Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh has been part of a decades-long dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity. Bringing an outsider’s perspective to his consideration of Christianity he can help those of us on the “inside” understand it more clearly.

In his life and teaching, Hanh has borne witness not only to the teachings of the Buddha, but also to the way of Jesus. A native of Viet Nam, Hanh’s commitment to compassion and peace was forged in the suffering of war, persecution, and dislocation—the same human context that gave birth to the faith community whose members called themselves “followers of the Way.” His spiritual practices give today’s followers of the Way practical means of staying the course.

In Living Buddha, Living Christ Hanh writes,

Even if our enemy is cruel, even if he is crushing us, sowing error and injustice, we have to love him. This is the message of Jesus. But how can we love our enemy? There is only one way—to understand him. We have to understand why he is that way, how he has come to be like that, why he does not see things the way we do. Understanding a person brings us the power to love and accept him. And the moment we love and accept him, he ceases to be our enemy. (pp. 84-85)

Hanh was chairman of the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation during the Vietnam War. Mystic and activist, scholar and poet, Hanh was nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize. He has traveled in the United States many times over the past 45 years.