By Brian Kluepfel,
“I think the important thing is that 50 years ago, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation,” said Father Tom Lucas, S.J. (Society of Jesus) of the University of San Francisco. Lucas and fellow Jesuit Peter Togni participated in a public forum with Tendzin Choegyal, the brother of the 14th Dalai Lama, on the campus last Thursday as part of a series encouraging Christian-Buddhist dialogue. The event took place on the second day of the Catholic season of Lent.
East-West Intersections: Tibetan Buddhist and Jesuit Perspectives was held at the university’s austere St. Ignatius Church, but quickly evolved into a less intimidating setting. Realizing that the distance between the altar and the pews was not conducive to audience participation, the organizers invited attendees into an informal semicircle on the altar, which was decorated in Indian, Nepalese and Christian motifs for the evening. Choegyal, Father Lucas and Father Togni held forth on a variety of subjects in a conversation moderated by Xiao-Xin Wu, the Director of the Ricci Institute at the USF Center for the Pacific Rim.
Lucas began the discussion by drawing comparisons between Siddhartha and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. He noted that although they were born a millennium apart from each other, the two sacrificed lives of privilege to find greater spiritual meaning.
Choegyal, who lives in India and is a visiting scholar to the USF campus, was certainly the focus of interest for many attendees, some of whom eagerly identified themselves as Buddhists before addressing questions to the panel. His holiness’ brother was quick to temper their enthusiasm.
“I think we have to make a distinction between the culture of Tibet and Buddhism,” he said. “I think particularly in the West, Buddhism has become some sort of cult. That is the greatest disservice to Buddhism,” he cautioned.
Choegyal reminded the audience of the ultimate purpose of Buddhism. “The essential message is how to overcome negative emotions,” he said, which he compared to an “intoxicant which can distort us.”
Other topics for discussion included the Christian concepts of grace and transubstantiation (the belief that Christ is physically present in the host and wine during the mass), the role of desire and the ultimate goal of each respective religion. Father Lucas noted that while Buddhists try to avoid holding onto things, Christians aim at shedding misplaced desires — perhaps two sides of the same coin. Choegyal, carefully taking notes throughout, commented that while Christians may have no belief in reincarnation, certainly Buddhists have many more layers of hell than their counterparts. Choegyal’s engaging presence was never absent of a warm sense of humor.
Lucas concluded the evening by emphasizing the current openness in both faiths that allowed the dialogue to take place. Quoting a biblical passage, he said, “How good it is that we are here.” To which Choegyal smiled and answered, “I second the motion.”
The third and final discussion in the Pathways to Peace series is this Thursday, March 11 at USF’s McLaren Center, Room 250, from 5–6 p.m. The topic is “Defining Justice,” and Choegyal will be joined by USF President Stephen Privett, S.J. in a conversation moderated by Law School Dean Jeffrey Brand. The event is free to the public. Call (415) 422-6357 for further information.
