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Jesus and Buddha were teaching the same message
I believe Jesus and the Buddha were one the same > I believe they were teaching the same message!
I was raised southern Baptist from Texas but I always felt something was missing > when I found Buddhism I started to feel whole finally > I learned though the Buddha teachings that it is OK to feel pain, to show it and it is OK to heal ! For the first time in my life I was able to except myself and let sorrow go.
I believe every soul is the part of god, not just one man.
I believe we are all part of a higher power!
Peace Kimberly
I was raised southern Baptist from Texas but I always felt something was missing > when I found Buddhism I started to feel whole finally > I learned though the Buddha teachings that it is OK to feel pain, to show it and it is OK to heal ! For the first time in my life I was able to except myself and let sorrow go.
I believe every soul is the part of god, not just one man.
I believe we are all part of a higher power!
Peace Kimberly
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Comments
Kimberley, thoughts like this are absolutely wonderful, and admirable, and I can completely relate to you, and I understand totally where you're coming from but eventually, they will hold you back....
You know the old adage...
"One cannot be a 'servant' to two masters"....?
At some point, something will come up and challenge you, and you'll find yourself in a position of having to choose....
I'm not implying in any way shape or form that whatever you choose will be right or wrong. But a choice will be laid before you.
And I came to realise that it is perfectly and wonderfully possible to practise a Christian faith with Buddhsit ethics - but that to be a practising Buddhist and to staunchly continue believing in 'God', is almost if not entirely impossible.....
Split a piece of wood and you will find me, lift a rock and I am there.
Peace Kimberly
I'm not trying to be a jerk ... honestly...
Were Jesus and Buddha teaching the same message?
I think Buddha was teaching that there is suffering in life and there are steps that "we" can take to rid ourselves of that suffering. And that "we" can attain Enlightenment through the practice of his teachings.
I believe Jesus taught that "he" is the light and the way. That no man can enter the Kingdom of Heaven except they go through him.
I believe there were a lot of messages that were taught by both that were very closely related - getting rid of pride and ego, compassion, love for each other, etc.
But... ultimately - the end requirements are two opposing trains of thought.
Best of luck to you...
-bf
Here is an example, and no one bothered to point it out to the USA president either.
An apostle says: Who is not with us, is against us.
Jesus said : Who is not against us is with us.
Who would you choose?
Jesus does teach self enlightenment just as buddha does, just have to read between the lines.
Skepticism, in the sense of honest doubt and questioning is a requirement in Buddhist practice. It's seen as essential. Belief on the other hand is seen as a hindrance, even if those beliefs are seemingly 'good'. Buddhism is concerned with knowing rather than believing and to believe means that one does not know. If one knows, there is no need to believe. Of course as human beings we do have beliefs, the difference is in recognising that beliefs are not necessarily true and cannot contain the truth and not letting them stand in the way of seeing things as they are. The universe, reality, whatever we wish to call it, doesn't care what we believe.
I too wanted to believe that I could do both...be Christian with Buddhist practices. But, I read more, practice more, reflect more...I feel it already that I will be making a choice soon. And honestly, it saddens me a little. I feel like I am abandoning Jesus (and I am). After the Dying on the Cross and all...but as Genryu said, it's all based on BELIEF.
Catholism is not sitting with me right. It doesn't feel right....
at this point, that's the best way I can explain it. I wish (should I save this for th GAME thread?) that someone could slap it in my face so I can understand it more quickly. BUT that's the Buddhist point...to figure it out on your own path!!!!!!
The two "paths" do intersect in many areas and on more than just one level. However, in the end, being culturally brought up a Christian and knowing what that entails, I feel that a Christian is constantly called upon to surrender his judgment to "a higher power." A Buddhist, on the other hand, is merely asked to suspend judgment until such time as one is ready to make one, until he or she is "sure."
Those two ideas are diametrically opposed.
In other words, Christ would ask, "WHO do YOU say that I am?" --whereas Buddha would say, "WHAT do you think is the best course of action?"
There is even some that say Jesus went to Tibet and studied Buddhism during those years we have no record of his actions or where abouts. I believe it is from the age of 17 to 33 so I have read….
All you need is love > Lennon and McCartney > LOL
I know and believe this, how ever you want to say it plus cats are angels with fur !!
Exactly. All the clues are in your own post, Kimberley-La....
"No-one really knows what Jesus said...."
"We are reading words witten by Mortal men...."
....Controlled by Mortal men....."
There is even some who say...."
"We have no record of his actions...."
