World’s Religions Engagement: Buddhism
APOL 525: Pluralism and World Religions
February 03, 2024
Contents
An Introduction to Buddhism..................................................................................................1
Buddhism in the US Military....................................................................................................3
A Buddhist Meditation Experience..........................................................................................3
Sharing Christ with a Buddhist................................................................................................5
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................6
Bibliography..............................................................................................................................
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There are many different religions in the world today. Some are older than others dating
back thousands of years in the past while some are only a few centuries old. Nonetheless, many
religions have certain aspects about them that make them unique compared to other religions.
Many people who are followers of a certain religion do not often expose themselves to other
religions by choice. This paper will look at a Buddhist service through the eyes of a
nondenominational Christian observer. Buddhism is a religion that has originated in India over
2,500 years ago. Buddhism has several differences and similarities to Christianity, which is also
one of the world’s largest religions. Buddhism at its core teaches about enlightenment through
meditation and wisdom without concern for earthly needs, possessions or the other cares of life
in general that can hinder you from enlightenment.
An Introduction to Buddhism
Buddhism is a very complex religion with a wide range of beliefs and traditions that has
continued to evolve through the centuries. Historians generally believe that Buddhism was
founded by a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who lived from 566-480 BC.1 Because of his
father, who was a warrior king, Gautama lived a very lavished lifestyle and because of this, was
disillusioned with life in general. He would later leave abandon his royal lifestyle and would
wonder the world in search of enlightenment and understanding.2 Gautama, who would later
become known as the Buddha, was not considered a god, but many believe that he was an
extraordinary being who was the very first person to experience true enlightenment.3 The term
“Buddha” means “the one who has awakened.”4
Unlike other monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Islam, Buddhism does not focus
or4 believe in a god or deity which leaves followers of Buddhism free to focus on achieving
1 PBS. 2019. “Basics of Buddhism.” Pbs.org. 2019. https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm.
2 Ibid.
3 PBS “Basics of Buddhism.” Pbs.org. 2019. https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm.
4 Varun Soni “Introduction to Buddhism” Oprah Winfrey Network,
October 23, 2015, https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/576994/pages/watch-
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enlightenment, which comes through a state of inner peace and wisdom. For this reason,
Buddhism is known as a “self-empowering” religion because of its focus on the inner person
rather than a deity or God. Dr. Soni characterizes this as “meditation, contemplation and
introspection.”5 Once a person does this, they will enter a state of “nirvana” which means being
in a state of perfect peace or happiness.
Unlike other religions like Christianity and Islam, Buddhism does not have a sacred book like
the Bible or the Quran. Buddhists largely base their teachings on the Buddha which are known
as the four noble truths.6 The first truth is that life is filled with pain and suffering, the second
truth is that a persons suffering is caused by selfish and worldly desires, the third truth is that
those who wish to be free from these desires can be free and the fourth and final truth is that
the key to freedom and enlightenment comes from the eightfold path.7 Many people have
heard of the idea of reincarnation. This comes from Buddhism as Buddhists believe in the cycle
of birth, death and rebirth which is called samsara.8 Buddhism, like many other religions and
cultures, is very fluid and changes over time.9
Buddhism in the US Military
Although Buddhism has existed for over 2,500 years, it is a relatively new religion that has
been welcomed into the US Army. Captain Thomas was the first US Army Buddhist Chaplain
who commissioned in 2008. It is interesting that the first Buddhist Chaplain appeared in the
Army only sixteen years ago when you look at Protestant, Catholic and Muslim chaplains who
introduction-to-buddhism-%7C-belief-%7C-oprah-winfreynetwork?
module_item_id=60758455
5 Ibid.
6 Katy Brennan, Buddhism, 1st Edition (New York: Brit. Ed. Publishing, 2019), 6.
7 Ibid., 7
8 Katy Brennan, Buddhism, 1st Edition (New York: Brit. Ed. Publishing, 2019), 7.
9 Harold A. Netland, Christianity and Religious Diversity: Clarifying
Christian Commitments in a Globalizing Age (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic,
2019), 36.
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have served in the Military for much longer periods of time. Since Buddhist chaplains have
appeared in the Army, there has been an increase in Buddhist worshippers, especially in the
realm of TRADOC (training command). While Buddhist Chaplains do not have the numbers that
their Protestant, Catholic and Muslim counterparts have, Buddhism is still growing within the
armed forces.
A Buddhist Meditation Experience
During my time at Fort Johnson, Louisianna, I was able to observe a Buddhist worship service
online. This service took place at Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning), Georgia at Basic training
for brand new soldiers enlisting into the Army. Right away, the setting of this service was very
different from what you would expect as a Christian. Christian worshippers are accustomed to
medium to large size buildings with several benches or pews or chairs depending on the type
and size of the church you attend with a pulpit area for people such as the Pastor(s) and the
choir. This Buddhist service was in a medium sized room and completely empty. The room had
no chairs, pews, podium or anything. It was just an empty room. In the center of the room was
a Buddhist Chaplain and sitting around him was a group of trainees (privates) who had come to
meditate and partake in the service.
