Introduction

As with most papers, this paper begins by setting the parameters of the present discussion. Firstly, the paper is prepared primarily for an international audience of Catholic Religious having leadership roles in their respective Religious Congregations. It therefore presumes certain things, especially with regard to the audience's knowledge of Christian catechesis. On the other hand, it also presumes that a significant number are non-Asians and so would not be too familiar with Asia or the religions of Asia. Secondly, while the paper is meant to be merely an overview, at a certain point, especially towards the end, it will look at specifics and details more closely so as to afford more substance for the purposes of discussion. Thirdly, while the author will touch on a great variety of issues and topics, no claim is made by the author to be expert in any of these areas. These are primarily reflections and thoughts arrived at from the praxis of dialogue and through reading a variety of authors, especially Asian theologians. They are therefore by no means conclusive but are put forth primarily to facilitate reflection and discussion.

The Face of Asia

For the purposes of the present paper, a useful description of the face of Asia comes in part from the Asian Bishops' Meeting of 1970 (2) and the Instrumentum Laboris (3) of the recently concluded Synod of Bishops for Asia. Much of what the bishops of Asia had to say, in both these events, is pertinent to our discussion here.

Firstly, Asia is a continent of the teeming masses. Its lands are home to about three-fourths of the world's population. Nearly 60 per cent of this population are below 25 years in age. It is, therefore, the world of the youth, the future of the world. Secondly, Asia is largely characterized by degrading and inhuman poverty along with its injustices and inequalities, scarred by riots, wars and suffering, and recently troubled by an economic crisis which in turn has precipitated severe unemployment and social unrest. On the other hand, many countries in Asia are, at the same time, in the process of nation-building, development, industrialisation and modernisation. With this comes the wave of urbanisation, trans-national migration, worker exploitation, financial mismanagement, family disintegration, environmental pollution and a host of other problems. Globalisation has also created negative impacts upon the peoples of Asia, many of whom have been seduced by materialism, consumerism and have tended towards individualism and secularism.

Thirdly, the era of political colonialism is a moment of the past. The last two or three decades have seen a new consciousness and new self-understanding emerging in Asia. It seeks to discover and affirm an identity in continuity with the heritage of its past, but also resolutely turned toward the future. The urge towards self-determination has spilled over to the realm of economics. Until about a year ago, talk about the new "Tiger" economies and the Asian "miracles" flooded the news.

Fourthly, Asia is home to the great religions of the world such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Shintoism. There is also present in significant numbers communities of what is today called Primal or Traditional Religion. These religions of Asia have moulded the lives and cultures of Asian people for several millennia and continue to give meaning and direction to their lives even today. On the other hand, they have also served as stumbling blocks to change, at times even legitimizing oppressive regimes for the preservation of the status quo. The resurgence of religious fundamentalism and new religious movements is also a very real phenomenon in Asia.

Fifthly, except for the Philippines, the Christian community is but a minority in all Asian countries which are predominantly Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Shintoist, Confucianist or Taoist. The Catholic community of Asia constitutes a mere 2 to 3 per cent of the total Asian population. If we do not include the Philippines, Catholics do not even make up 1 per cent of the total population. (4) In other words, in most parts of Asia the Church is present in communities where 99 per cent of the surrounding population are adherents of other religious traditions. Put another way, for every one Catholic walking a particular street of Asia, 99 others who walk that same street are believers of other religions.

Pilgrims on Journey

In view of the context of Asia, any discussion of Christianity’s presence and contribution in Asia has to be done in acknowledgement of the presence and contributions of the other religions of Asia. Put another way, one cannot look at Christianity in Asia without at the same time looking at the other great Asian religions. All are communities on pilgrimage together on this earth in the search for wholeness, holiness and truth. All have their own particular systems, codes, creeds, and worship patterns meaningful to their followers but which may not make much sense to members outside the community. But it is interesting to note that most speak of religion in terms of "way" or journey. In fact, the very term "way" is at the heart of the self-understanding of most Asian religions. (5)

For instance, the early followers of Jesus were called the people of "The Way". In Islam, the Shariah, or "the Way", is the external path to be followed. Hinduism has the three margas or "paths" to salvation or liberation. Buddhism speaks of the Noble Eightfold "Path" as the way to attain Nirvana. The very name of Taoism comes from Tao which literally means "the Way". Confucius taught that "The Way of Humanity" (Ren-Tao) is to follow "The Way of Heaven" (Tien Tao). In Japan, the Shinto religion is referred to as "The Way of the Gods".

