A Brahman saw the Buddha resting under a tree in meditation. The Brahman was impressed with the Buddha's way.
He asked, "Are you a god?"
"No, Brahman, I'm not a god."
"Are you an angel?"
"No", replied the Buddha.
"You must be a spirit then?"
"No, I'm not a spirit," said the Buddha.
"Then what are you?"
"I'm awake."
I'm fascinated by images and stories of Buddha. My mother is equally obsessed with her disdain for this aspect of me. She simply doesn't understand. Her upbringing tells her that Buddha is some sort of rival god, and that anyone who worships him will be judged negatively by her version of the Christian God.
"But I'm not a Buddhist," is something I find myself frequently saying to her. It's rather exhausting. Yes, I have many statues of Buddha around my house. Do I bow down and pray to these statues? No. The image of Buddha is a reminder to me that all of us, myself included, are capable of immense kindness and compassion. It reminds me that I don't have to be a god to bring about change in the world, and within myself.
I face a lot of harsh judgement coming from my family when it comes to the fact that I enjoy Buddhist art and literature. They feel somehow threatened by Buddha, as if knowing anything about his teachings will damn them to Hell. I can't stop myself from giggling at their ignorance, because it is that very ignorance that Buddha so desperately sought to strike from his own heart. Of course, they wouldn't know anything about that, because their religion basically forbids them from reading anything about other belief systems, lifestyles, or thought forms. I don't judge them for what they believe, and I know they are only reacting to fear of the unknown. I just wish they could wake up, even if just for a moment, long enough to see the world through open eyes. If they did, they would soon see that the teachings of Buddha and the teachings of Christ are indeed quite similar. It is only people's judgements and skewed perceptions of these teachings that make them appear dissimilar.
Here are some examples of the kinds of things Buddha said. Do these statements sound familiar?
"Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule."
"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways."
"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace."
"There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it."
"Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace."
"To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance."
In closing, I'll say this:
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