The teachings of Jesus and the Buddha

maitri

I start to understand why some Buddhists are so convinced that Jesus studied in India before he started his teaching, though of course, it's not something we can know for sure:


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054965134


M.

Asiaprod

maitri wrote:

I start to understand why some Buddhists are so convinced that Jesus studied in India before he started his teaching, though of course, it's not something we can know for sure:

To the contrary, an account is indeed written down in old Buddhist writings.

maitri

Asiaprod wrote:

To the contrary, an account is indeed written down in old Buddhist writings.

Really? That's interesting!
Where can I find that account?

UU

Well. I found this interesting website: Link. It was highly interesting.

Asiaprod

UU wrote:

Well. I found this interesting website: Link. It was highly interesting.

Very well spotted UU. Thanks for bringing this to our atention. I especially like the re-examination of Notovitch's story ( http://www.proaxis.com/~deardorj/ecumensm.htm ).
"The "lost years" evidence due to Notovitch in 1894 of Jesus being in India during his youth, along with its debunkings, are reexamined and the latter are found not to have been scholarly in any sense. Later evidence fully confirming Notovitch's find is presented. The implications that Jesus taught reincarnation and karma, not resurrection, are summarized and found entirely plausible. The ramifications this has for ecumenism with respect to the Eastern religions cannot be overstated, though for Christianity they remain unacceptable."
There is no doubt in my mind that the story of St. Issa is a true one. It actually helps one to makes sense of where Christianity came from, and how it got twisted to meet the needs at that time for a Messiah.

UU

Actually, I heard once that the concept of reincarnation was accepted and believed in by the very early Christians. In fact, the Bible points to evidence for its belief in some texts.

I also heard that the text was viewed as false and a heresy for many years. Many Christians have redeemed the texts as unauthentic because they aren't a part of the Bible. The Catholic Church too refuses to accept their authencity as they're not Canon texts. IMO I think the reason they're all so hostile is because they're afraid of losing power. Although, it strikes me as rather puzzling how those 13 years of Jesus' travels weren't mentioned in the Bible once......or maybe they were once and were deleted.

Asiaprod

UU wrote:

Actually, I heard once that the concept of reincarnation was accepted and believed in by the very early Christians. In fact, the Bible points to evidence for its belief in some texts. I also heard that the text was viewed as false and a heresy for many years. Many Christians have redeemed the texts as unauthentic because they aren't a part of the Bible. The Catholic Church too refuses to accept their authencity as they're not Canon texts.

Yes, you are correct.
I am comfortable saying this here, and all the usual disclaimers apply. The Bible is a collection of works that were put together to further the cause of the Christian belief. And the Canon texts were decided upon by the Church with the aid of a closed room and a divine wind (Holy Ghost) that helped the selection process by blowing the non acceptable texts onto the floor.

However, in ancient traditions of Christianity reincarnation does appear to have been accepted. Remember that the concept of and belief in reincarnation can be traced back to 800 BCE. Buddhist ideals and values were indeed known during the time of Jesus, and are reflected in the works accredited to Jesus and others; maitri posted a superb account of similarities between Buddhist and Christian sayings n the Christianity form a couple of days a go. However, the people of that time were looking for a Messiah. One who would come to rid them of Roman rule. The Messiah was to be a leader in the military sense, and this of course went against the ideals of Buddhism that taught peace and non-confrontation. Thanks to the military-minded and trained St. Paul, a guy I have very little respect for, the early church threw out the concept of reincarnation. Paul promised that death is the means to being in the presence of Jesus, "we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (heaven).
It is interesting to speculate why the two concepts of Reincarnation and Karma are so troublesome to the Christian belief system. Karma vs. Grace has long been debated and the general consensus is that although Karma and Christian Grace aim to achieve the same end result, they are completely different processes and will never be resolved. The reincarnation issue runs far deeper. In a nutshell, reincarnation strikes at the very foundation of Christianity; there is no God, there is no heaven and hell, everyone is equal and has the same potential. And probably the biggest difference of all, Buddhism gives one many chances to reach perfection and the only person that can help you achieve this is yourself. As a matter of fact, there is no eternal damnation in Buddhism, everyone eventually achieves perfection, you just keep repeating the lesson till you get it right. That is a really compassionate approach. And the opposite, the Christian concept of Hell, a self-preservation concept that promises eternal damnation to any who do not follow the belief system. That is not compassionate. IMO, that concept has one purpose only, to strikes fear and prevent one from leaving the fold.

IMO I think the reason they're all so hostile is because they're afraid of losing power. Although, it strikes me as rather puzzling how those 13 years of Jesus' travels weren't mentioned in the Bible once......or maybe they were once and were deleted.

I live for the day when someone will discover some of the lost Gospels or other documents that will paint a very different picture. One only has to read the the Nag Hammadi codexes and works to already see a very different picture emerging. I really recommend that anyone with an interest in things Buddhist/Christian get a copy and read it. You will be very surprised.

maitri

UU wrote:

Well. I found this interesting website: Link. It was highly interesting.

Whow! That was an interesting link!

maitri

Here are some more parallel texts from the Bible and the Suttas/Sutras.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31)
"Consider others as yourself." (Dhammapada 10:1)

"If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also." (Luke 6:29)
"If anyone should give you a blow with his hand, with a stick, or with a knife, you should abandon any desires and utter no evil words." (Majjhima Nikaya 21:6)

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. From anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them back." (Luke 6:27-30)
"Hatreds do not ever cease in this world by hating, but by love: this is an eternal truth. Overcome anger by love, overcome evil by good ... Overcome the miser by giving, overcome the liar by truth." (Dhammapada 1.5 & 17.3)

"Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." (Matt. 25:45)
"If you do not tend one another, then who is there to tend to you? Whoever would tend me, he should tend the sick." (Vinaya, Mahavagga 8:26:3)

"Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take the sword shall perish by the sword." (Matt. 26:52)
"Abandoning the taking of life, the ascetic Gautama dwells refraining from taking life, without stick or sword." (Digha Nikaya 1:1:8

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." (Luke 6:20)
"Let us live most happily, possessing nothing; let us feed on joy, like the radiant gods." (Dhammapada 15:4)

"Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." (Matt. 8:20)
"The thoughtful exert themselves; they do not delight in an abode. Like swans who have left their lake they leave their house and home." (Majjhima Nikaya)

"Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. Therefore consider whether the light in you is full of darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays." (Luke 11: 34-36)
"As a man with eyes who carries a lamp sees all objects, so too with one who has heard the Moral Law. He will become perfectly wise." (Udanavarga 22:4)

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, "Friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye." (Luke 6:41-42)
"The faults of others are easier to see than one's own; the faults of others are easily seen, for they are sifted like chaff, but one's own faults are hard to see. This is like the cheat who hides his dice and shows the dice of his opponent, calling attention to the other's shortcomings, continually thinking of accusing him." (Undanavarga 27:1)

I found them here. (Don't know what to say about the reincarnation theory of these pages, though. I guess neither Christians nor Buddhist would agree.)