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Christianity and Zen are two worlds apart. Christianity is a world religion. Zen is a particular school of Buddhism, which is a world religion. In another words, Zen is to Buddhism like Catholicism or Protestantism is to Christianity.

For people like us, who are living in the 21st century, both Christianity and Zen offer great opportunities for personal empowerment. You will find great strength and solace in Christianity if you utilize its concepts of belief, faith, and prayer. Medical science has verified that "believers and place of worship attendees" are stronger then the general population when it comes to physical and psychological health. (Science Daily, May 17, 1999)

Zen practitioners seem to have it together when it comes to physical and psychological health also. The tools of meditation, wisdom and insight, and strong self acceptance seem to be the workhorses of this discipline.

Then you have greedy people, like myself, who want it all, and have incorporated the dynamic aspects of both religions. I am from a Christian orientation; however, my strong martial art background, 2nd Degree Black Belt-Tae Kwon Do-makes me very susceptible to the ideas and practices found in Zen.

Considering the history of these two religions, Jesus Christ is the venerated man believed by Christians to be the Son of God. He lived 2008 years ago. Siddartha Gautama, known as the Buddha lived 2500 years ago.

There are many similarities between Buddhism and Christianity. In fact, if you view the words of the Buddha and Jesus Christ, you probably would swear that their inspirations and thoughts came from the same Playbook or Author. See Marcus Borg, Jesus and Buddha the Parallel Sayings.

What are some of these similarities? Borg in his- Jesus and Buddha, The Parallel Sayings-points out, "The parallels involve both teachings (for example, love of enemies) and general principles (the primacy of compassion). Both began renewal movements within their inherited religious traditions, Hinduism and Judaism. Neither saw himself as the founder of a new religion."

Generally speaking, what does Christianity and Zen Buddhism stand for? The New Testament bible, the main reference for Christianity, states in James 1:27, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." You should love your neighbor as yourself.

We know good deeds are very important in Christianity as evidenced by the New

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