Is there anything greater than love?

When I was a teenager, I wrote an article about the relationship between love and truth. Both are desirable, but which one is greater? I am sure that as adults, we often have to struggle when we are forced to choose between the two. Sometimes, it seems that the two are mutually exclusive. We cannot have both at the same time. As a writer, I am often caught in this dilemma — if I speak the truth, some people may not like it. But if I don’t speak the truth, then I am essentially choosing untruth in order to maintain harmony. Is this really a loving thing to do? Am I true to myself?

Reginald Horace Blyth is a well-known author in the world of haiku and Zen literature. I have always been impressed by his insights. About a month ago, I posted this quote of his on my Facebook timeline:

“Christ’s Zen is love, but where is the wisdom? Buddha’s Zen is truth, but where is the humanity?”

This posting caused many strong emotions among my friends and readers. Some thought it is a great quote. But many disagreed with it vehemently. I can see why some people agree strongly while others disagree strongly. It depends on one’s personal experience with Buddhism and with Christianity. As a teacher, I understand that meaning is constructed through experience. Since each of us has a unique set of experiences, it is most likely that we won’t see eye to eye.

I have been a regular contributor to our Buddhist magazine, Wisdom Voice, for the past three years. The topic for this month’s issue is the…