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Buddhism and Christianity: The Meeting Place

Unquestionably one of the most intriguing documents unearthed in that explosive discovery at Nag Hammadi fifty years ago is The Gospel According to Thomas. It is exciting on many levels, and for Christians it constitutes both a boon and a challenge. As a 'sayings collection,' Thomas purports to offer us the oral teachings of Jesus. Thus it is a godsend not only for Christians but for anyone in the world interested in what Jesus may have actually said. One might expect, however, that a Christian living today, who is imbued with the more traditional or orthodox understanding of what Christianity is all about, would find Thomas challenging. Jesus is presented differently and-equally important-so is his message. But it is not the case that this message is absent in the canonical gospels, only obscured. What Thomas essentially holds is present in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; but what is highlighted in Thomas is overshadowed in the others by narrative material. Still, if the canonical gospels are bearers of 'good news,' then what Thomas heralds is even 'better news.' What is more is that the Gospel of Thomas must strike Buddhists as remarkable. Christianity is usually presented as centering on Christ ("The whole of Christianity hangs on these words: Christ is God"),1 and not only discussion but interfaith dialogue almost invariably, from the Christian side, revolve around doctrine. But the focus in Thomas is not at all incompatible with Buddhism, at least as Zen portrays it, as will be shown. Indeed, paradoxically, Thomas-though an ancient Christian text-could conceivably make more sense to modern Zen philosophers than to con