Sunday is Easter. I keep forgetting.  Growing up the daughter of a United Methodist minister, Easter was nearly bigger than Christmas.  It was HUGE, it was everything.  But this year, I've completely forgotten.  My kids don't even know what Easter is about.  This almost made me feel guilty until I realized that they don't know about Easter because their parents are not Christians.

 

Wow.

 

Their parents are not Christians.

 

For someone with my background, saying that is about the same as saying "not human."  It's hard for my mouth to say, but not at all hard for my mind to grasp.  It's just training my mouth to keep up with my soul, you know?

 

The truth of the matter is, however, that there are a lot of similarities between Christianity and Buddhism.  Check out this Koan:

 

Not Far from Buddhahood

A university student asked Gasan, "have you ever read the Christian Bible?"

"No, read it to me," said Gasan.

The student opened the Bible and read from St. Matthew: "And why take ye thought for rainment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these... Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."

Gasan said: "Whoever uttered those words I consider an enlightened man."

The student continued reading: "Ask and it shall be given to you, see and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened for you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened."

Gasan remarked: "That is excellent. Whoever said that is not far from Buddhahood."

 

We're all part of the same collective consciousness. 

Namaste.