LEARNING ABOUT OTHER FAITHS CAN ENHANCE YOUR OWN

Q: I'm a practicing Roman Catholic and I recently purchased a book about Jesus and the Buddha. It's interesting to see that Jesus and the Buddha did say and act in much the same ways, which leads me to ask: As a Catholic, am I allowed to pray to the Buddha for guidance, wisdom and understanding, or is that a big no-no in the eyes of Roman Catholic teaching?

I don't view or recognize the Buddha as a god, but I do see him as a very holy and wise man, and after all, Catholics pray to saints because they were holy and wise men and women who can intercede for us. - S., via godsquadquestion@aol.com

A: Praying to the Buddha would be idolatry whether you're a Catholic, a Jew, or a Muslim. Buddha himself explicitly denied that he was a god (if you remember my previous column on Buddhism). He said he was not a god but that he was "awake."

The question then becomes, what are we all allowed to learn from religious teachers of other faiths? The answer, I believe, is that you're allowed to learn everything that enhances and supports your faith. You're allowed to see your faith illuminated by the light of other wisdom traditions. I also believe that you should be open to the critique of your faith represented by other faiths and their understanding of the purpose of life.

What I learned from my study of Buddhism is that suffering is not the same as sin. Suffering (dukah) for Buddhists is the result of illusions and attachments to a world that has only a thin level of existence. Sin, for the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is rebellion against the will of God. It can also be, as in Christianity, compounded by our fallen state after the primal sin of Adam. Sin remains essentially a personal rejection of God's moral code and ordained path of life.

The main similarity between the teachings on sin in Christianity and suffering in Buddhism is that our only way to remove ourselves from this state is through purification. Spiritual purification can happen, in Buddhism, Judaism and Islam, through right views and right actions, and also, in Christianity, through the atoning death of Jesus.

In all religions, we need to be cleansed of views and behaviors that make us less than we are and less than we are intended to be. Therefore, studying another faith can be good for you provided you don't lose track of your way home.

A good explanation of this was included in a letter to Monsignor Tom Hartman and myself, which served as an introduction to one of our books. His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote:

"All the world's religious traditions are similar because they help us become better human beings. For centuries, millions of people have found peace of mind in their own religious tradition. Today, the world over, we can find followers of many faiths giving up their own welfare in order to help others. I believe that this wish to work for the happiness of others is the most important goal of all religious practice.

"Human beings naturally possess different interests, so it's not surprising that we have many different religious traditions with different ways of thinking and behaving. But this variety is a way for everyone to be happy. If we have a great variety of food, we will be able to satisfy different tastes and needs. When we only have bread, the people who eat rice are left out. And the reason those people eat rice is that rice is what grows best where they live."

So go and study, but remember to eat what grows best where you live.

NOTES ON ORGAN DONATION

In response to my recent column supporting organ donation, I received many helpful letters. I had mentioned that even if you indicate on your driver's license your desire to donate your organs, such a declaration is, unfortunately, not legally binding. This can create unnecessary delays as your family is consulted and your organs become unfit for transplantation.

I thank Tom Bush for informing me that in New York State at least, the situation has changed. He quoted the newsletter of the New York Organ Donor Network that, as of July 23, 2008, checking the "yes" box on your driver's license is now not merely a registry of intent but a registry of consent.

Consulting the next of kin is always advisable, but now, apparently, it's not legally necessary to fulfill a person's desire to bring life to another out of their own death.

Let me encourage readers to consult with their state organ donor networks to determine the law in their home state.

I also thank Lorraine Lo Re for informing me that although removing corneas for transplantation is not as time-critical as removing hearts or kidneys, after 12 days corneas are no longer fit for transplantation. She also told me that the Lion's Eye Bank for Long Island at North Shore/LIJ University Hospital imports about 10 times more corneas than are donated by local people.

Lorraine also asked me to remind my Christian readers that skin or corneal donations don't in any way prevent an open casket viewing of the deceased person.

(Send QUESTIONS ONLY to The God Squad, c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207, or email them to godsquadquestion@aol.com.