It is therefore appropriate to use "way" or journey as a metaphor to illustrate the relationships of the various religions in Asia. Thus, if religious communities are on the "way" each religious tradition could be looked upon as representing the vehicle by which the community travels. The Rig Veda illustrates this well: "Carry us across, as by a boat across the sea, for our good". Christianity or the Church, therefore, is the vehicle by which Christians journey along this way to salvation. They do so as co-pilgrims with the other peoples of Asia, who are also journeying but using their respective religious traditions as vehicles. As co-pilgrims of this journey in life, all have some form of Transcendence or the Absolute Truth, God or the Ultimate Reality as their final destination. Jalal al-Din Rumi puts it thus: "Though the ways are various, the goal is one. Do you not see that there are many roads to the Kaaba?" (6)

Each religious tradition or vehicle, however, has its own means or routes for reaching this destination. Each has its own description for the journey. Each gives a different name to this final destiny. It is variously called God, Allah, the Tao, Great Spirit, Brahman, Nirvana, Sunyata, Tien, Holy One, etc. Various scriptures point out that "Truth is only One, but the sages call it by different names". Moreover, the models and make up of each vehicle differ as do their functions and efficiencies. In other words, the individual differences across the various religious traditions are as different as the types and makes of motor-vehicles on the highways. Some vehicles may be better able to perform certain functions but not so good in other areas. For instance, one vehicle may be better at negotiating winding roads, but not so good at climbing hills or on slippery ground. Another vehicle may have more comfortable seats but may not have the best pricing or physical appearance.

It would be difficult, therefore, to see how any one can claim to be the "best" vehicle, since the criteria for evaluating that is yet unclear. Is it the speed, the comfort, the aesthetics, or the size of the vehicle which make for what is "best"? If the criterion is the amount one has contributed to society, can any community say with certainty that their vehicle has outshone the others? Would it not seem a little strange then when one hears of claims to being the "one and only" true vehicle for this journey, as if all the others were false, untrue or demonic. Likewise, claims to being the final or absolute vehicle by which passengers of all other vehicles would eventually find their fulfilment are also difficult to understand.

Would it not be better to look at all as still being on the "way", and therefore none ought to be assuming a sense of superiority over the others? While some may fight and argue over this, ultimately it would probably be realized that reaching the final destination is more important than what happens along the way. Vehicles which can facilitate that ought to have as much right to existence and respect as one's own. Rumi has this to say: "Once they have arrived there, that disputation and war and diversity touching the roads — this man saying to that man, ‘You are false, you are an infidel’, and the other replying in kind — once they have arrived at the Kaaba, it is realized that the warfare was concerning the roads only, that their goal was one". (7)

The What? of Dialogue

Continuing with the metaphor of "way", the dialogue between the adherents of religions is therefore of paramount importance since all are co-pilgrims along the journey. Dialogue, therefore, is an opportunity for passengers of each vehicle to interact with passengers of other vehicles. It is a way of bridging the gap which exists on account of each vehicle having gone its separate way and of developing independently of one another. It is, thus, an alternative to the usual ghettoism and parochialism that is so pronounced when it comes to matters of religion. While in their own respective vehicles, passengers are only socialized and educated on their own systems and interact only with their own co-passengers, in dialogue they get the chance to look at what other vehicles are like as well as to befriend the passengers of other vehicles. In the process, many new discoveries are made and walls of indifference, prejudice, and even hatred are broken down.

Dialogue, therefore, is about learning. It is an opportunity for both parties to learn something new about the other. It is an opportunity to clear up misconceptions and correct untruth and misinformation. It is also an opportunity to discover that others have an equally valid system, coherent vision and efficient organisational structures. Besides, as one learns about the other, one also begins to re-view one’s own previous learning about oneself. For instance, as one looks at the inside of another vehicle, one may realize that one’s own gear-box or head-lamps are in need of some repairs. Or, as one gains more knowledge about the other’s conception of the journey and the final destiny, one may see that what one has been taught to believe is in need of some revision. Dialogue, therefore, is a process where both parties mutually learn about the other as well as about themselves. Pope John Paul II states in Redemptoris Missio that dialogue is "a method and means of mutual knowledge and enrichment" (n. 55).