To base your faith and belief on a system which ultimately requires that you abdicate responsibility of your actions, and seek righteous Justice from Some'ONE' who you cannot feel, see hear or touch, is to insult and deride the intelligent and curious Human that you are.
I think they're a dreadful waste of fur....!!:wow:
This makes complete sense. Except that (I know that this topic is being done to death at the moment in other threads) when it comes to the matter of rebirth I am sure that you need to believe at some level. It is something that I have put on the back burner so as not to hinder progress as I am sure that I will reach a point where it will rejoin the realm of logic. For now it still bears the stamp of - requires leap of faith.
The Buddha himself attested to past lives. I have read books - with testimony from families and friends - of extremely reliable accounts of people's recollections of past lives.
Now even though I have no memory of the experience myself, I am in no doubt that "I" have been here before. Furthermore, because much as I am striving towards it, I don't know if I'll manage enlightenment in this lifetime, I have no doubt "I" will be here again.
My mother tells me when i was small, that my elder brother and I polished off a platter of around sixty small 'langoustines' virtually on our own. Simply because I have no recollection of it - and there is neither photographic nor scribed evidence - I do not doubt it happened.....
And rightly so.
And I wish you as much Joy, Peace and Serenity, while you seek, as I myself am experiencing.
:bigclap:
Beliefs are only for what we don't know, therefore beliefs should always be tenitive--open to change due to new knowledge.
This is not the view of belief in most faiths, though, unfortunately. A strongly held belief is an obsticle waking up.
I agree. I said someting of the like before to my mother (very Christian). She didn't care for the fact that I was/am questioning. She saw the Buddha in my house..."WHAT IS THAT??" she said.
Anyway, I guess my point is...belief can be (or is) brainwashing.
Nevertheless,, you can reject nothing if you seek enlighteNment.
Be careful how you advise, might mean another spin on the wheel.
I am not rejecting the faith of my childhood...I am questioning it. Because I have embraced Buddhism..it would actually make me a better Christian!
jesus was squatting in the dirt and doodling with a stick.
then a group of men surrounded him and jesus continued to doodle in the dirt.
The men then thrust a woman into the circle and jesus continued doodling.
The men then asked if the law says the whore should be stoned to death.
And jesus continued to doodle in the dirt and he said YES it is the law that she should be put to death and now let the one without sin begin first. And jesus continued to doodle in the dirt until only the woman was left. and he said where are your accusers ? And she said they left, and jesus said neither do I accuse you.
Rereading with a new perspective just might reveal that jesus also taught enlightenment and like buddha , his followers did not understand either.
However, with attaining more knowledge on Buddhism, I prefer it's teachings and they way they are taught.
Monkish Brother, I think you express the inexpressible as well as it is possible, outside poetry, music or dance!
For me, the place where the faith practices meet (and, for arguments' sake, I include Buddhism) is in their "wisdom" teachings and in what is sometimes called the mystical. As you remind us, over and over again (we are slow learners and value your patience), in the silence, we pass beyond the observer and the observed observer, and grasp reality as true and immediate. How, then, can we express it in words, or, even, in ideas?
Perhaps others may also find value in a few quotations that warm my heart:
1. From the mainstream Christian scriptures:
2. From the deuterocanon:
3. From the Sufi tradition:
4. And, from a Buddhist tradition:
I don't reject everything in Christianity. I do reject the ideas that one must believe things with no proof that make no sense to them, or that it is one's duty to try and pull others into the same belief. (In other words, I reject Evangelical Christianity.)
Looking back I know that the perspective I had quite often when I was in the process of pulling away from Christianity was, well, horrible. And I suffered a lot for it, especially when it put me at odds with my mother. But we both got past that, fortunately.
Basically I think the difference between Christianity and Buddhism is that Christianity teaches "other power" ie God. Whereas Buddhism teaches "own power" ie the "abilities" at understanding the Dhamma and what it is trying to point out.
Also ofcourse the Buddha was NOT a God or son of a God. The powers shown by Christ, are the powers developed by the Buddhas.... Christianity teaches that life belongs to God, whereas Buddha teaches that life has no master/s..ie anatta
Aren't the Pureland group the one's who believe in Amitabha???? You'll have to forgive the ignorance but I know little about it/them....Isn't it Western Pure land?????
Thank you for having an open mind.
I am fully opened to Buddhism; I love how Buddhism has changed me and my life in a positive way! But being raised Baptist I sometimes wonder about the similarities of Jesus and Buddha.
I think they were both great teachers.
I am not one to preach so each his or her own.
Since I found Buddhism things make more sense to me now and I am a much happier person!
Arrogance is not very enlightened.
