Anatta of Jesus Christ__T.S. Mong
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THE ANATTA OF JESUS CHRIST Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8 (NASB version) The text says Jesus emptied himself of the self. The Christian concept of kenosis is consonant with the Buddha's teaching of anatta (no-self) – a concept that even professed Buddhists have difficulty in grasping. As the Zen legend goes, one day the founder of Zen Buddhism Bodhidharma was summoned before Emperor Wu. “What is the holy teaching?” asked the Emperor. “Vast nothingness, nothing holy,” replied Bodhidharma. “Then who is this that stands before me?” asked the dumbfounded emperor. “I don't know,” said Bodhidharma. sa This is the ideal of Buddhism: to be emptied of self, to be nobody. Why did Judas give up on Jesus? Because of Jesus's no-self persona as described in Isaiah 53:7. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. - (NASB version) St. Paul says that Jesus emptied himself to the point of dying a humiliating death on the cross in Philippians 2. This is anatta a la Jesus Christ. Paul exhorts Christians to nail their egos to the cross. “I am crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20).
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Buddhist view of Jesus Christ via the concept of "anatta" (no-self).
Transcript of Anatta of Jesus Christ__T.S. Mong
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THE ANATTA OF JESUS CHRIST
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in ChristJesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did notregard equality with God a thing to be grasped, butemptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, andbeing made in the likeness of men. Being found inappearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becomingobedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8 (NASB version)
The text says Jesus emptied himself of the self. The Christian concept ofkenosis is consonant with the Buddha's teaching of anatta (no-self) a conceptthat even professed Buddhists have difficulty in grasping. As the Zen legendgoes, one day the founder of Zen Buddhism Bodhidharma was summoned beforeEmperor Wu.
What is the holy teaching? asked the Emperor.
Vast nothingness, nothing holy, replied Bodhidharma.
Then who is this that stands before me? asked the dumbfounded emperor.
I don't know, said Bodhidharma. saThis is the ideal of Buddhism: to be emptied of self, to be nobody.
Why did Judas give up on Jesus? Because of Jesus's no-self persona asdescribed in Isaiah 53:7.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. - (NASB version)
St. Paul says that Jesus emptied himself to the point of dying ahumiliating death on the cross in Philippians 2. This is anatta a la JesusChrist. Paul exhorts Christians to nail their egos to the cross. I am crucifiedwith Christ (Gal. 2:20).
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How many Christians give currency to the no-self-ness of Jesus? Perhapsonly the Christian contemplative in a desert retreat. The popular version ofChrist as the Messiah is to be found in the lyrics of Handel's Messiah:
The kingdom of this world is becomeThe kingdom of our Lord, And of his Christ.....
King of kings, and Lord of lordsAnd He shall reign for ever and ever.
That's precisely what Judas expected Jesus to be a King of Kings and Lord oflords of this world. The world can only think of the messiah as a superstar anda conquering hero. But as Jesus told Pilate: My kingdom is not of this world.If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants will be fighting so that Iwould not be handed to the Jews; but as it is, my kingdom is not of this world(John 18.34-36, NASB version). In other words, the kingdom of Christ is thekingdom of no-self.
In his The Supersensual Life Jacob Boehme points out that the onething necessary in order that one may see and hear God is not to have the selfstand in the way, for it is the self that hinders one from seeing and hearing God.
STUDENT: How may I come to the supersensual life sothat I can see God and hear him speak?
MASTER: When you remain silent from the thinking andwilling of the self, the eternal hearing, seeing and speakingwill be revealed in you, and God will see and hear throughyou.
As the Buddha has said:
Where self is, truth is not. Where truth is, self is not.
T. S. MONGMay 20-21, 2015
![[Buddhadasa Bhikkhu] the Buddha s Doctrine of Anatta(Bookos.org)](https://static.fdocuments.us/doc/165x107/55cf9c6c550346d033a9caff/buddhadasa-bhikkhu-the-buddha-s-doctrine-of-anattabookosorg.jpg)
