Do You Look Into Other Religions?

[Credo in Deum]

I looked into other religions before coming back to Catholicism; however, once God put Ven. Archbishop Fulton J Sheen in my life I never looked back.

[CrossCuT]

Now I'm not a Buddhist, even though I think Buddhism is very interesting. I'm a Christian. Maybe I know more about other religions than a Christian should. I don't believe that all paths lead up to the same summit. But I definitely think people think and believe in similar ways, whatever their religion.

 

What else could explain this recorded saying of the Buddha, which has been a key source for the Trikaya doctrine:

 

"He who sees the Dharma sees the Tathagata (the Thus-Gone, i.e. the Buddha), he who sees the Tathagata sees the Dharma."

 

I read it and I couldn't help but think of Jesus' in John 12:45 or 14:9, where he says that he who sees me sees the Father.

 

I can see echoes of Jesus everywhere.

 

More than anything, it's made me a lot more willing to hear people out. People this devout and smart, people this devoted to the well-being of other people, I don't think they could be spawn of Satan. The works of our common enemy are well known, it is hatred and discord. Not love of neighbour and good will.

 

There's been repeated monastic interreligious dialogue between Catholic monks and Buddhist monks throughout the world. In America there's one famous one that takes place at the Cestercian monastery at Gethsemani, Thomas Merton's home, every couple of years. The Dalai Lama actually attended the first one, because he was Merton's friend.

 

I dont not think you could ever know "too much" about other religions. I think it is an aspect that makes you richer as a person; to have such a depth of understanding of different perspectives and diversity! 

 

I bolded what you said about seeing echoes of Jesus everywhere, I completely agree! I believe that any goodness comes from God and even while there are many religions out there, they all have the same love that they try to achieve; Christ like love. 

 

It might seem like a weird result of circumstances, but I feel that since I have become less rigid in my own beliefs, I have been able to love others better. I dont get mad anymore when they differ from me; I dont get upset with people proclaiming faiths that are not the same as mine or speaking different truths they follow. 

 

Feeling free to research different perspectives has been a very deeply enriching experience for me on a spiritual level and its something that I dont think I can explain to my former self.