christians we need to strive to persuade them that salvation can be found only in Jesus Christ. In 1975, I was speaking on Buddhism at Cornell University. After my talk, a woman in her late 40s approached and related her story to me. Although I have forgotten her name, I will always remember her story. When I first noticed this woman, I thought she had wanted to upbraid me for being a narrow-minded Christian. The way she was dressed and the expression on her face gave me the impression that she was a white Westerner who had embraced Eastern mysticism. But I was wrong. She had grown up in an affluent home in which her family considered themselves to be Christians, but rarely attended church. After losing her only child in an auto accident and her husband to another woman, she sought meaning for her life by examining different religions. This search eventually led her to a Tibetan monastery in California. At first the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism fascinated her. But as the members of this Buddhist community became increasingly critical of the life and teachings of Christ, she became more and more uneasy. After several years in this monastery, she finally realized that it was an illusion to believe that Buddhism was tolerant of other religions. She became disillusioned and wanted nothing to do with any religion. But when problems with her health worsened, her fear of death compelled her to think about God. Because Buddhism had taught her to detach herself from her sufferings by realizing that all things are impermanent, and because this view of suffering had not brought comfort to her, she decided to seek answers concerning her sufferings by reading the Gospels. In short, it was like scales falling from her eyes. After decades of dealing with personal suffering through her own efforts, she cast her burdens on Christ and finally enjoyed a peace that strengthened her soul. This woman shared her faith in Christ not only with me but also with those who objected to my declaration that only in Christ is there salvation. This woman did what Jesus asks all His followers to do. “Whoever acknowledges me before men,” said Jesus, “I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33). Shortly afterward, this woman passed away. Thank God, Jesus will acknowledge her, as well as each of us who acknowledge Him as Lord, before our heavenly Father. ~ J. Isamu Yamamoto equip.org/articles/tibetan-buddhism-exiled-from-their-homeland-extolled-in-the-west/#christian-books-2
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 01:00:02 +0000
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