What could be a thesis for comparing Buddhism and Christianity?

I have to write an essay comparing symbolism between two religions. I have chosen Buddhism and Christianity, but am having a difficult time coming up with a thesis. Help please?|||Sarah: I am Catholic and am fascinated by how complementary zen and Catholicism are in practice and to compare the two Catholicism in the most open to the study you have begun.Christianity, especially the Catholics is full of symbols, Zen is almost devoid of symbols. There are plenty of other ways to compare them. My thesis is that Christianity is about acting and behavior; Zen is about the mind and thought.


Good luck...





Books for you to read,,,


(the title is every other line with a short description between)





The Still Point: William Johnston SJ


An early attempt by him to join the philosophies, who no one has done as well since


Meditation: William Johnston SJ


Meditation through the eyes of a Jesuit. (I learned to meditate from this book)


Arise my love: William Johnston SJ


I love this man...Pure christianity by a priest who taught in Japan for 25 +years


Zen Gifts to Christians: Robert Kennedy SJ


A great piece of liturature by a Jesuit priest who is a Buddhist monk


Zen and the Birds of Appetite: Thomas Merton


A very strong effort by Merton to make Buddhism and Catholicism compatible


Chuang Tze; Thomas Merton


A poetic interpretation of an ancient Taoist. Merton and Suzuki had many great discussions.


Living Buddha, Living Christ: Thich Naht Hahn


Christ in the view of a buddhist monk


Zen and Japanese Culture; D.T. Suzuki


Suzuki is the best source of original practice and philosophy of zen, by far


Going Home, Buddha and Jesus as brothers: Thich Naht Hahn


Good stuff


The Tao of Jesus, author, not recalled|||Christianity - True religion


Buddhism - Bullsh*t made by a Satan worshipper named Buddha|||Buddhist Symbols


http://www.google.com.au/search?client=s…





Early Symbol in Buddhist History


Buddhist symbolism


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_sy…





http://www.google.com.au/images?um=1%26amp;hl=…





Buddhist Flag


http://www.google.com.au/search?client=s…


























Christian Symbols


http://www.google.com.au/search?client=s…





Flag


http://www.google.com.au/search?client=s…


keep on searching yourself|||May be you can dig out more on these:





-The cross:


Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24


-Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)


-Anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:19-21)


see: http://near-death.com/experiences/resear…





and


-the Buddhist's symbol of Lotus:





The roots of a lotus are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented flower lies pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight --%26gt; signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.


Enlightenment can be said in another terms: Wisdom of Emptiness... The wisdom that arises from the direct experience of all phenomena being empty of independent existence. All things exist because of other things. In schools that focus on meditation it is included the observation of thoughts and acquittal of the Ego. When a Buddhist realizes Enlightenment, the “Great Compassion” cannot but arise in his or her heart. He is no longer able to view the world in the same way he did before his Enlightenment. He can now see, feel, know, and understand... If one person is sick, hungry, homeless, or dying in the world... There is a part of him that is sick, hungry, homeless, or dying. He no longer feels separate and safe. He views the world as a sea of suffering and is directly connected to each and every suffering being, in the same way the ocean connects to each and every wave.


In fact, Sakkaya-ditthi (translated as "personality belief." = the belief that we are solid beings, which leads to the illusion of a separate self, egoism, or individuality), is one of The Ten Fetters claimed by the Buddha as standing in the way of Enlightenment. Attachment to idea of "I" is fundamental to all problems; we defend the idea of I, we seek to cherish, we make a fuss of it.