Enlightened by Love and Sacrifice: An excerpt from Leaving Buddha
“Why did you come here?” he asked.
“I came here to find the ultimate dharma—to find enlightenment.”
“If dharma is what you seek, then you must cleanse your mind of everything that you have heard about Jesus. No matter how little of a place you give him, he can use it to destroy everything—just as a virus that you cannot see with your naked eye has the power to destroy the health of a well, strong body.
“Stay away,” he said again with emphasis. “Stay far, far away.”
I bowed in the darkness, acknowledging his command to me.
As I walked away, he added, “Do not tell anyone here about our conversation. You must contain this virus or else….
“Remember, this very temple that gives you shelter was built as a reflection of perfect order,” he said, referring to the name Thiksay, which means “perfect order.” “You will destroy that perfect order for eternity if Jesus is allowed to infect the minds of those who have come here to find enlightenment.”
I bowed again and walked away toward my room, running my fingers over the smooth edges of my prayer beads and praying for strength and wisdom.
I couldn’t help but think of Peema and his words to me. He and his family must have known about the dangers of Jesus. Why had he considered it so important to tell me about something so dangerous? Peema didn’t look like he had been suffering from any pain or spiritual torment. In fact, he looked and acted as if he had a peace and calmness to him.
After I returned to my room, I was still unable to sleep. There were so many questions running through my mind. I wanted to know more about Jesus. I think that my newly found desire to learn more sprang from the fact that I now knew I was not supposed to know anything about him!
My curiosity was itching, and now I wanted nothing more than to scratch it.
PR
Excerpted from Leaving Buddha: A Tibetan Monk’s Encounter with the Living God by Tenzin Lahpka with Eugene Bach, © 2019 by Back to Jerusalem, Inc. Published by Whitaker House. Used by permission.
Further Reading from Leaving Buddha:
Pastor John Lathrop reviews Leaving Buddha.
Category: Fall 2019, Living the Faith
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