Say What?? - Orthodox Prayer and Buddhist Mindfulness

[Handmaiden50]

"Orthodox Prayer and Buddhist Mindfulness"

http://www.ancientfaith.com/specials/oc ... indfulness

If anyone has time, take a listen and let me know your thoughts. I just don't know what to make of this.

[Maria]

As Father Brendan Pelphrey of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (World Orthodoxy) is an admitted Ecumenist, listeners must carefully discern what he says in this recording at Ancient Faith Radio.

While Fr. Brendan admits that adherents to Buddhism worship more than 300 gods, and that Orthodox Christianity worships one God, he is very careful neither to condemn Buddhism, nor to judge it. Indeed, he states that we should avoid the Protestant missionary approach of condemning Buddhists as those who worship demons. Nevertheless, Fr. Brendan's apparent lack of discernment in the very beginning of his talk will undoubtedly cause confusion in the minds of those who are seeking the truth about Christ and His Church.

Throughout his talk, Fr. Brendan compares the praxis of Buddhism with that of Orthodoxy as he discusses:

1. Orthodox hesychasm vs Buddhist prayer, which he claims is similar as both practice unceasing prayer with the Orthodox looking at a holy icon while the Buddhists stare at a blank wall only inches away from them;
2. Orthodox concept of this fallen world and sinfulness vs Buddhist "sea of suffering", which he claims is similar;
3. Orthodox goal of becoming passionless vs Buddhism praxis which is similar;
4. The Cherubic Hymn in the Divine Liturgy that urges us to put aside all worldly cares and focus on the heavenly worship vs. the Buddhist idea that all worldly care is simply an illusion; and
5. Orthodox praxis of watchfulness, guarding the senses, and not judging others vs Buddhism praxis to guard one's thoughts.

Therefore, without any warning to the contrary, he seems to give the impression that all seems to be right with Buddhism and that the practices of Buddhism are similar to the praxis and ethos of Orthodox Christianity.

He even mentions that there are at least eight schools of Buddhism and that Christianity is likewise fragmented into many Protestant denominations, Catholic groups, and Orthodox Christians. This thinking is wrong as it teaches the branch theory of Ecumenists.

Concerning Hinduism, Fr. Brendan states that both Hinduism and Buddhism teach that the disciple should escape from the body [a gnostic belief that the flesh is evil] in order to reach self-realization. Whereas there is a concept of mind vs. body in both Hinduism and in Buddhism, Orthodoxy teaches that body, soul, and spirit are sanctified through the Holy Mysteries.

At the very end of his talk, Father Brendan touches on discernment when he relates the story of a Desert Father who seems to ignore the angels who are accompanying him while he walks. When asked why he is ignoring these angels, Abba responds that the demons often appear as angels, so it is best to ignore them as the demons would like to distract us from prayer. However, if those angels were truly of God, then they would not want to be acknowledged as that would also distract us from prayer.

Fr. Brendan mentions that Buddhists urge their disciples to view this world as illusionary, so our very existence would be an illusion. Anyone we dislike would be an illusion, so we can conveniently dismiss a brother-in-law as a mere illusion and a distraction from prayers.

Regarding the dead, Fr. Brendan said that he is closer to those who have fallen asleep than when they were alive. This belief in the Communion of Saints differs from Buddhism.

In conclusion, while Fr. Brendan compares the praxis of Buddhism versus that of Orthodoxy, he does not discuss the deities of Buddhism. While on the one hand, Fr. Brendan is silent concerning the Buddhist deities of which there are more than 300, on the other hand, he attacks Protestant missionaries who accuse the Buddhists of worshiping demons. Why do the Protestants accuse the Buddhists of worshiping demons? If any of the deities of Buddhism are evil, should not this be mentioned?

[Maria]

I only listened to this video once.

Therefore, I must ask any listeners, did you hear Father Brendan mention Christ our Lord and God, the Holy Trinity, or mention of our Holy Mysteries? He did not begin his talk with the Sign of the Cross.

Many Ecumenists are very careful not to offend others in their speech, so they will not mention the name of Jesus Christ, or that He is Lord, Master, and the Son of God. Neither will most mention the All Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

[Handmaiden50]

Appreciate your thoughts on this, Maria.

[Maria]

Some further thoughts for discussion:

Why do Fr. Brendan and other Ecumenists spend so much time studying false religions? It seems more of an academic task such as studying ancient artifacts and deities found in tombs.

How does this academic pursuit contribute to the salvation of Buddhists?

When I have talked with priests in World Orthodoxy who admit that they are Ecumenists, they invariably say that their purpose is not to preach the Gospel of Christ, but to help Buddhists be better Buddhists, Jews better Jews, Catholics better Catholics, and Protestants better Protestants. However, in their newly found apologetics, they seem almost embarrassed to preach Christ.

