Baptism of Christ
Giovanni and Francesco Cagnola, ca. 1500
My dear friends,
Today's readings contain two stories about baptism and the Holy Spirit:
and when Jesus also had been baptized
and was praying, the heaven was opened,
and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
"You are my Son, the Beloved;
with you I am well pleased."
- Luke 3:21-22
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard
that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent Peter and John to them.
The two went down and prayed for them
that they might receive the Holy Spirit
(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them;
they had only been baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus).
- Acts 8:14-17
These texts hold significant spiritual teachings that transcend the boundaries of a single religion, teaching us about the process of purification and the development of what Buddhists refer to as Bodhicitta, the "Awakening Mind".
In the symbolism of baptism, we find a parallel to Buddhist practices of purification. Just as water cleanses the body, meditative practices cleanse our minds. This purification is designed to remove the internal obstacles and obscurations that prevent us from making spiritual progress.
The Holy Spirit, in Christian context, is seen as a divine presence that guides and enlightens. This mirrors our concept of the Awakening Mind, a state of mind that is motivated by great compassion and is a spontaneous wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Holy Spirit and Fire with Baptismal Font
Mexicali, Mexico, 20th century
The events described in these verses, baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, need not be singular, isolated events. In many Christian churches, the pouring of water into the baptismal font forms a part of the worship services, or a basin of water is stationed at the entrance to the sanctuary. These serve as reminders of the ongoing need for purification, and the coming of the Holy Spirit is renewed in the Eucharist - repeated steps in the ongoing, lifelong journey towards spiritual maturity and understanding. This is a continuous process, an unfolding journey of transformation.
In the same way, the process of spiritual growth in Buddhism is a continual journey. We speak of attaining enlightenment, not as a singular event, but as a continuous process of growth and realization. It involves ongoing efforts to purify the mind, cultivate virtues, and develop wisdom.
Both Christianity and Buddhism teach us that these spiritual milestones are not endpoints but rather part of the ongoing process. We should not become complacent, believing we have 'arrived', but rather, recognize these experiences as encouragement to persevere on our spiritual path.
In life, we all undergo countless baptisms by water and fire, trials and transformations, and countless moments of awakening and realization, like receiving the Holy Spirit. The challenge is to recognize these as part of our ongoing journey towards spiritual maturity.
Just as a river continuously flows and changes, so does our spiritual journey. The water of purification and the awakening mind are continuous currents in this river. It is a river we all share, a universal river of spiritual growth and development.
May we all have the wisdom to see our trials as opportunities for purification, and our moments of understanding as steps towards the awakening of our minds. May we all support each other on this shared journey, and may we continue to grow in wisdom and compassion, like the river that continuously flows to join the sea.