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In the beginning
A while back I read a book by the Theravada Elder, Nyanaponika Thera, "The Heart of Buddhist Meditation". In it he contrasted the beginnings of two books, The Bible and the Buddhist Dhammapada.
"In the beginning God......" (Bible)
"All things are led by mind, created by mind........" (Dhammapada)
Nyanaponika Thera suggested that this was where the two Faiths left each other, one up into an imaginary beyond, the other into the heart of "man".
Mentioning "faith" another difference appears. Faith in God v Faith in oneself. "Be ye lamps unto yourselves" said the Buddha.
This is where anatta comes in. Not-self. A teaching that if not understood will inevitably lead to Buddhism, the Dharma, not being understood. "Understanding" in Buddhism means not simple logical/intellectual understanding but the full experience of the mind/heart.
The question is asked, given anatta, exactly what is the "self" that Buddhists are asked to be a lamp for themselves.
Just questions to ask ourselves.
Christianity speaks of salvation by faith. My own Pure Land Buddhism sees faith as "salvation". It is that non-dual context.
"This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
— him I knew so well —
there in a place where no one appeared"
(Lines from "The Dark Night", St John of the Cross)
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When a scholar is born they forget the nembutsu
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