Getting the Buddha Mind Final Thoughts

I seem to remember a passage from my first read of Getting the Buddha Mind that wasn’t really there. Maybe I read another Buddhism book that I forgot about. Anyway it was something about how a devoted practitioner of Buddhism could be confronted with indisputable evidence of Christianity tomorrow and it would not rattle their belief in the power of meditation in the least. They are not mutually exclusive concepts. I liked that.

Just the other day I was listening to a Gloria Estefan interview on NPR. I think it was on Fresh Air. At one point Gloria claimed to be spiritual but not dogmatic. Is it dumb to be taking wisdom from a Gloria Estefan interview? No dumber than any other matter of faith, I suppose.

In the end, I found myself wondering if Buddhism is really that much different than any of the other major religions. A few general, common sense truths are lain as the foundation for some abstract and ultimately unprovable concepts. For those who have completely bought in with their whole heart, the grand abstractions become real. Obvious and undeniable. It is hard to argue that daily meditation and exercises in mental discipline provide no benefits, but something more is demanded of those who fully embrace karma and reincarnation.