Good to see we're getting off on the right foot here. It appears that you would rather attack me personally than to address this in a scholarly fashion? I'm not up for that, so from now on I'll just ignore you on this forum. As for everyone else, I would welcome any insight you have on this subject, I have studied in thoroughly from both a Christian and non-Christian viewpoint. Being a student and scholar of comparative religion, I have found that some of the most experienced Buddhists know more about this topic than any Christian or western world English speaking forum member could elaborate. However, there is a great blog about this topic...
Was Jesus a Buddhist Monk?
by skeeter1 47 Replies latest watchtower bible
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skeeter1
I am going to omit the Bible's verses, and many JWs on this forum know the Jesus side.
Both Jesus and Buddha had an immaculate (unbeleivable) conception
Queen Maya’s Dream A beautiful white elephant offered the queen a lotus flower, and then, entered the side of her body. When sages were asked to interpret the dream, they predicted the queen would give birth to a son destined to become either a great ruler or a holy man.
Both Jesus and Buddha questioned the religion of their day, showing it to be a farce. (ok, alot of people do that).
Both Jesus and Buddha have a tree that is central to their story
"Buddha sat down under a bodhi tree (supposedly still there today) in the shelter of the natural world in all of its beauty and fullness, and he said I will not move from this place until I have solved my problem."
Jesus is said to be like the Tree of Life in Revelations 22.
Both Jesus and Buddha were tempted by evil forces.
All at once, Mara, lord of desire, rose to challenge him. With an army of demons he attacked. Siddhartha did not move, and their weapons turned into flowers....Siddhartha (ala Buddha) resisted every temptation Mara could devise. The lord of desire had one final test. He demanded to know who would testify that Siddhartha was worthy of attaining ultimate wisdom. And his demon army rose up to support him. Siddhartha said nothing. He reached down and touched the ground, and the earth shuddered. Mara’s demons fled "The Buddha reaches down, and with his finger, touches the earth. He says, 'The earth is my witness.' He said, 'Mara, you are not the earth. The earth is right here beneath my finger,' and the earth is what we're talking about. Accepting the earth, not owning the earth, not possessing the earth, but the earth just as it is, abused and exploited and despised and rejected and, plowed and mined and shat on and everything else, you know. It's still the earth, and it is, we owe everything to it."
Both Jesus and Buddha gave an important speech to many, who also bathed in waters
Word quickly spread of the sage teaching in the Deer Park at Sarnath. Hundreds came to hear him, and became disciples, too. Many were wealthy merchants or their sons, living just five miles away in a thriving trading center on the Ganges, the holy city of Benares. Today, Benares is the most sacred city in all of India, as it has been for millennia. Even before the time of the Buddha, pilgrims came here to worship their gods and bathe in the holy river of Heaven (the Ganges). The Ganges is a central river where people come to cleanse themselves spiritually (a.k.a. baptism).
Both Jesus and Buddha had a high regard for women and elevated their status.
The first Sangha was a radical institution, open to people of every caste and, remarkable for the times in which the Buddha lived, to both men and women. The Buddha was part of a culture deeply suspicious of women. The attitude towards women at the time was very critical, and many things were impossible for them. So that was a very revolutionary thing to do that in that time of India. By ordaining women as nuns, the Buddha gave women the chance to escape the drudgery of daily life. Life was so hard for most women that entering the Sangha was a liberation as we know from their ecstatic, heart-rending poems.
Both Jesus and Buddha legand is that they split something aprat to help many (Jesus was bread)
One story tells how 500 pieces of firewood split at the Buddha's command.
Both Jesus and Buddha walked on water/split water/walked in a mysterious, unplausable by science place.
In one of the most storied miracles, the Buddha strode on a jeweled walkway suspended in mid-air while streams of water spouted and flames flashed from his body, shooting out to the very edge of the universe.
Both Jesus and Buddha had a last supper, but it was Buddha's last supper that killed him.
There were teaching of peace and not offering political advice that was also common to both Buddha and Jesus.
