Monakhos

Jon made a good point when I was talking about this post with him that the doctrine of sanctification is largely a protestant doctrine and so I thought I would clarify what I mean by the term.

Sanctification is the process of becoming holy or purified. As one delves deeper into a more mystic mindset this process can be seen as awakening or getting in tune with God inside us.

In an article called “The Lotus and the Cross”, my friend Jon explores Buddhist and Christian parallels. It is a really great article, and I would check it out if I were you. In it, he states that salvation in Christianity is paralleled to enlightenment/awakening in Buddhism. It just so happens that I have been thinking about this a lot recently, and wanted to see what other people thought about this idea.

I can see this in some ways, but I am not sure I totally agree with this. In my mind, I think enlightenment could better be compared to sanctification, the process of becoming holy. Some would argue that when a person is “saved” he or she is also santified instantly. While this is true in some regards, and the saved individual is holy from that point on in God’s eyes, it makes sense to say that, as we are still imperfect and make mistakes we are not truly sanctified at that point.

The concept of enlightenment can furthur explain this. Everyone has the seed of enlightenment in them, but not everyone realizes it. Even those that realize that they do have the seed and cultivate it, still do not fully understand it. When a person fully realizes his or her enlightenment and embraces it fully, they are one with the Buddha inside him or her. When a person is completely sanctified, he or she become s one with the Holy Spirit (God) inside of him or her.

The comparison seems to be accurate furthur still when comparing the two religions historically. In Buddhism, there has been one Buddha in this age. He was the only one who was completely awakened and enlightened. Similarly, in Christianity, Jesus Christ was the only sanctified (some may argue that he was not really sanctified since he was always completely holy, but I do not really care to go into a debate on that topic today) human in this age. There have been many who have been saved, but only one that has been sanctified. There have been many who have realized that they are enlightened, but only one that has been fully enlightened.

I am still thinking this through and would love to hear what other people have to say. Please leave a comment and let me know your take on the topic!

In the secret cave of the heart, two are seated
By life’s fountain. The separate ego
Drinks of the sweet and bitter stuff,
Liking the sweet, disliking the bitter,
While the supreme Self drinks sweet and bitter
Neither liking this nor disliking that.
The ego gropes in darkness, while the Self
Lives in the light. So declare the illumined sages
And the householders who worship
The sacred fire in the name of the Lord.
The Katha Upanishad 3:1 - Eknath Easwaran (tr.)

It’s always interesting how the perfect verse is always waiting for the perfect time. Earlier today I posted a haiku about work, and how, sometimes it is a test of my patience. Sometimes things are just flustering. Sometimes they are bitter. The ego dislikes these times, while the supreme Self, while partaking of the same fountain remains calm, and neither dislikes or likes one over the other.

Unpleasant times are inherent in human life. In our lives there will be difficulty and suffering. I was just reading up on the Four Noble Truths in Thich Nhat Hanh’s “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching” after I wrote the word suffering and found that the root of the Chinese character that represents suffering in Chinese Buddhism means bitter! He goes on to describe how there are bitter and sweet things in our lives and that healing is possible!

Once again, I start reading and am instantly touched!

My job frustrates me
Many days, I really hate it
A test of patience

[Note: Just recently things haven’t been working out, but I’ve found that as I meditate and study more I can handle it better. Pretty soon, I’ll probably be able to take it all smiling. Like I said above, it’s a great test sometimes!]