A CHRISTIAN READING OF THE BUDDHIST VIEW OF LIFE IN THE LIGHT OF VATICAN II

Authors

  • Thomas Kochumuttom Indian Christian Ashram at Jaiharikhal

Keywords:

VATICAN II, Buddhism, Nostra Aetate

Abstract

Vatican Council II, in its historic document on the religions of the world, Nostra Aetate, has made a very positive statement on Buddhism. It reads as follows: “Buddhism in its multiple forms acknowledges the radical insufficiency of this shifting world. It teaches a path by which, men in a devout and confident spirit, can either reach a state of absolute freedom or attain supreme enlightenment by their own efforts or by higher assistance.”1 This brief statement, indeed, reflects the new outlook that the Catholic Church wants to be adopted in her ongoing interaction with other religions. This essay makes an attempt to spell out its details and the enriching elements of Buddhism from a Christian perspective.

Author Biography

Thomas Kochumuttom, Indian Christian Ashram at Jaiharikhal

Prof. Dr. Thomas Kochumuttom CMI holds a Licentiate in Theology from the Gregorian University, Rome, a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Pune, India, and a doctorate in Buddhism from the University of Lancaster, U.K. He was a resident professor at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram (DVK), Bangalore and the Director of the Centre for the Study of World Religions of the same Institute. He continues to serve the Institute as a visiting professor. He has published quite a few books and articles in Comparative Religion and Indian Christian Spirituality. At present, he is the Acharya of an Indian Christian Ashram at Jaiharikhal in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India.

References

Vatican II, Nostra Aetate, §2

Thomas Kochumuttom, Comparative Theology, Bangalore: Dharmaram Publications, 1985, 136-37.

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Published

2008-12-31

How to Cite

Kochumuttom, T. (2008). A CHRISTIAN READING OF THE BUDDHIST VIEW OF LIFE IN THE LIGHT OF VATICAN II. Journal of Dharma, 33(4), 347–364. Retrieved from https://dvkjournals.in/index.php/jd/article/view/430

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