Are You Thirsty? October 15, 2012 Charlotte Marchant History First Thought Paper Word Count: 1063

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1 Are You Thirsty? October 15, 2012 Charlotte Marchant History First Thought Paper Word Count: 1063

2 Close this window Help Message previous next ReplyReply to AllForwardPrintDelete Subject: RE: History 2206 From: Thomas Keene Charlotte, Sent: September 24, :11 PM To: Charlotte Marchant(cmarcha2) CC: I like it. Approved!! Just print out this exchange and use it as your page 2. Good luck! TK From: Charlotte Marchant Subject: History 2206 Date Sent: September 23, :37 PM To: Thomas Keene(tkeene) For my first thought paper I would like to compare and contrast an aspect of the great traditions between Christianity and Buddhism. In looking at different excerpts from their sacred books, there is a similarity with the concept of a thirst/craving that is within human beings. In my paper, I would like to look at the different ways that Christianity and Buddhism address this concept of thirsting. Furthermore, I want to examine how each tradition seeks to solve this issue. I plan on looking at different excerpts from each sacred text, whether from the textbook or from firsthand material and consulting different websites that can provide commentaries for greater knowledge and wisdom. Charlotte Marchant previous next Close this window

3 Are you thirsty? All humans have the physical need to consume water in order to sustain life. When someone thirsts, it is signaling to the mind and body that there is a need not being filled, met, or needs to be re-filled. Along with the physical thirsting, there is the concept of thirsting in a spiritual manner. Buddhism and Christianity come together in this belief. Each of their sacred texts and beliefs acknowledges, addresses, and seeks to solve the existence of thirsting in humans. However, their approaches to this concept also bring about unique and distinct differences between each great tradition. One similarity that can be found between both traditions is their understanding of the word thirst. Buddhism s understanding is simply explained as desire. 1 Likewise, in the Christian text, thirst comes from a Greek word that means those who painfully feel their want of, and eagerly long for. 2 Desire, want, and longing for create a similar picture between the two traditions. There is the idea of a yearning inside of us that leads us to act or think in some way. However, this similarity ceases once the understanding is put into life practice. In more detail, Buddhism believes in four Noble Truths, and these four truths explain the nature of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, dissatisfaction), its causes, and how it can be overcome. 3 One section of their sacred text addresses thirst as the Noble Truth of the Cause of suffering this thirst is threefold, namely, thirst for pleasure, thirst for existence, thirst for prosperity. 4 In this tradition, there is a distinct and firm connection between thirsting and suffering. Thirsting is the cause, and suffering is the effect. Thirsting, or desire, is pernicious, 1 Quoted in Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield, The Human Record: Sources of Global History (Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012), "Dictionary and Word Search for dipsaō (Strong's 1372)," accessed October 17, 2012, bible.org / lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=g1372&t=nasb. 3 Buddhism. Wikipedia (October 17, 2012). 4 Quoted in Andrea et al., The Human Record: Sources of Global History (Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012), 76.

4 harmful, and therefore, should not be quenched. Abandonment is the only option. Moreover, the other Noble Truths address the solution to their belief of thirsting. The third Noble Truth explains the further connection and link between thirsting and suffering. Suffering ends with the complete cessation of this thirst, a cessation which consists in the absence of every passion with the abandoning of this thirst, with the doing away with it, with the deliverance from it, with the destruction of desire. 5 The thirst for pleasure, existence, and prosperity must be abandoned, given up on, and walked away from. Once again, abandoning thirst is the cause, and ending suffering is the effect. The Eightfold Path, the fourth Noble Truth, provides a practice and a means to abandon thirst and end suffering, and consists of Right Belief, Right Aspiration, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Means of Livelihood, Right Endeavor, Right Memory, Right Meditation 6 In this tradition, a new way of life or plan is set in place to resolve the issue of thirsting. Within the great tradition of Christianity, thirsting is addressed and solved in a different manner. In one story of the Bible, Jesus approaches a woman at a well and their conversation is centered on water and thirsting, both physically and spiritually. 7 When talking about the water in the well, Jesus says to the woman that everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again. 8 Here, Jesus identifies the existence of thirsting within humans. There is a physical need for water; however, the sentence continues to address a spiritual thirsting. Jesus explains that whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst again; but the water that I will 5 Quoted in Andrea et al., The Human Record: Sources of Global History (Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012), Quoted in Andrea et al., The Human Record: Sources of Global History (Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012), John 4: 7-14 (NASB). 8 Jn 4:13b

5 give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 9 Water must continue to be consumed for the physical need to be fulfilled. However, Jesus identifies that there exists a thirst within humans that is unquenchable by water, or physical and material things of the world. Spiritually, humans thirst, and Jesus offers an answer. Jesus proclaims that this thirst is quenchable, and quenchable by him, the living water. 10 He states that this living water that quenches the thirst comes by believing in him and what the Bible says about him. 11 By proclaiming this, it can be understood that the thirsting is not viewed as evil or pernicious. Furthermore, if Jesus is the one who quenches the thirst, then is can be believed that this thirsting is good and instilled in mankind by God in order to lead them to Jesus. Therefore, the thirsting has a purpose: to lead people to Jesus. Similarities and differences exist between both of these traditions approaches to thirsting. Although Buddhism believes in following the Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path and Christianity believes in the way of Jesus, both traditions require a radical life change. Both demand a sense of separating from self and the pleasures of the world. Buddhism requires the abandoning and destruction of thirst or desire. While Christianity demands following and believing in Jesus and what he teaches. With choosing to follow after these traditions, one s life is greatly altered. Likewise, both are strong and firm in their convictions that their belief and solution to thirsting is correct. In the contemporary era, there is some acceptance within traditions; however, their core belief in thirsting is not compromised. Differences are explicitly seen in how each tradition addresses the concept of thirsting. In Buddhism, thirsting leads to suffering. In Christianity, thirsting leads people to Jesus. One is 9 Jn 4:14 10 Jn 4:10 11 Jn 7:38

6 believed to be harmful and evil; the other is good, instilled in man, and leads to quenchable water. Therefore, one thirst must be destroyed and the other thirst must be quenched. This is the greatest difference in the concept of thirsting between Buddhism and Christianity. One must either deny the thirsting through Buddhism or seek out quenchable water through Christianity. This difference separates the two great traditions with a very unique and distinct line, and this line begs the question: are you thirsty?

7 Bibliography Andrea, Alfred J., and Overfield, James H., The Human Record: Sources of Global History. Boston: Wadworth Cengage Learning, I used this source to provide my paper with excerpts from the sacred texts of Buddhism so I would be able to analyze and compare its teachings with the other great tradition. Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for dipsaō (Strong's 1372)." Accessed October 17, NASB I used this source to understand and bring meaning to Christianity s belief of the concept of thirsting. Buddhism. Wikipedia (October 17, 2012). I used this source to gain a greater knowledge of the four Noble Truths and its relation to thirsting and suffering within Buddhism. Excerpts from the Bible I used this source to provide my paper with material from Christianity s sacred text to I would be able to analyze and compare its teaching with the other great tradition.