I do not know it all and I do not pretend too, I am still learning and asking questions along the way and making comments in wonder.........
Peace be with you all > Kimberly
I can fully equate with your feeling of perhaps being pulled in different directions. This is a natural testimony to the strength of your upbringing, and I can relate to that, having been an active Roman Cathoic for around 40 years. So I might have steal on you when it comes to the length of time we have both been Bible-followers.....
I too (as ZenMonk will testify) made attempts to what is known as, straddle both camps. I felt a certain 'disloyalty' towards Christianity and Catholicism for being more and more inquisitive, and questioning everything in far greater depth than I had ever done.
Ask yourself (if indeed you do) why you feel so guilty. I bet you'll find it difficult, under analysis to exactly pinpoint it.
This is as a result of the continuous influence of our Religious Elders threatening (in various ways, and to varying levels) the Fire and Brimstone destined for those who don't Believe in God.
It's frightening.
And it's designed to be.
It is preached exactly for that reason. To make you fearful, guilty and to keep you always just that little bit in the dark about everything....
But remember to distinguish between what you BELIEVE and what you KNOW.
And if what you BELIEVE really doesn't stand up to scrutiny and examination, how do you expect it to ever fully serve you and honour you in the way you would like it to? If what you BELIEVE is not fully a part of you - on your side - how will it ever shelter you in your hour of need?
From my reading of the gospels, I am of the opinion that Jesus actually told people to come and try his 'way' out for themselves, and to 'get on with it'. Also, his strange statement that the 'kingdom' (basileia) is within us is in clear contradiction of the churches' stuff about 'god' and 'heaven' being somewhere outside ourselves. If we untangle the various strands of writing that went into the composition of the Synoptic Gospels, it becomes clear that the earliest sayings were on these themes: the eschatological discourses appear to have been 'remembered' only after the Jewish Rebellion and the fall of Jerusalem, decades after the crucifixion.
Having written many times, here and elsewhere, about the ground shared by the Jesus message and the Dharma, I must emphasise that it is in the additions, accretions and distortions by the institutionalisation of Christianity, particularly by Imperial Rome, that introduced the mythic as 'real'. In this, the churches have little or nothing to do with the fundamental message of liberation.
Of course, at bottom, my deepest objection is a personal one. The statement that this or that doctrine or practice is THE way and the only way is in clean contradiction of my own direct experience.
Thank you for saying that Simon - the saying of Jesus with which I have always had the most profound difficulty is 'I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father but through me' - which seems diametrically opposed to the notion of a loving and forgiving god.
I remember wondering what would happen to a person who had lived by their own beliefs, followed their own religion's teaching to the best of their abilities. Would they on the Day of Judgement be consigned to the flames for not following Jesus?
Can anyone tell me if this was an addition, one of the later interpretations of what people thought he was saying or a direct quote?
We know that the world has been blessed by the life and works of many wonderful people, 'enlightened' perhaps. We know people who walk the Noble Eighfold Path in complete ignorance of the words of the Buddha or the Turnings of the Wheel. It is one of the strengths of much Buddhist writing that 'membership' is not a pre-requisite to awakening.
I read Jesus as saying that any who awaken to the reality of the basileia will have taken the Christ-road, even if they did not know it. It is a pretty standard way of expressing inclusivity.
Just as Blaise Pascal, denied as a child the vocabulary of geometry, rediscovered Euclid's theorems, all unknowing, so we can read Jesus, as 'John' understood him, as comforting his friends that they are on the right road and connecting them with all the myriad of others who are also there.
Amitabha's Pure Land is the Western Pure Land if I remember correctly. Most Mahayana Buddhists do have a place for Amitabha, but it's in the Pure Land traditions that that's evolved to the doctrine of Tariki or other power. The apparant contradiction of it disappears in practice though, as Tariki and jiriki (self power) are seen as being two aspects of the same thing. In the Chan/Zen tradition in China, Pure Land and Chan are practiced in harmony and many Pure Landers sit Zazen with no contradiction of their understanding of Tariki.
Knitwitch, I love your signature quote!!
Recognise it.
Acknowledge it.
Accept that others have learnt from it.
Be glad.
Let it go.
Move on.
(PS: When you find out how to do all this, let me know..... would you? Ta.
Knitwitch, LMAO! (No disrespect intended, Fede. She's just FUNNY!)
If you believe that they are the same, you probably have your own reasons. However I would like to point out that both are attributed as having strongly contrasting views on God, the afterlife, relegion, and a number of other topics, and as such, I am tempted to believe they were, after all, not the same individual.