Buddhism's belief in Anatta (or the non-self, that the self is not actually separate from the whole, and that, when we die, we rejoin the whole) aligns with The Church's belief that we are ultimately One with the Creator and are inseparable.
Anicca (or the constant flux of the universe) is a foundational pillar in Buddhism. The Church also believes in the impermanence of everything and that integration and entropy are necessary to reach greater complexity. This is less of a belief than a law of nature.
Dependent Origination, a Buddhist belief that everything exists because of something else, is a view that The Church shares. We believe relationship is the foundation of the universe and life itself. We cannot be separated from billions of years of increasingly complex iterations in chemistry and biology, for example. What makes up life on Earth itself originated from supernovae and we are literally star-children.
We do not believe in Dukka, a belief that life is suffering, in the same way. The goal of Buddhism is to reach Nirvana, or transcending beyond the natural cycle of life due to a belief that existence is inherently painful.
We recognize that life inherently has suffering, but we believe rejecting the cycle and duality is a rejection of The Great Mother, as She is both life and death. Not only this, but the belief may cause devotees to accept ongoing suffering as normal and not seek happiness and fulfillment.
There is a difference between unnecessary suffering and seasonal suffering—the latter being a reminder for gratitude, letting us fully appreciate the presence of fulfillment when winter passes. In this way, we believe closer to Taoist's Yin and Yang.
The cause of suffering is different in our belief system as well. Buddhist beliefs are that suffering is caused from caring too much and being attached to an ultimately changing world. The Church believes we suffer because of loneliness (lack of a witness), separation from nature, and unhealed trauma. We don't seek to escape the wheel of life; but to hold each other through each turn of the spoke.
The Church's beliefs are fundamentally different in regards to Enlightenment, as we view it as emerging from the darkness and into the Light. The Light is simply your authentic, true self, shed of the weight of everything that doesn't serve you. It is a process, something that is not one and done, but ongoing through life, as we are constantly in flux. The modern world expects us to maintain a rigid, unchanging identity, but we allow people to change. We do not expect you to be the same person you were years ago. Forgiveness of our past selves is necessary so we can hold ourselves accountable, heal, and grow.
The Buddhist belief of Enlightenment is closer to the escape from the self, to reject needs and passions, and become detached. This is a resilient method for undergoing active trauma but loses the spark of what makes you, you; as Nirvana literally means blowing out the flame. Ultimately, this is a choice in rejecting or embracing the self and the full spectrum of life, even the suffering.
