Summary of the Key Points in Buddhism and Christiniaty Assignment

Summary of the Key Points in Buddhism and Christiniaty - Assignment Example On the other hand, Christianity better understands the ‘Sunyata’, a Buddhism principle. The point of clarity achieved is crucial in resisting Nihilism and scientism forms of religion2. Abe arrives at a point of clarity where the core of religion does not fall in doctrine but in contact with reality. The writer demystifies emptiness and nothingness as understood in traditional Christianity and western culture. According to Abe, Suchness becomes possible only in the realm of emptiness. Nothingness becomes a thing by itself3. Marjorie continues to expound the relationship between Buddhism and Christianity in the fourth chapter of the book. In his understanding, Marjorie expounds Abe’s view of God as everlasting self-emptying phenomena4. Just like Heinrich, in the third chapter, Marjorie demystifies the western approach that takes God as an ultimate self and thus contradicting Sunyata principle. To get our own profound understanding, the writer also emphasizes that th ere is a great need to study other religions5. The writer comes to a point of agreement with Abe on the principle of otherness. The writer affirms Abe’s work on Trinity and Sunyata. Sunyata can only achieve its emptying by embracing true otherness. Marjorie closes his argument by citing that dialogue should not aim at converting. It creates room for enrichment and a fuller understanding of the others, and consequently us. ... This corresponds to Abe's Sunyata of God emptying himself, an expression of divine love. Hans hopes that the discussion between Buddhism and Christianity converges at a point where people of both opinions exercise self-denial and self-surrender for the sake of those who stumble along the way7. The writer feels dissatisfied with Abe's exposition of Sunyata and Kenosis. He feels some questions do not have satisfactory answers and refers to Nishitani. According to Hans, Nishitani's view conflicts the Kenosis by upholding the essence of personal and impersonal. Nishitani brings to life the high esteem held by western thinkers about persona. Kenosis, to Nishitani, is a matter of behavior and attitudes in contrast to conceptualization. Abe's concept of love is vague according to Hans's comparison with Nishitani's work. Nishitani clearly emphasizes on non-differentiating love as being the true nature of God rather than the process of self-emptying advocated by Abe's Kenosis. Hans also revis its the work of Karl Rahner who advocates the issue of God experience. Several conclusions suffice; Rahner's experiential basis of theology is the datum, basic existence of human life has two tensions. One tension relates to experience and communication while the other relates to theory and action. Human beings end up talking about things that can never form an object of knowledge. The attempt to harmonize beliefs of people from different backgrounds calls for mutual understanding, which calls for the sacrificing of single identity8. Christopher Ives explores Sunyata and the Realm of Ethics in the sixth chapter of the book. He affirms that Abes exposition on the forces challenging current day religion to be both insightful and valuable in redeeming the threatened Christian