The fact of the matter is that Buddhism has changed a lot. When St. Francis of Xavier arrived in Japan, he wrote back to the Vatican and made a joke. "It is unfortunate," he said, "that the Lutherans were here… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
If you were going to be attracted to a mystical faith which involved the contemplative life, Buddhism would be quite reasonable. But then, not everybody is a budding mystic. In fact, it's pretty certain that very few people are. So… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
I think the Buddhist ethic is clearer and more systematic in some ways. The Buddhist notion is that our chief problems are greed, hatred… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
Buddhism and Christianity are incompatible because there is no God in Buddhism - particularly in Theravada Buddhism. But they are also allies because their… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
I often say that I'm a Buddhist-Episcopalian. I say that partly to annoy people.I like to annoy people who think that a religion can… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
Life is very difficult and we owe it to our fellow human beings to be as cheerful as we can. — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
One of the effects of religions getting together is that they borrow from one another. An example is the growing number of Catholics who… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
I've often admired the way many Catholics who have left the priesthood, for example, have nevertheless remained sincere Catholics. They voted with their feet. — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
A central feature of the ceremonial associated with Mithras was the taurobolium, the ritual slaughter of a bull which commemorated and repeated Mithras' primeval… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
People now have their own particular religion - a denomination of one. I suppose it's a part of the new age phenomenon, but it's… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
Children become more liberal partly as a reaction to their parents and partly through education. Education tends to make people a bit softer. — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
Syncretism can be disturbing to people. They have often been taught, "You have to have solid faith and must be sure of your religion,"… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
I don't regard fundamentalism in the United States or in Europe as a terrible threat, partly because it is a self-curing disease. The younger… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
I would like to see an agreement that recognizes that we live on the same planet and that some interests, such as human rights,… — Ninian Smart Copy Share Image