But in order for learning to take place, the partners-in-dialogue have to be willing to teach, to share, to witness, to proclaim and to be prophetic. Passengers of each vehicle have therefore to tell their stories, speak about their joys and sorrows, relate their religious experiences, and even denounce actions which oppress and structures which dehumanize. Not only does this demand that one is adequately knowledgeable, it also suggests that a certain amount of courage and authenticity is necessary in order for persons to witness and proclaim to one another. While being respectful of one’s dialogue partner, one must also be honest in witnessing to even those elements which may sound disconcerting to the other. For instance, if a particular vehicle has been contributing to the pot-holes of the highways or endangering others through reckless driving, then it has to be made known as such. Likewise, just as one is ready to witness to the truth, one must also be ready to listen to the truth as perceived and witnessed to by the other. Therefore, if passengers of other vehicles warn that one might be taking the wrong route or teaching the wrong concepts, then one has the duty to pay attention to such warnings. Dialogue, therefore, is an occasion where one comes ready to witness as well as to be witnessed to. (8) The 1991 Vatican document, Dialogue and Proclamation, speaks of dialogue as "a mutual witness to one’s beliefs and a common exploration of one’s respective religious convictions" (n. 40).

The ultimate goal of dialogue is the conversion of the dialogue partner. Anything short of conversion implies a lack of change of heart and thus failure of the dialogue efforts. However, by "conversion", one is not so much referring to a "winning over" as to a "sharing with". In other words, each party hopes the other may come to see and appreciate whatever is fundamental to one's system. Put another way, one hopes to convert the other to one's stories, one's creeds and one's ultimate concern. Likewise, just as one hopes to convert the other, one is also open to being converted by the other. Dialogue therefore is a platform where one comes to convert the other as well as be converted by the other. It is mutual conversion, characterized more by authentic transformation of hearts rather than by change in religious affiliation. In dialogue, therefore, one gets a chance to go aboard another's vehicle, look at it, like it and appreciate it, and then return to one's own vehicle with a broadened understanding of the other and the other's vehicle.

The most fundamental aspect of dialogue with other religions is that whatever is learned has to be brought back and shared with persons of one’s own tradition. In other words inter-religious dialogue has to lead to intra-religious dialogue. Thus, as one discovers something new and beautiful about another vehicle, one returns to one's vehicle to share that new insight with one's own co-passengers. Thus, interreligious dialogue is a corporate activity and ought to lead to growth of whole communities and not just the individual interlocutors. It is the task of those who engage in interreligious dialogue to share with their own co-religionists whatever good they have learnt about the other.

Because the aim is to build better relationships and eliminate prejudices, prudence must be exercised so as not to highlight negativities as one speaks about the other to one's own. Besides the question of fuelling greater prejudice, there is also the question of justice since the other is not there to correct misrepresentations. It is in this spirit that the rest of the present paper will try to offer glimpses into some religions in order to see how we, as a community, might be able to learn something from them. In looking at these religions from the inside, one is also at the same time being confronted by them as they could possibly pose a challenge to one's own understanding of one's religion.

Glimpses into Hinduism (9)

Often regarded as the religion of 330 million gods, Hinduism defies any definition. Its difficulty in being defined in theoretical terms is in part due to its all-embracing inclusiveness. Its acceptance of multiple paths to reality makes it difficult to pin down exactly what constitutes Hinduism. Philosophically grounded in religious plurality, Hinduism's tolerance of internal diversity is so high to the extent it is even willing to overlook glaring contradictions. This radical pluralism within its doctrines and practices affords Hinduism the feature of universality.

A perfect glimpse into this universality would be to look at the concept of yogas which is structurally central to Hinduism. Also referred to as margas, which means path, the yogas are basically techniques which facilitate union between the human and the divine. They are means by which human beings attain self-realisation, moksha or liberation, the goal of Hinduism. Thus, yogas are essentially paths for establishing linkages between the human world and the transcendental world. They are the pivots on which the whole Hindu universe revolves. Contemporary Hinduism has more or less crystallised around the three yogas of jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, and karma yoga.

