Different Ways to Same or Divergent Destination(s)? Religious Experiences and Ends in Buddhism and Christianity

Different Ways to Same or Divergent Destination(s)? Religious Experiences and Ends in Buddhism and Christianity

LAI Pan-chiu

This paper aims at exploring the role of religious experience(s) and end(s) in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, including the convergence and/or divergence between Buddhist and Christian religious experiences and ends. After outlining the possible theoretical options among convergence, divergence and complementarity –– with special references to the theories proposed by John Hick, S. Mark Heim and the present author, it argues that the issues cannot be settled without concrete studies of the religions concerned and their actual encounters as well as dialogue.

In accordance with this, this paper further investigates the issues through reflection on case studies conducted by the present author concerning Buddhist-Christian encounter or dialogue in the Chinese and English speaking worlds. Based on these case studies, three observations or reflections are made.

Firstly, Buddhism and Christianity are neither totally divergent nor entirely convergent. Though the differences between the two religions cannot be overlooked, significant overlapping or similarities can be found in their descriptions of religious experiences and ends. However, the “eschatological” question concerning whether Buddhists and Christians will meet in the same Kingdom of God / Heaven / Nirvana / Pure Land or not, can only be addressed within the doctrine framework of the respective religions.

Secondly, both Buddhism and Christianity include a diversity of religious experiences within each of them. Instead of generalizing or stereotyping any one or both of them and making comparison accordingly, it is important and beneficial to take serious the divergence of religious experiences within each of the two religions in order to enhance the dialogue between the two religions.

Thirdly, according to the two religions' own understandings, religious experience is not restricted to the interior subjective inexplicable mystical experience, but related to intellectual concept and social praxis also. In other words, the interior dialogue is intertwined with the conceptual dialogue and the social engaged dialogue. Religious experience may include one's experience with the natural and social worlds in the daily life –– including the social, cultural, economical, political and even scientific activities. This kind of religiously interpreted “ordinary” experience is more communicable among people of different religions and should be taken more seriously in order to further enhance the Buddhist-Christian dialogue.