Derek-Tariki-would love to see your views on this one. There seems much meeting ground between Christianity (at least of the liberal variety
) and Pure Land Buddhism around the subject of grace. Both traditions would say we can do nothing to "earn" grace-it is freely given. However, my understanding of Pure Land views is that they would say that, while it cannot be earned, the trick is in learning how to surrender to it in order for the realization of that grace to dawn within oneself. Grace is not earned by specific acts-reading a Bible x number of times, attending a church x number of times, believing "all the right things," etc. Though do tend to believe that following one of Jesus' few injunctions may be integral to it-that whole love thy neighbor & God thing. But thought it might lead to stimulating interesting dialogue to start a thread like this: how exactly does one "surrender to grace-" what constitutes and facilitates the act of surrendering? have a good one, earl