Meditations
Spiritual Treasures Along the Contemplative Path
April 12, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Imagine a lush garden: blooms of every color, each blossom breath-taking, but the melding of stunning colors creates the ambience of paradise. So too the multiplicity of faith traditions: each experiences the divine in unique and meaningful ways, but collectively they form a brilliant tapestry that speaks of the many ways people have sought and found God.
A Look at Suffering from a Buddhist and Christian Perspective
April 7, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 14. Christian mystics tell us that the human heart, designed to seek intimacy with the Divine, is restless until it finds that union. Buddhists describe this restlessness as dukkha, or suffering. The two traditions have much to teach each other about suffering.
Equanimity in the Buddhist and Christian Traditions
March 29, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 13. What Christians call “resting in God’s grace,” Buddhists describe as upekkha or equanimity, meaning “a mind in balance, free of discrimination and rooted in insight.” Both traditions have practices to balance our lives.
Joy in the Buddhist and Christian Traditions
March 22, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 12. Buddhist teachers describe “joy,” or “mudita,” as a “genuine ability to rejoice and delight in the happiness of others. Joy helps us be inspired by the positive qualities of others.” The Christian perspective tells us that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Compassion in the Buddhist and Christian Traditions
March 15, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 11. Christianity teaches, "Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish." Buddhism teaches, "With true Compassion ... we are able to serve others in wise, loving, calm, and skillful ways."
‘Loving-Kindness’ in the Buddhist and Christian Traditions
March 8, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 10. While love is a quality that arises naturally from our humanness, it also can be developed, nurtured and grown. Jesus and Buddha teach us how.
The Four Divine Abodes: Love, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity
March 1, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 9. These four states have the potential to purify the heart and create positive energy. Emptying one’s self of ego is a common theme among Christian spiritual masters, as Jesus said: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Passing Like a Camel Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth in the Teachings of Jesus and Buddha
February 23, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 8. Jesus and Buddha arrived at the same moral conclusion regarding materialism. Both considered wealth a deterrent to righteous living.
Built on Solid Foundations: The Teaching of Jesus and the Buddha
February 15, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 7. Jesus and Buddha, both contemplatives, knew that people need a sturdy foundation to ground them in righteousness and help them avoid common pitfalls. On these solid foundations, we can build our prayer practice.
Chants, Beads and Mantras: Solemn Practices of Christians and Buddhists
February 8, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 6. In the latest installment of our study of the teachings of two contemplatives — Jesus Christ and Buddha — we examine some solemn practices that the two traditions use for prayer and to gain enlightenment.