Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

(a) The first and the third above may be grouped
together. They have both left their traditional religion
and perhaps feel some animosity for it. To the first
group of persons we can say nothing except to invite
them to harness their powers of examination and
criticisms in a fruitful way in Buddhism. For this they
must acquire some faith, or no good will result.
I do not mean that either group must take the Christian
teachings as a basis, though the third group would profit
spiritually if they did not adopt an attitude of critical
hostility to their old religion. Only for protection (if they
live in predominantly Christian areas), they may have
some faith in Christ and his teachings. Of course, if they
live in India, protection there may be sought from the
gods of the Hindu religion. The spiritual world is similar
to the political one: if one wants protection in any
country, then one abides by its laws. Just so with
religion: practicing Buddhism in the West, one seeks
some protection from the spiritual power there (the
Christian God), or in India from the powers there. We
are, kindly note, only asking these various gods to
protect our meditation, not to give us salvation, which,
in the Buddhist sense, they cannot in any case grant. By
their help, even if it is only passive, demons will not be
able to come and hinder our efforts.
(b) Of the second person, I should say he is a hopeful
case. Why? Because when he was Christian, he took all
the goodness in that religions and has only come to
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