A Controversial Buddhist Understanding of Resurrection
“The Jesus that I now know comes from my quiet and intimate study of teachings, not from formal religion. I’ve integrated much of this wisdom into my daily life and spiritual practice and I’m much better off as a result”. (The Tattooed Buddha)
The Tattooed Buddha
Tyler Lewke quite beautifully relates in “A Buddhist’s Thoughts on Resurrection”, the new relationship that I also feel about Jesus now that I’m not confined by dogma.
He continues, “My search for a deeper understanding of Resurrection took me everywhere — church pews, quirky conversations with holy people and book upon book of wisdom teachings”.
The closing of one door often opens a Pandora's box of new insights.
Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell enlightened the myth of resurrection for me a little more when he said, “…Jesus ascended into heaven. The denotation would seem to be that somebody ascended to the sky. That’s literally what is being said”.
“But if that were really the meaning of the message, then we have to throw it away, because there would have been no such place for Jesus literally to go”.
This perspective is a way to respect the teachings of Christianity without adhering to the literal translation that is taught in convent schools.
It is often in this spiritual kindergarten that the seeds of devotion to the dogma or complete repulsion to it, are planted.
A Man Named Buddha
Five hundred years before Christ, the lived and died a man named Prince Siddhartha whom we now refer to as Buddha.
However, it has only been in recent years that the teachings of both men have been studied in the West together, only to be found to be essentially similar.
There are those who theorise that Jesus travelled to Persia in his ‘lost years’ where he learned of the Buddha’s ideas and that this may have influenced his own subsequent teachings.
However, the evidence may reflect more upon how much we don’t know, rather than what we do.
Metaphor
Campbell does shed more light on the mystical significance though…
He states that, …”if you read ‘Jesus ascended into heaven’ in terms of it’s metaphorical connotation, you see has that he gone inwards — not into outer space but inner space”.
Whilst this may or not be your preferred interpretation, it does allow others who are not fundamentalist Christians into the conversation of what the death and resurrection of Christ means.
We can speak about the human ramifications of the teachings of all masters irrespective of doctrine.
Now, all men and women can enjoy communion — the oneness of humanity.
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