[Barbara]

World Orthodox priests say THAT ? Do you mean Antiochians ? Or all WO jurisdictions ?
Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say this. But I didn't expect it anywhere in Orthodoxy !

[FrBrendan]

C.S. Lewis is supposed to have said, “Just because a mouse is in a cookie jar, it does not make him a cookie.” I do not know if Lewis really said that, but I do know that because I spent years living with Buddhists, learning about many different forms of Buddhism, and baptizing Buddhists who wanted to follow Jesus Christ, it does not make me a Buddhist—or an “ecumenist,” or lacking in discernment, or some of the other rather derogatory things I have been called in this forum. It does make me a missionary, which I think is recognized by other Orthodox missionaries, and may be why this forum is not hearing from them.

For those critics who write that I have no discernment, I would respond that whether I do or not, perhaps they have no ears. I began the paper by pointing out that (as any scholar of Buddhism knows), there are many apparent similarities between Buddhist mindfulness practice and Orthodox Christian niptic prayer. This is an undeniable fact, and I cannot help it if some Orthodox who write comments are simply not familiar with Buddhist practice, especially mindfulness practice as we see it in the monasteries in Asia. However, I then said that this is like our two hands, left and right: they may look alike, but in fact they are opposite to each other on every point.

Citing some of the great niptic saints, I also pointed out that in their (Orthodox) view, much of Buddhist experience has a demonic origin or at best, is the result of psycho-physical phenomena. Hence, for example, St Gregory of Palamas spoke of the “noetic demon of the belly” with regard to the Buddhist experience of heat and power arising from the area of the navel.

Obviously, as I said several times, most Buddhists do not believe in God (though some do—mostly, I think, in California) or else have hundreds of local gods; while Christians worship the Holy Trinity, recognizing Jesus Christ as God incarnate and as Savior of the world. As my paper went on to point out, Buddhism does not actually resemble Christianity on many points: for example, in Buddhism the world and even the self are illusions, there is no Creator God, and even love itself is viewed by most as a form of attachment—whereas in our Orthodox view, God is love and the purpose of life itself is to become all love in the image and likeness of God in Jesus Christ.

In defense of my critics who are busy condemning me for what they think they did not hear, I must admit that my actual paper was too long for the time allotted for the presentation, so that in the video of my talk much of the last part of the paper is missing. In the actual essay, I make it much more clear that Christian prayer is not the same at all as Buddhist mindfulness. In fact, I have been attacked precisely on this point by genuine syncretists (“ecumenists”) who are upset that I was too critical of Buddhism. I would also point out, however, that this was not meant to be a paper about Buddhism vs Christianity, but about the healthful effects, or not, of mindfulness meditation and prayer. Are they really the same? No, they are not, although today many westerners (not really Asian Buddhists) say that they are.

Next, I would point out that historically there have been two broad approaches to Christian mission. In one of them, missionaries essentially say to non-Christians, “All your gods are devils, and you are going to hell.” In the other approach, Christians live among non-Christians, befriend them, study their religions and enter into dialogue with the local people, baptizing those who asked for salvation in Jesus Christ.

The first one, which we can associate mostly with Protestant evangelicalism, doesn’t work. The second, which is Orthodox, converted entire nations. As examples of the first we have historical figures like Tertullian, who said, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” He is not an Orthodox saint; in fact he became a heretic. As examples of the second we have countless Orthodox saints, as far apart in time as St. Paul the Apostle (who spent his later life in dialogue with pagans, drawing out similarities, for example, between Stoic hymns and Christian faith, as we see in Acts 17); Makarios the Great of Egypt, Brendan of Clonfert (Ireland), and Herman of Alaska. These great saints are my examples. Through their love and joyful presentation of the image of Christ, they brought many to Christ.

In giving my paper, as in life, I did not see any point in condemning Buddhists to Hell (anyway there are eighteen Hells in Buddhism). However, I did try to draw out the very great contrasts between prayer to the Living God, and meditation on the emptiness of existence. I am deeply disappointed that some viewers of the video seem not to have realized this. I would urge them to read the entire paper, either by contacting me directly (I can send a copy online) or in the forthcoming publication of the OCAMPR proceedings.

Finally, I promise to pray for them so that they do not fall into condemnation and heresy, like modern Tertullians, but might realize the deep love which God has for all people in the world, pagans and Christians alike, and even the beautiful aspects of some of the world religions. Our task is to teach the worship of God “more perfectly,” as St. Paul said, and to love all people in Jesus’ name, calling to repentance and to life in Him. I would be happy to respond, as there is time, to any who wish to write to me. +Fr Brendan