I was just wondering - Buddhists pray to be near the Dharma in our next lives so we can continue our journey to Enlightenment. What happens to non-Buddhists? I ask because I am the only one in my family who is a Buddhist and most of the people I know are Christian.
Do Christians earn merits? How do merits help them? This is kind of in relation to the other thread about being good. If they are 'good' Christians, eg they pray to their god, and they obey the 10 commandments - but for example, they are not vegetarian or they gossip a lot, or do anything which contravene the Buddhist precepts but not the Christian, can they be reborn in the three upper realms? Or do they go to their heaven, like Buddhists may go to Sukhavati heaven even if they have not been enlightened?
Can Christians achieve Enlightenment? Or do they eventually in a future life have the karma to become near the Dharma and become Buddhists to be on the parth to Enlightenment?
Ok i know there are a lot of questions here..thanks in advance for sharing your opinions.
Dear WB,
Christians earn good karma by being good God-fearing followers. They abstain from all that displeases God and this is basically following good ethical conduct. Merit is earned through dedicating virtuous actions with that of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as we have not yet developed a selfless motivation.
Christians do not have any concept of spiritual awakening except a very vague new age belief in being one with God (I am not an expert of Christianity but I have been a Christian before and this is what I perceived of its more esoteric traditions and thought). However, their good karma could lead them to a good rebirth and maybe seeds of seeing a Buddha image etc could awaken in future lives and they too may practice the Dharma. I know this makes Dharma seemed like the one true path... It is not and perhaps it is being Christian that is best for that person in that life.(ie it serves a good ethical guideline)
Sukhavati and Tushita is not a heaven in the Christian sense. It is not eternal reward of pleasure and excess. Tushita and Sukhavati is a whole world that lacks worldly distractions that we have here and everything fosters spirituality. Such places are also emanated from the mind of a Buddha and therefore to gain access is not so simple as just being good. It requires merit and concentrated effort called powa practice. Hence, Christians can never enter Sukhavati and Tushita unless they made a concentrated effort to connect with it. The best Christians do is enter one of the deva realms, which is actually more of a trap than eternal salvation according to the Lamrim.
Just by following strict orthodox Christian beliefs, there is no chance to gain full enlightenment. Enlightenment is not granted from an outer source, it is achieved from within our own minds. I noticed Christian practices are geared towards seeking 'salvation' from an outer source (God). Hence, I find it impossible for Enlightenment to occur in this manner. However, practicing good ethics with total sincerity would result in a good rebirth and each life time, any of the endless amounts of positive and negative karma could awaken depending on the right conditions.
Hope this answer helps and if you are to share this with a Christian friend or relative, please answer with discretion as what I explained may not go down too well to a Christian.