Jnana yoga is the absolutistic form of Hinduism. It is the path of knowledge, emphasising the faculty of knowing through the intellect. Its concern, therefore, is with philosophy. In the realm of realisation, one encounters the Ultimate Reality called Brahman in its non-duality (advaita). This takes the form of knowledge which is pure and simple and without any qualifications. It is an unmediated presence of the Ultimate Reality through the act of knowing. However, it is a knowing which is more experiential and intuitive rather than intellectual. A representative figure of jnana yoga is Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), who through internal and external renunciation and intense meditation, arrived at an identity with the Absolute or Ultimate Reality or Godhead. It is at this point where one realizes that one’s own individual or psychic ground of being is identical with the universal or Cosmic Ground of Being.

Bhakti yoga is the theistic form of Hinduism. It is the path of devotion, emphasizing the faculty of feeling and emotions through the heart. Its concern, therefore, is with worship and is understandably the most popular form of Hinduism. It is worship of a variety of deities: Brahma, the creator god who designed the universe; Vishnu, the preserver god who rules over the world; and Siva, the god of destruction, responsible for the ending of the world at the end of each kalpa (cosmic age). Besides these primary gods, there are numerous others, such as Sakti, the feminine principle or Rama and Krishna the incarnations of Vishnu. Devotion at its peak takes the form of profound love and intimate relationship with the deity and is often likened to a relationship between lovers except that it is not tainted by carnality. The representative figure for bhakti yoga is Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836-1886) whose greatest disciple Vivekananda helped popularized his mission.

Karma yoga is the activistic form of Hinduism. It is the path of action, emphasizing the faculty of willing through the will. Its concern is with being in active relation with society and the world. Where action on behalf of the marginalised is wanting there one is able to express concern through concrete actions. The experience of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, is therefore through one's active participation in social and cosmic change. These actions, however, are not so much motivated by worldly desires of popularity, power, or prestige but by a genuine concern for the good of the cosmos and humanity. It is action rooted in truth and love and performed with zeal and compassion. Mahatma Gandhi is the representative figure of karma yoga.

What is interesting about Hinduism is that individuals may embrace any one of the margas or paths, or a combination of several paths. In other words, the paths are not mutually exclusive but instead are mutually complementary. Individuals formulate the paths of their preference in the context of their histories, cultures, personalities, temperament, and vision of life. This is in recognition of the fact that individuals are unique and therefore have unique ways of responding to the divine or Ultimate Reality. In the state of self-realization, it is the very same reality that is being experienced even though the paths which effect the experience may differ. A particular path may be adopted as the preferred path but then it is with the understanding that this preferred path is one among other equally good paths. One is free to formulate one’s own sacrality as long as it does not transgress upon another person. Likewise, one is also free to opt for the deities of one's preference or free to believe in one god, several gods, or none at all. It is in this context that Hindu pluralism is sometimes regarded as all things for all persons.

Glimpses into Buddhism (10)

A glimpse into Buddhism will necessarily begin with a glimpse at the historical founder, Siddharta Gautama. A prince by birth, Gautama led a luxurious life until he decided to leave his palace for a life of austerity in search of the truth to the existence of suffering in the world. After six years of asceticism he gave up the search, after which he suddenly attained enlightenment under a tree in Bodh Gaya. He was subsequently called the Buddha, meaning the Enlightened One. In his very first sermon at Deer Park, the Buddha spoke about the Four Noble Truths. The Truths are about the existence of dukkha or suffering (first truth), caused by desire (second), which when removed will cease suffering (third), and this is possible through the Eightfold Path (fourth). An eight-point programme, the Eightfold Path consists of right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation. Thus, the Buddha takes the middle way avoiding the two extremes of overindulgence and self-mortification.

The Buddha further taught that it is avidya (ignorance) which causes one to have desires or attachments. Illustrating this through the chain of causation he points out that ignorance causes one to cling to existence and so remain in bondage to samsara, the process of birth-death-rebirth-redeath. Also known as the realm of transmigration, emancipation comes about by overcoming ignorance to awaken wisdom which leads to the attainment of Nirvana, a blissful freedom. It is here where one no longer abides in samsara and having broken the chains of rebirth forever one attains enlightenment and realizes annata (that there is No Self/Soul) and the ultimate reality which is sunyata (voidness). Such is the dharma or the teachings of the Buddha.

