I believe that the original Sakyamuni Buddha was an incredibly insightful human being.   He arrived at his guidelines on life through intense meditation--listening to the Cosmos.  Luckily, he had the time and patience to do so.  Most of us in this day and age are not that privileged. 

This is why the sect of Pureland (Jodo Shinshu) Buddhism came about.  By saying a simple mantra, "Namu Amida Butsu," it reminds us that we are all capable of attaining higher states of consciousness if we believe in our higher selves (Buddha), our personal oaths (Sangha), and our community (Dharma).

We are all Buddhists by default, no matter to what religious faith one belongs.   We are all capable of becoming closer to our higher state of being.  We just need to be more aware of our actions and their consequences.

We are the creators of our own destiny.  Going with the flow is easy, once you know that you have the ability to channel the flow. 

The Amida Buddha is a symbolic representation of the higher self.  To people who do not know, the golden icon that is the center of the Buddhist faith appears to be a "false idol".  Nothing can be further from the truth.  There is nothing false about your higher self.  It exists without question.  You make it exist.  The idol is only a focus, a symbol--an illuminated entity collectively representing everyone's aspirations to be the greatest spirit one can possibly be.   Think of the Amida Buddha as a mirror reflecting only the best in you.

Buddhism does not ask the questions about where we came from or where we are going.   It leaves those questions to be answered to the best of our ability via empirical knowledge and science.  The future is in our hands--there is no predestination.   We make our own future.  If we want paradise on Earth, we can have it if we allow it to happen and do something about it.  Nothing happens without action.   And right action is important to Buddhism--action based on conscience and common sense.

Can one believe in God and be Buddhist at the same time?  Sure, why not?   Buddhism does not rule out the existence of a Cosmic consciousness.

Can one believe in Christ and be Buddhist at the same time?  Sure, why not?   Myths aside, Buddhism does not rule out the existence of a human collective positive consciousness.  Of course, it is up to the Christian faith to allow and accept the notion that we all have the potential to become "one with Christ" (be saved) by becoming an enlightened being (Buddha).  To a Buddhist, salvation is from within and does not depend on an external agent.  This puts the power inside the person.  In a lot of ways, the Amida Buddha is equivalent to the Christ.  Both share the same purpose--to serve as a goal for individuals to attain.

Buddhism is not an isolationist faith.  It is a very personal religion, and it allows the person to come to his/her conclusions on his/her own.  It is therefore encouraged to learn about other faith systems--in the end, one realizes that they all share the same purpose.  Although the rituals may be quite different, one realizes the universality in attaining a higher state of being in all the religions.   Religious disputes occur over the details on how to get there.  If only humans realize that the details are rather petty in the big picture of the Cosmos, perhaps we will all become a little more enlightened.

Michael M. Masuda

4/20/99