The Chaplain started off by welcoming the trainees to the Buddhist service and let them know
that they were in a safe place to meditate and experience Zen. He noted that there were
trainees in attendance who were not actually Buddhists but that it was okay and that people
from all religions were welcome to partake in the hour of meditation. The Chaplain then sat
down in a meditation pose on a meditation pillow and let the trainees know that he was equal
to them. This helped to convey a message of kindness and humility as even though he was a
Captain and they were all privates, he let them know that they were welcome sit and meditate.
The Chaplain went on to mention that one did not have to be a Buddhist to achieve true
enlightenment and said that anyone who truly wanted could experience inner peace and
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enlightenment. The Chaplain goes on to explain the four noble truths of the Buddha in great
detail. This was done mainly for the new people who were not familiar with the teachings and
practices of Buddhism. The Chaplain explains that we all suffer in life for a variety of reasons. He
explains that many of us face financial struggles, health issues, relationship woes and so forth.
He then explains that there will be some things in life that take us by surprise such as the
untimely death of a family member or getting sick, but he then states that if we let go of our
selfish desires and focus on the inner self, you could receive true enlightenment. He does this in
a very calm and relaxing manner. An observer could tell that the chaplain was sincere in his
beliefs and wanted to help the trainees. The Chaplain than began to start leading the trainees in
meditation. He told them to forget all of their earthly struggles and to focus on their inner mind
as they began to close their eyes and meditate. He began to play this ambient type of music on
a speaker, something you would probably hear in a spa or nail facility. They meditated for about
an hour and after the meditation had concluded, he asked everyone how they felt. Many of the
trainees said they felt good. The Chaplain went on to tell the trainees that Buddhist services are
always available to everyone, regardless of if they are Protestant, Catholic, Islam or anything
else.
Sharing Christ with a Buddhist
Having the opportunity to share my faith with a practicing Buddhist would be an interesting
experience. Corduan makes an interesting point when discussing sharing faith with other
people. When attempting to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, Corduan notes that a person must
have the right motives when trying to do so.10 A person cannot have selfish desires when
attempting to share the message of Christ Jesus. They must be humble and meek in how they
talk and respond to people with differing beliefs. Keeping that in mind, when discussing my faith
with a Buddhist, I would first ask them to explain Buddhism to me through their eyes. I believe
10 Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to
World Religions, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2012),
88.
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that the key to getting someone to listen to what you have to say is to listen to what they have
to say first. If you show that courtesy to them, I believe they will show it to you in return.
Buddhism attempts to address the root cause of suffering. I would explain to my Buddhist
counterpart that sin is indeed the root cause of all human suffering as it separates humanity
from God and causes immense pain and suffering.
Keeping in mind that Buddhists don’t necessarily believe in a god, I would ask them what they
knew about Jesus Christ. If they would tell me that they did not know much about Him, I would
introduce Jesus to them by telling who Jesus was and what he was sent here to earth to do. The
world is too chaotic and unpredictable to rely on oneself for inner peace, the only one who can
give you true peace and understanding is Jesus Christ. That is what I would tell them, and I
would also give them a Bible to read since Buddhists don’t have a holy book as well. I would
encourage them to start with the New Testament as it gives the reader a very quick and
important introduction on who Jesus Christ is and His importance and His works while He was
here on earth. I would encourage this Buddhist to sit down and reflect on what they read when
reading about Jesus. That would be one of the only ways they could understand just how
important Jesus is and how important He is regarding the entire world.
Conclusion
Buddhism is one of the fastest growing religions in the world today. Buddhism focuses on the
everyday struggles of life and how to achieve inner peace and enlightenment that goes beyond
those struggles. Buddhism chooses not to focus on a god or deity unlike other religions, but
instead focuses on the self through constant meditation and reflection. It does not have a
sacred text, but instead focuses on the four truths of the Buddha. During certain Buddhist
services, sometimes Buddhists will light incense and candles surrounding a Buddha statue. This
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is to show reverence and respect to the Buddha himself. Buddhism is a peaceful religion that
attempts to explore the root cause of suffering. While humanity’s selfish desires are certainly a
part of it, sin is the true root cause of all suffering that Buddhism does not identify. If you wish
to share the Gospel of Jesus with a Buddhist, you must be humble as well as having the right
motives for sharing your faith. Jesus Christ is the only Person who can give humanity true and
everlasting piece.
Bibliography
“Basics of Buddhism.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service,
www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm
Brennan, Katy. Buddhism. First edition. New York: Britannica Educational Publishing, in
association with Rosen Educational Services, 2019.
Corduan, Winfried. Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions. 2nd ed.
Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2012.
Netland, Harold A. Christianity & Religious Diversity: Clarifying Christian Commitments in a
Globalizing Age. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015.
Varun, Soni. Introduction to Buddhism. Online Lecture. Liberty University, accessed on February
2nd, 2024 https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/576994/pages/watch-introduction-
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