Some Buddhists may like to think of Jesus as the incarnation of a great bodhisattva. From this perspective, many Buddhists would view Christianity as a branch of Buddhism. However, I have a problem accepting this viewpoint. Viewing Christianity as a branch of Buddhism may create undesirable consequences. People would have the misunderstanding that accepting the teachings of Jesus and Christianity would be the same as accepting the teachings of Buddhadharma. The fact is, there are certain parts of Jesus's teachings which do not accord with Buddhadharma and vice versa. As Buddhists, we should only consider those aspects of Jesus's teachings which are identical with those of the Dharma, and we can only consider the teachings of Christianity at the level of the human and heavenly realms.

I doubt that in the future the numerous religions will fuse into one. The world is not so simple. It is important for the major religions to recognize and support those parts of their faiths that are the same, as well as understand and accept those parts that are different. It would be wrong for Buddhists to make claims that their religion is superior to other religions. It would cause unnecessary dispute and tension. We can only explain our teachings so others might understand. It is not our right to judge whether another religion is good or bad, correct or incorrect.

STUDENT:

Can we think of Buddhism, and in particular the Ch'an sect, as a religion?

SHIH-FU:

This is a very important question. On the one hand, the teachings of the Dharma, and especially the teachings of Ch'an, are methods of practice. Sakyamuni Buddha taught methods. He did not tell people to believe in anything or to accept anything on faith. From the point of view of strict practice, there seems to be no need for religious ritual, for performance of rites of adoration toward the Buddhas. In this sense, Buddhism need not be classified as a religion.