All my fellow seminary students were required to take a course in World Religions. I looked forward to this course as I knew little about other religions. It was taught by Dr. Whitney Bodman, Associate Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion. He is an expert in Islamic Studies and his lectures were highly organized, something I appreciated coming from a business background. Whit, the name he goes by, insisted that we attend various services, meetings, and ceremonies of other religions. I attended a Friday afternoon prayer service at the nearby Nueces Mosque and afterwards, dialogued with the Iman. My wife and I attended a Sunday evening Spanish Catholic mass to experience how worship felt in another language. I heard a lecture from a Buddhist monk who studied in Indonesia.
These encounters with other religions, along with class lectures and readings, greatly expanded my knowledge. My greatest enlightenment was not how different the major religions are, but how much religions share in common. When I learned about the many Hindu manifestations of God and believed it to be polytheistic, although Hindus profess the belief in a single God, I was informed that Christians believed in the Trinity (Creator, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit): was this really that different from Hinduism? All major religions emphasize nonviolence and love of neighbor. It was only the fringes of religions that veered from this common belief.
My wife read The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World (Avery, New York NY, 2016) and suggested that I read it. It is written by Douglas Abrams, an author and literary agent who arranged a retreat in Dharamsala, India during April 2015 with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Southern Africa. The book highlights their discussions during five days together. Both men were well into their 80’s and believed that this would be their last physical meeting. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and Desmond Tutu is a retired leader in the Anglican Church. With so much suffering surrounding the year 2020, I needed to read more positive themes.
“Lasting happiness cannot be found in pursuit of any goal or achievement. It does not reside in fortune or fame. It resides only in the human mind and heart.” (page ix) “Joy … is much bigger than happiness. While happiness is often seen as being dependent on external circumstances, joy is not.” (page 3) This is why we celebrate the joy of Christmas, even when surrounded by so much suffering and unhappiness. Christians rejoice in the good news of our Savior’s birth who was born into a brutal world full of unhappiness.
Why is the world not more joyful? The Dali Lama believes “the problem is that our world and our education remain focused exclusively on external, materialistic values. We are not concerned enough with our inner values. … So we really need to focus on our inner values, our true humanity. Only this way can we have peace of mind – and more peace in our world.” (pages 29-30) Buddhism parallels Christianity on peace. A few weeks ago during Advent, Christians lit the candle of peace.
“Joy is our essential nature, something everyone can realize.” (page 48) Jews dance joyfully with the Torah during Simchat Torah, the conclusion of the annual Torah reading cycle. Muslims joyfully celebrate during Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. Our Hindu friends gave us sweet treats during Diwali, the joyful festival of lights. Joy is not confined to one religion; it is within us.
How can we enhance our joy? “Our greatest joy is when we seek to do good for others.” (page 59) Christians know this as God commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Leviticus 19:18) All major religions believe in loving their neighbors through service and giving alms. When I visited Cairo and toured a mosque, our Egyptian guide informed us that Islam is a peaceful and loving religion, despite the radicals in the news. He disavowed violence and said that those who revert to violence were not following the Qur’an, their holy book. Christians have also committed violence in the name of religion, although Jesus Christ was nonviolent and refused to strike back at his enemies. “Bringing joy to others is the fastest way to experience joy oneself.” (page 261)
“Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens. It is the grateful response to the opportunity that life offers you at this moment.” (page 245) Two older gentlemen, separated by religion and culture, sat together as close friends and found mutual agreement on joy. Instead of arguing religious doctrine, they found harmony in joy. Instead of pushing their respective agendas, they embraced and loved each other knowing that their bodies may never touch again. Each experienced inner joy despite their persecution, discrimination, and aging bodies. Inner joy brings lasting peace and love which transcends life’s sufferings.