The second virtual event of the Church in Asia series focused on the relationship between Buddhism and Christianity in China. To begin the discussion, Xueying Wang asked Dr. Robert Gimello for a brief overview of Buddhism. Gimello explained that Buddhism is one of the world’s major religions, which began three centuries prior to Christ in India. Buddhism spread throughout Asia into China by the beginning of the common era. He added that Buddhism is a remarkable example of spreading cultures because it was done without force or missionary work. Eventually, China became a very Buddhist culture, which it remains today. Gimello explained deeper the teachings of Buddhism, notably the Four Noble Truths — the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that can lead to the end of suffering.
The discussion shifted from the teachings of Buddhism to the reasoning behind its success in China. Gimello asserted that it “expanded the cosmos” for the Chinese. This felt liberating and made the world seem more vast and limitless. Wang asked if much dialogue between Christians and Buddhists occurred in China. Gimello said yes, however, most dialogue happens outside of Chinese Buddhism.
One of the important figures related to Christian dialogue in China was John C. H. Wu. Wu grew up in China and later went to law school in the United States where he converted to Catholicism. Upon graduating, he returned to China and served in several leadership roles, including as the Chinese ambassador to the Vatican. One of his most influential works was translating the New Testament to Chinese. Because Wu was native to Chinese culture, his translation allowed for biblical terms to be conveyed most accurately.The formal discussion of this event shifted to a question and answer session with viewers, exploring percentages of Chinese who are Buddhist and Christian and the ideas of zen Buddhism. Gimello concluded by providing further readings about what was discussed in the event, including John C. H. Wu’s autobiography, Beyond East and West.
Visit the event page for more.