A point of interest about Buddhism is that it does not so much stress right belief as right deeds and good conduct. Thus orthodoxy is of lesser significance than orthopraxy. For instance, the Eightfold Path is offered not so much as a dogma to be believed but a path of action to be followed. Even the Four Noble Truths were regarded as provisional teachings, and not to be treated as sacrosanct. In fact, they are to be discarded as one would discard the raft once one has reached the shore. Moreover, certain schools of Buddhism even regard details about the Buddha’s life and story as distractions. It suffices that the teachings be passed on and there is even a saying in the Zen tradition which urges that "if you meet the Buddha, kill him!" It is in this context that the Buddha himself discouraged his followers from engaging in any form of devotion to him. For him, the salvific practice is the only one which matters and by this he was talking about a salvation of the here and now. It is in this regard also that the Buddha is believed to have avoided discussions on metaphysical issues since they do not help bring one closer to Nirvana. Gods were of no use in one’s quest for enlightenment. As far as the Buddha was concerned every person had to "be lamps unto yourselves" as well as "be islands upon yourselves". His dying words are believed to be "strive for your own salvation with diligence".

A second point of interest about Buddhism is the doctrine of upaya (skillful means). It advocates that all teachings should be adapted to the spiritual, moral, and intellectual level of the audience. They must speak to the experience and reality of the people. The content of the message remains but the form may change. That is why Sanskrit was used when Buddhism was taught to the Hindu elites while the Chinese language was the medium when being transmitted to the Chinese people. Moreover, when addressing Tibetans, where the pre-Buddhist magical practices were very much a part of life, Buddhism was presented under the magical guise. It also accommodated itself to the popular religions of South East Asia, with its worship of spirits. That is why the various forms of Buddhism of today differ so much one from another. The original Theravada tradition would be unrecognisable amidst the Mahayana traditions of East Asian Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and a variety of others. The bottom line is that the teachings of the Buddha, the gift of dharma, is shared with as many people as possible. This sometimes is done even at the expense of some basic Buddhist principles. Abe cites an incident in which Edward Conze asks a group of Mongol monks why they were eating meat, thus violating the monastic disciplinary code. The monks replied: "Yes, we know that by habitually eating meat we act against the ordinances of the Lord Buddha. As a result of our sin we may well be reborn in hell. But it is our duty to bring the dharma to the Mongol people, and so we just have to take the consequences as they come". (11)

Glimpses into Islam (12)

Because Islam is probably the religion which poses the greatest challenge to the West in general and Christianity in particular, the present paper will look at it with a little more depth. The challenge is augmented not only on account of the historical relationships Islam has had with Christianity (both good and bad), but also because Islam has its own version of what might seem to be particularly Christian, namely the Jesus factor. It is in this context that this glimpse will necessarily begin with the Muslim’s own self-understanding of the religion itself.

According to Islam, and in keeping with the Judeao-Christian tradition, Adam is the first human at the beginning of humanity’s terrestrial history. He is therefore the first prophet of humanity. He was a monotheist who preached the doctrine of Unity and Oneness of Allah. The primordial religion, therefore, is based on Divine Unity and began with Adam himself. While humanity was originally monotheistic, at times it fell into polytheism. Hence, prophets had to be sent to remind humankind of the original doctrine of Unity. That accounts for why history consists of a series of cycles of decay and rejuvenation.

Abraham represents one of these prophets who was sent to reassert this message for the Semitic people. As "father of the Jews" he represents in Islam the "father of monotheism" as well. He came to reassert the primordial religion of Oneness of Allah. This universal message of Abraham was later particularized for a "chosen people" by Moses. Moses, therefore, was leader to the first separate religion to issue from the Abrahamic tradition. The revelation given to Moses stresses the Law (shariah) and fear of Allah as the basis of religion. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, came to reassert the spiritual way or the path of love, rather than the Law. This represents the internal dimension of the primordial religion. Therefore, Christ did not bring a new law but a way (tariqah) based on Allah’s love and hence Christianity, the second separate religion to issue from the Abrahamic tradition, is essentially based on the love of Allah.

