Adyashanti and Francis Bennett in a public dialog about the parallels and differences between Jesus and the Buddha, as two complementary yet very different models of awakening. Where the Buddha emphasized inner peace and the transcendence of samsara, Christ emphasized embodying divine humanity in the midst of samsara, embracing the human condition in order to serve those who are lost in ignorance.

Adya came to a deeper appreciation of Jesus by way of his study of Zen, while Francis ─ a former Trappist monk turned non-dual teacher ─ came to Buddhism by way of immersion in mystical Christianity.

Adyashanti, is an American-born spiritual teacher and author devoted to serving the awakening of all beings. His teachings are an open invitation to stop, inquire, and recognize what is true and liberating at the core of all existence. Asked to teach in 1996 by his Zen teacher of 14 years, Adyashanti offers teachings that are free of any tradition or ideology. “The Truth I point to is not confined within any religious point of view, belief system, or doctrine, but is open to all and found within all.” He teaches throughout North America and Europe, offering satsangs, weekend intensives, silent retreats, a live internet radio broadcast, and a podcast called Being Unlimited.

Previous BatGap posts involving Adyashanti:

First interview with Adyashanti

Adyashanti and Francis Bennett on "Resurrecting Jesus"

Adyashanti and Susanne Marie on the Falling Away of Self

Website: adyashanti.org

Francis Bennett entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemane in 1981 and in the ’90s subsequently lived at a “daughter house” of Gethsemane in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. Until recently, he was living in a small urban monastery in Montreal Quebec. He has been a “spiritual seeker” during all those years, practicing in the Christian mystical/contemplative Tradition and working deeply with teachers in both the Vipassana and Zen Traditions as well. In 2010 he experienced a profound perceptual “shift” in which he realized the ever-present presence of pure Awareness, which some would call, the Presence of God.

Francis’ book: “I Am That I Am: Discovering the Love, Peace, Joy, and Stability of the True Self“.

Previous BatGap interviews involving Francis:

With John Mark Stroud

With Adyashanti on “Resurrecting Jesus”

In Panel Discussion on Refined Perception

With Jac O’Keeffe and Igor Kufayev at SAND conference

In Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2

Francis Bennett in a panel discussion:: “Emptiness is also Form”

Transcript of this discussion

Recorded 10/25/2016 at the Santa Cruz Open Circle.

YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction of the Speakers

00:03:33 - Homage to the Enlightened One

00:07:38 - The Full Circle of Awakening

00:11:30 - Embracing the Sorrows of the World

00:14:59 - The Journey of Truth and Unfolding

00:18:23 - The Myth of Suffering and Liberation

00:21:45 - The Meaning of Realization and Freedom

00:25:00 - Finding Truth in Suffering

00:27:58 - Embracing Pain and Sorrow

00:31:43 - Similarities and Differences in Religious Teachings

00:36:01 - Embracing Different Spiritual Perspectives

00:39:47 - The Balancing Act of Masculine and Feminine Energies

00:43:55 - Sheila-ism and the danger of creating your own religion

00:47:40 - The Importance of Earnestness in the Hero's Journey

00:51:14 - Autonomous Freedom and Authenticity

00:55:15 - The Buddha's Silence on God

00:59:50 - The Nature of Truth in Buddhism and Christianity

01:02:52 - Importance of Miracles and Siddhis

01:06:59 - Awakening and the Side Effects

01:11:23 - The Importance of Facing Life

01:16:17 - Intimacy with a Dead Saint

01:20:32 - The Role of Guilt in Christianity and Spirituality

01:24:29 - The Role of Guilt and Conscience

01:29:06 - The Illusion of Remaining the Sole Repository of Truth

01:33:37 - Choosing to End Suffering