The Buddhist Christian: More common than you thought
Details of “The Last Supper” by Chen Yuandu. Image is in the public domain.
Over the years, I’ve had the honor of knowing a few Chinese and Japanese Buddhists who embraced Christianity, not by abandoning their Buddhist roots, but by bringing the depth, beauty, and wisdom of their heritage into their newfound faith.
And there are many more like them in Asia, the Pacific, here in Chicago, and around the world.
Their spiritual journeys have not been about trading one tradition for another, but about integrating both—enriching the Christian faith with Buddhist values that align closely with Christ’s teachings.
In the West, we often imagine religions as competing ideologies.
But for many in Asia, especially those from cultures deeply shaped by Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist traditions, the lines between traditions can be more fluid.
When my Chinese and Japanese friends came to Christianity, they did not feel compelled to sever ties with all that came before.
Instead, they allowed their Buddhist upbringing to complement and deepen their Christian practice.
Compassion as daily practice
The Buddhist principle of karuṇā—originally a Hindu Sanskrit word for compassion—is remarkably compatible with Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).
In both traditions, compassion is not merely a feeling but a call to action.
My friends have shown me how Buddhist mindfulness around suffering can sharpen our Christian call to mercy.
It adds a layer of attentiveness: not just to act compassionately when a need arises, but to cultivate a constant readiness to see suffering clearly and respond with love.
Simplicity and detachment from possessions
Christianity warns against the dangers of wealth and the temptation of worldly attachments.
Buddhism goes further, offering a structured path toward non-attachment.
Many Chinese and Japanese Christians who were raised with Buddhist values bring a lived humility and simplicity into their discipleship—what we might call a voluntary poverty of spirit.
This counter-cultural witness speaks powerfully in a materialistic age, reminding us that contentment and peace often come from letting go, not accumulating more.
Meditation and inner stillness
The Buddhist practice of meditation has inspired Christians for centuries, particularly those in monastic or contemplative traditions.
The Chinese and Japanese Christians I know who were once Buddhists often carry with them a deep respect for silence, stillness, and self-examination.
These practices dovetail beautifully with Christian prayer, helping create space to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
In a noisy, anxious world, this Buddhist influence helps Christians rediscover the sacredness of stillness and attention.
Interdependence and community
Buddhism teaches that all beings are interdependent—a principle known as pratītyasamutpāda (also a Hindu Sanskrit phrase for dependent origination).
This perspective aligns well with Christian understandings of the Body of Christ.
When people from a Buddhist background embrace Christianity, they often carry a deeply ingrained sense of communal responsibility.
They understand, perhaps more instinctively, that “if one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
This helps foster a Christian community that is not only welcoming but actively accountable to one another.
Reverence for life and nonviolence
Though Christians are called to be peacemakers, our faith tradition has a mixed history when it comes to violence.
Buddhism’s consistent ethic of nonviolence offers a helpful corrective.
Many Buddhist-Christians live out a gentleness and reverence for all living beings that challenges fellow Christians to rethink how we treat animals, the earth, and even those we consider our enemies.
It is a spiritual disposition that turns the other cheek not just as duty, but as compassion.
When Chinese and Japanese Buddhists become Christians, they do not lose their spiritual DNA.
They bring with them a treasury of wisdom that makes Christianity not less Christian, but more deeply rooted in compassion, humility, and peace.
Their witness reminds us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not afraid of conversation, not threatened by cultural dialogue, and not limited to Western frameworks.
Instead, Christianity grows stronger, richer, and more faithful when we listen to the ways the Spirit moves across cultures and through traditions.
As Jesus said, “The wind blows where it chooses” (John 3:8).
Sometimes, it blows from the East, carrying with it the sound of temple bells and the whispered prayers of those who have found Christ through the wisdom of the Buddha.
