Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
I was rereading some of the new testament, after deciding buddhism was my religion, and the similarities are pretty crazy. More than people think. Sometimes you have to depart from mainstream christian interpretations to get them to be the same, but honestly those interpretations make more sense imo. I strive to find commonalities between religions.
yeah actually jesus only came back to israel cause he knew he'd be the smartest zennest dude around there and really cool. the scene in the east was full of crazy yogis so he couldnt get his foot in the door without going somewhere where yogis were a lot rarer so he went over to israel to be cool
yeah actually jesus only came back to israel cause he knew he'd be the smartest zennest dude around there and really cool. the scene in the east was full of crazy yogis so he couldnt get his foot in the door without going somewhere where yogis were a lot rarer so he went over to israel to be cool
It can NEVER be true, because it would put Christianity, Inc. out of business. Think about it: if someone could somehow conclusively prove that "Jesus" (if that's really his name) didn't die on the cross, wasn't resurrected, and wasn't the "son of God", humankind would be thrown into such a tizzy as the world has never seen. It could literally spell the end of western civilization.
Of course, such a thing, even if (as I believe it to be) it were patently true, can never be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
The question I have is why do some similarities between the teachings of Jesus and Buddhism mean that he had to get his ideas from India?
It reminds me of when people look at pyramid shaped structures in the Americas, and conclude that there must have been contact between early Mesoamericans and Egypt (or even better Egypt and Mesoamerica both got it from Atlantis). The triangle is as universal as five fingers and toes. Human experience is... pan-human, as is contemplative practice. The same insights are there for Jesus the carpenter. There is no need to imagine secret connections.
mantra0- thanks for the reply. Makes sense to me. Could you clarify-by "forcefully consider so" did you mean to believe such a thing without evidence? I don't know whether Lao Tsu is believed to be an emanation of Manjusri by some Buddhists. Is he?
A little historical understanding of the ancient world reveals that the Galilee was a cultural crossroads and on the route to Alexandria, the centre of study and knowledge with its libraries. There is enough evidence that Buddhism had been known in the Hellenistic world ever since Alexander the Great. The Gospel of Thomas, despite being deutero-canonical one of the earliest 'sayi9ngs' gospels, has definite quasi-Buddhist elements, particularly around the notion of non-self.
Cross-fertilisation of philosophies and religions was the rule rather than an exception outside Judaea - and the Galilee is not in Judaea but a Hellenistic colony and the home of at least one school of Greek thought, the Cynics. The use, in the Gospels, of the word "hypocrites" is an indication of the Greek influence on the Jesus sayings - a word straight out of Greek drama. It would be very surprising if the new thinking expressed by Jesus were unconnected with ideas other than Second Temple Judaism.
The idea of cross cultural connections through places like Alexandria is not a stretch. The influence of Hellenism on central Asian Buddhist art is well known for example. But saying Jesus went to India seems like stretch. It plays into the love of secret histories.
Buddha's often eminate forms in order to teach people skillfully to their own capacity, I have heard Geshe-la speak of Jesus and has always refered to him as a Bodhisattva, Practising Taking and giving on the cross ? Sounds like a very great Bodhisattvas activity to me
That is a Buddhist collapsing Jesus into his worldview. Christians disagree. They prefer to collapse Buddhism into their world view. :-/
Whatever suits whoever
Buddha's appear as many objects and people to benifit sentient beings out of their great compassion, Its helpful for me to see things this way as you are always in the company of Buddha's by changing the basis of imputation from Impure to pure how can problems arise ? :buck:
Its helpful for me to see things this way as you are always in the company of Buddha's by changing the basis of imputation from Impure to pure how can problems arise ?
Where was this loving kindness and compassion in the second Testament from :-) An radical change.
Well I guess it is not possible to tell people stop believe, so another cool compromise... :-)
Comments
D
L
Of course, such a thing, even if (as I believe it to be) it were patently true, can never be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
But it's certainly interesting to ponder.
It's an interesting idea, although I'm not sure I buy it. For an alternate viewpoint, check out: Did Jesus Live In India? I, Did Jesus Live In India? II and Did Jesus Live In India? III.
It reminds me of when people look at pyramid shaped structures in the Americas, and conclude that there must have been contact between early Mesoamericans and Egypt (or even better Egypt and Mesoamerica both got it from Atlantis). The triangle is as universal as five fingers and toes. Human experience is... pan-human, as is contemplative practice. The same insights are there for Jesus the carpenter. There is no need to imagine secret connections.
both mentioned that in far away future, a savour/buddha will return to save us.
I don't know of any such teaching being taught by the buddha...could be wrong, though.
It depends. A Vajrayana might see him that way as part of his visualization practice.
Well... a normal lay person doesn't have the wisdom eye to see through and judge a person's emanation/identity.
Forcefully consider so is like assuming Lao Tzu to be an emanation of Manjusri.
Cross-fertilisation of philosophies and religions was the rule rather than an exception outside Judaea - and the Galilee is not in Judaea but a Hellenistic colony and the home of at least one school of Greek thought, the Cynics. The use, in the Gospels, of the word "hypocrites" is an indication of the Greek influence on the Jesus sayings - a word straight out of Greek drama. It would be very surprising if the new thinking expressed by Jesus were unconnected with ideas other than Second Temple Judaism.
Whatever suits whoever
Buddha's appear as many objects and people to benifit sentient beings out of their great compassion, Its helpful for me to see things this way as you are always in the company of Buddha's by changing the basis of imputation from Impure to pure how can problems arise ? :buck:
The skillfulness of such a practice is clear.
Well I guess it is not possible to tell people stop believe, so another cool compromise... :-)