Just as Judaism represents the external or exoteric dimension of the primordial religion and Christianity represents its internal or esoteric dimension, Islam sees itself as integrating the two by containing both the law and the way, the shariah and the tariqah, or the external and the internal. Therefore, Islam sees itself as the third great manifestation of the Abrahamic tradition whereby if Judaism is based on the fear of Allah and Christianity on the love of Allah, Islam is based on the knowledge of Allah. This, of course, is but a matter of emphasis, since all three religions contain fundamental aspects of the three relationships of Allah with humanity.

Islam, therefore is but a reassertion of the primordial religion. To be sure, it is not a new religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad, but the same religion founded by Allah through Adam, the first human person. However, it is also the "last religion" as with the Prophet Muhammad the prophetic cycle ends. The Prophet was the "Seal of the Prophets" as Allah had announced that there would be no more prophets after him. This specific characteristic gives Islam the power of synthesis. Being the final message and the last religion in the prophetic cycle, Islam was given the power to synthesize, to integrate and absorb whatever was in conformity with its perspective from previous civilizations. Therefore, if Moses was given the Torah, David the Psalms, and Jesus the Gospel (Injil), (13) Muhammad was given the Qur'an and, because it is the latest and final revelation, the Qur'an abrogates all former revelations.

Anyone who has been in close company with Muslims will know that the Qur'an is of paramount significance to them. If Christianity is founded on the Incarnation, which is God becoming a human being or the Word made flesh, then Islam is founded on the Inlibration, (14) which is God becoming Book or the Word made Book. Therefore, the Qur'an is the revelation of God and God's Word is contained therein. It is Divine both in spirit and in letter, the content as well as the form. Nothing, therefore, is more sacred to the Muslim and violation of the Qur'an is considered violation upon the Word of God, the utmost sacrilege and condemnatory blasphemous act.

The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet when he was on Mount Hira, a cave near Mecca. Through the Archangel Gabriel, the divine message was transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad. It is believed that when the Archangel first instructed the Prophet to "Recite!" the Prophet responded that he was unable to do so, since he was unlettered. But, he was then able to recite, due to the power given him by the Divine Message. Eventually, the Qur'an became a complex compilation of messages, whose work is regarded as the most beautiful of all works in the Arabic language. It could not have been the work of the Prophet.

"How can this be so, if the Prophet is unlettered?" will have as its response, "How can this be so, if the Virgin Mary knew no man?" Traditional Muslim theology posits that just as the vehicle of the Incarnation is the Virgin Mary, the vehicle of the Inlibration is the unlettered Prophet. Note that the messenger in both cases is the Archangel Gabriel. They see the significance of Mary's virginity as synonymous with that of the Prophet's unletteredness. The Divine Message must be transmitted through a pure and untainted instrument. Since they see Mary's virginity as indicating her being untouched by another human being, so the "Word made flesh" is pristine and purely from God. Likewise, the Prophet's unletteredness is an indication of his passiveness before the Divine. Therefore, it had no possibility of being corrupted or tainted by the Prophet's own human knowledge. He was purely passive as a vehicle and so the "Word made Book" is pristine and purely from God. It is in this context that the Qur'an is viewed as the verbatim Word of God, revealed for the benefit of all humankind.

Challenges to Mission

In using the word "challenge" the present paper takes it to mean more as an opportunity than a threat. Therefore, challenges, viewed as something good, are welcome phenomena and could also be looked upon as grace-filled moments of growth. It is probably in this context that the Holy Father, in Redemptoris Missio speaks of dialogue as "based on hope and love" and that it will "bear fruit in the Spirit". Having said that, he then asserts in the next line that "other religions constitute a positive challenge to the Church" (n. 56).