There were also things that were different between Buddha and Jesus. It's just that Jesus doesn't jive with war mongering Jehovah. Jesus jives more with Buddha. I think people make the gods they want, using pieces and parts of previous gods and lore. Jesus is likely a corroboration of many lords and gods.
Given that Jesus was missing from 14 to 29, another part of the world strongly claims and has proof he lived there both before and after the supposed resurrection, is one more option to consider when pondering the realm of what is and what isn't possible.
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Diest
I think the more interesting question was not is Jesus Buddha, but did he exist. I do see a cross over between the two, but that argument is made about Jesus and Horurs. Does that mean Jesus was egyptian? I dont think so. I doubt that he existed as a figure in history.
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possible-san
MoneurMallard.
It appears that you would rather attack me personally than to address this in a scholarly fashion?
Well, in my opinion, you did do it earlier than me.
You are an insensible/dull man if you have not noticed what you did.
To put it simply, you offended me.I'm not up for that, so from now on I'll just ignore you on this forum.
OK.
Henceforth, I also do so.
For me, your explanation is worthless.You ignored that what I said "I think that Jesus was not a Buddhist."
And you ignored that that I showed a resemblance not to Buddhism, but to yoga/Hinduism.And, since you criticize without asking me, you do not know that I am a person who interprets the Scriptures symbolically and figuratively, either.
Therefore, ultimately, it is not important for me whether Jesus was a historical person.
For me, "Jesus" means the "true self", that is the "I AM."
That is, it is expressed as "parama-aatman" in Sanskrit.
And, Mahayana Buddhists named that part in our inside as a "Buddha/Buddhahood."possible
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sizemik
MoneurMallard . . . it is obvious you have examined this subject to a reasonable degree.
But I wonder about the need to prove Jesus as being an actual historical person as being a necessary premise to identifying similarities between the features of his life and teachings attributed to him, and those of Buddhism.
A similar argument can be used to dismiss Moses as an actual historical figure . . . but there are still clear parallels between what is attributed to him . . . and the traditional beliefs of ancient Egyptian culture which pre-date Moses also.
An absence of conclusive proof of existence is not proof of non-existence . . . and therefore not a valid reason to discount apparent parallels conclusively.
You get my drift?
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tec
That being said, I think that Jesus was influenced by Buddhism
Or Buddhism was influenced in part by the truth, or the spirit of truth. (Truth being Christ) People who have grasped truth, even the spirit of it, are going to have similar teachings/values/morals.
Just something to ponder.
Peace,
Tammy
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White Dove
I am really super ignorant to the time of Buddha's birth, so I have an observation based on him being born before Jesus.
It really sounds like Jesus was designed after Buddha.
It sounds like Buddha actually existed but Jesus did not, based on how much was written during their respective lifetimes.
This is assuming things were written about or by Buddha during his lifetime.
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skeeter1
The time of Buddha's birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c. 563 BCE to 483 BCE, [ 2 ] but more recent opinion dates his death to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411 and 400 BCE. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] By tradition, Gautama is said to have been born in the small state of Kapilavastu, in what is now Nepal, and later to have taught primarily throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kosala. [ 5 ] [ 6 ]
Gautama, also known as Sakyamuni ("Sage of the Sakyas"), is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later.
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possible-san
skeeter1.
Well, although I think that the video and topic which you introduced are interesting, I guess that that is one of the legends, IMO.
Interestingly, in Japan, there is a legend that Jesus visited Japan.
Also in this forum, several persons introduced that.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/74523/1/My-Visit-to-Jesus-Tomb-in-Japan
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/76857/1/News-program-suggestint-that-Jesus-was-marriedI have commented about that.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/168077/1/Judea-in-JapanWell, Although most of we the Japanese do not think that that is the fact, I think that many people are enjoying such topics.
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Bella15
If you want to know Jesus' whereabouts ... you need to study the Prophets ... Was it prophecied that Jesus was going to be in India or another country studying their ideas? If you find that in the Prophets then it should be true, but if you don't find that in the Prophets, Moses or The Law, then it is not true. Yeap ... I am that narrow minded - the truth is very narrow indeed ... 2+2 = 4 and all the rest is wrong.