[Buddha-l] Memes amd me

[Joy Vriens]

>This is an interesting question. It reveals some of the limitations involved  
>in seeking counterparts of Christian movements in Buddhism.

I agree. I would rather use the opposition mystical versus magical approaches, or passive versus active, faith and grace versus works.

I see the protestant approach as a mystically enclined attempt to cut out all intermediaires. This includes cutting out 1. centralized institutional committee, 2. a standard official creed 3. sacraments and other rituals 4.  icons and other religious symbols and cutting out a spiritual director. The relation with God is immediate. A mystic like Molinos even said that Christ is only an instrument. So I don't know if from such a point of view Zen Buddhism could be considered "protestant", because it is a transmission with an intermediary.

Joy