In the spirit of this challenge, how are we, as Christians, to respond in light of whatever new discoveries we make about other religions? After having taken a quick look at the inside of some of the other vehicles of Asia, have we discovered anything new about them? But more important, how would some of this new knowledge help us to look at our own vehicles with new eyes? For example, could the various notions of salvation afforded by Hinduism teach us something about our own religion? Is there anything we can learn from the radical pluralism which Hinduism espouses? Can the spirit of complementarity rather than exclusivism of Hinduism show us the way to harmony as we co-exist with other religions in Asia? Likewise, could Buddhist pragmatism teach us anything about the notion of religion? Is there a lesson to be learned from the Buddhist doctrine of skillful means or adaptability to culture? What can we say about the process of inculturation in our own churches? Do insights about the essence of mission, namely that the sharing of the message is more important than the form in which it is contained, have a bearing on the Church's missiological reflections? Does the Buddhist stress on a here-and-now salvation speak to us in any way about our own notions and understanding of salvation? What have we learned from Islam that we might not have known before? Could issues of epistemological concerns teach us something about the way we have understood Christianity ourselves? Would we be in a better position to understand why Muslims assert their own perspectives of Christ? What can perspectivalism teach us about the way religions have been asserting truths peculiar to their own culture and history?

These are but some questions which need to be explored if conversion is the goal of dialogue. Numerous other questions ought to surface as we examine the issues more deeply. However, unless we take the trouble to reflect upon issues raised in the process of dialogue, dialogue would then be merely an activity which comes and goes. Reflection, of course, should ideally lead to conversion or a change of heart. Hence, the dialogue with the religions of Asia ought to effect change within the life of the Church. Only then would it become integral to the mission of the Church. Conversely, if the mission of the Church does not take into consideration issues raised in interreligious dialogue, it becomes mission in isolation. In the context of Asia, where the religions are co-pilgrims, such an attitude will not only be looked upon as arrogant, but also as irrelevant to the peoples of Asia. If the Church, as suggested by the theme of the Synod for Asia, wishes to proclaim "Jesus Christ the saviour and his mission of love and service in Asia" it would be ideal that she be first converted by the other religions as she learns from them. Only then will she, along with the other religions of Asia, be able to proclaim to the peoples of Asia, "that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (cf. Jn 10:10).

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NOTES

1 Paper presented at SEDOS Annual Research Seminar, Ariccia, Rome, 19-23 May 1998.

2 cf. Rosales & Arevalo, For All the Peoples of Asia: Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences Documents from 1970 to 1991, the Philippines: Claretian, 1992.

3 Synod of Bishops: Special Assembly for Asia, Vatican City, 1998.

4 Bishop T. Bacani, The need for a new evangelization, in Evangelization in Asia: Proceedings of the Asian Congress on Evangelization, the Philippines: Claretian, 1993, p. 19.

5 L. Swidler, The Meaning of Life at the Edge of the Third Millennium, USA: Paulist Press, 1992, p. 7-9.

6 A.J. Arberry (trans), Discourses of Rumi, London, 1961, p. 108ff.

7 op. cit.

8 The contents of this witnessing range from theological to sociological to political, etc. The issues and problems confronting the peoples of Asia as a whole (from globalisation to exploitation to poverty) constitute a great part of this witnessing. Religionists have to be willing to talk about what they are doing or what they need to do more to alleviate the sufferings of the world. In a way, witnessing would then lead to cooperation and collaboration in addressing the causes of the problems confronting the world. Where religions have legitimized a particular oppressive or unjust political or economic structure, the power of witnessing becomes ever more urgent.

9 The reflections of this section are taken primarily from the writings of Arvind Sharma, born in India and Professor of Comparative Religion at McGill University, Canada. He is editor of one of the finest books on world religions (Our Religions, USA: Harper, 1993) which is the primary source text for the next few sections of the present paper.

10 This section is primarily from the writings of Masao Abe, born in Japan, leading interpreter of Buddhism and prominent participant of Christian-Buddhist dialogue, esp. with John Cobb, Jr.

11 Conze, Buddhism: The Mahayana, p. 307. cited in Abe, Buddhism, in Sharma (ed.) Our Religions, USA: Harper, 1993.

12 Taken primarily from the writings of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, born in Iran and currently University Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, U.S.A.

13 This Gospel (Injil) is not in reference to the Four Gospels of the Christian Bible but to that which was given to Jesus but which got lost.

14 A comparison made by Wilfred Cantwell Smith, a Canadian pastor, renown as an religion and Islamic scholar, having served in parts of Asia for many years

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