Stories about interfaith friendship
2 Buddhist wisdom stories about interfaith friendship from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- “How about the Holy Ghost, then?”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Being shown around the creaky old Benedictine abbey at New Norcia, Ajahn Brahm teases Abbot Placid by asking if there are ghosts. “No, no, Ajahn, we don't believe in ghosts.” —…
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So I was walking there with the Abbott, the performer Abbott, Abbert Placid, and I said to him, he said, "Are there any?" Actually, I was leading him on because I know a lot about Christianity and they don't believe in ghosts because they believe that once you die, you go to heaven or hell or in limbo or something, but they don't believe in ghosts. So, I decided to have some fun at the good Abbott's expense. I said, "Are there any ghosts, you know, in this abbey? It's very old. I'm sure many people have died." And he said, "No, no, Ajan, we don't believe in ghosts. You don't believe in ghosts?" "No, we don't believe in ghosts. How about the Holy Ghost then?
- The Muslim family at the airportStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On a teaching tour of Indonesia, Muslims attend his talks and a veiled family rushes to the airport to have him sign the book they loved and take a last photo together.
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Even like Indonesia, my trip to Indonesia, that's where all the Muslim terrorists are, you know all the Bali bombers, they came from over there, but I had such a wonderful time with the Muslims, they came to all my talks, we had photos together, got interviewed and photographed in the Muslim newspapers. Even one Muslim family, they came to the airport, they just caught me in time, said "Oh, Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Brahm you must sign our book, it's the best book we've ever had." So this whole Muslim family in the veils and everything, me in the middle with the book, having a last photograph taken together. Isn't that wonderful, when people of different religions can have so much fun together.