Did the Buddha only deny the existence of Vedic Gods and no so much the indescribable one God?
Buddha had no ex poser to the idea of the Abrahamic god found in Christianity, only the idea of the many gods in Hinduism.
Buddha was concerned with absolving into the nothingness of this universe, (he called it nothingness because there were no words to describe the force of this universe and there was NO-THING like it)
As God in Christianity can never be conceivable to the human mind I doubt that he looks like a bearded figure in the sky, he could be the driving force behind nature.
Could it be that upon enlightenment, The Buddha found a sense of connection and oneness with God?
Why is It that the Buddha and Jesus said close to the exact same things?
http://www.johnworldpeace.com/budjesus.asp
There is definitely some truth to the teachings of Buddhism because it deals more so with a aspect of philosophy and psychology.
That feeling of oneness with the universe sought after in Buddhism, couldn't that be a connection to the indescribable God and the feeling purely objective?
Don't you think the loving kindness of Buddhism and the belief of Christianity could potentially go hand in hand?
Maybe closed minds have prevented people from absolving wisdom God gave to humanity? Don't you think there is something more to the coincidences between these two religions?
Please be open minded about this!
DO NOT REFUTE WITH SCRIPTURE BECAUSE THEN YOU JUST PROVE THAT YOU CANNOT THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
As in that there is 6 realms a person to be reborn into in some sects of Buddhism, there IS a heaven and hell realm. What if in the Christian sense of the idea of heaven, we are reborn into the heaven realm?
Sam: Could you add sense and context to your answer? I hope you were not answering the question by bashing the other answerer. :/
Thanks Sam. Your information posted is interesting as I am new to the concept of Buddhism and I am striving to understand it and it's different sects.
Both Buddha and Jesus, in their teachings, emphasized of non-violence and love-thy-enemy. Some people who studied both Buddhism and Christianity claim that Buddha predicted of a Messiah to come... who is Jesus Christ. But no detailed studies are made still and nothing is pr oven so far regarding that.
There is no coincidence between both religion today, both are corpses. There will be similarity between Buddha and Jesus because both are enlightened. They insist us to live in the present moment with awareness. Present moment is death of mind. It is not out of box thinking. It is getting out of mind. None of this religious teachers today, don't know what is beyond mind.
As an ordained Buddhist minister in a Japanese Mahayana lineage (Nichiren Shu - no connection to SGI or Shoshu) I would like to address this.
The Buddha did not deny the existence of the Vedic gods, in fact he affirmed their conventional existence and they appear throughout the Buddhist straws, but he did deny their intimacy.
The Buddha taught that if one wanted to be reborn with Brahma (the Vedic creator deity) in the Brahma heaven one should emulate his boundless loving-kindness. However, the Buddha saw this as a limited goal because even rebirth in the heavens was still bound up in causes and conditions.
The Buddha's awakening/liberation was to the unconditioned, not to nothingness or any kind of monism. The difference between Buddhist non-duality and later Hindu ideas can be seen in the non-dualist Shankara's criticisms of Buddhism, and in the Buddhist refutations of Vedism. They both taught non-dualism (well the Mahayana Buddhists and Advaita Vedantists did anyway) but they both recognized that they were not teaching it the same way. Though perhaps an oversimplification Mahayana Buddhist non-dualism is based on process thought whereas Advaita Vedanta is monism.
If you ever read much in the sutras or experience Buddhism among actual Buddhists, you would know that it is very much a religion and not just a philosophy or psychology. Really it is a way of life and a culture (or more like a spiritual subculture in East Asian history) that encompasses all those things.
I am providing a link to some articles that comment on these things in more depth and with reference to what the Buddha taught in the sutras.
"As an ordained Buddhist minister in a Japanese Mahayana lineage I would like to address this"
What it means is I am a member of SGI a well known Buddhist cult but I dare not say fearing my answer will be given the contempt it deserves.
Apart from that I have no interest in causing confusion animosity etc between Christians and Buddhists We get on just fine
You you really want for me to tell you what you can do with your reptilian agenda
Anyone who had even the slightest understanding of Buddhism would understand exactly what I posted Obviously you haven't
This should enlighten anyone
Buddhism's nothingness does not falls in the category of both Eternalism and Nihilism where as God in Christianity is eternal.
Buddhism dint believe that this nothingness is a creator of all beings where as Christianity believes beings are created by god in 7 DAYS. ouch how possible?
Buddhism believes negative karma can be purified but Buddhism really dint know what is "sin and guilt" it does not exist and it dent make sense in Buddhism.
buddhism doesnt beleive somebody superior's forgiveness is the way of purification.
buddhism can understand what is consciousness but buddhism dont understand what is soul.
buddhism understand rebirth but buddhism dont understand what is the background of reincarnation.
in buddhism blind faith is also known as wrong view or ignorence ,the cause of samsara. but in Christianity blind faith is the only way to god.
buddhism loving kindness and compassion is much different than Christianity's. buddhism doesnt not encourage even to kill fish. buddhism say all mother biengs. thats the differences. its unconditional.
all being has a nature to enlighten in buddhism where as in Christianity only human can go to heaven yes now there are some dabate that dogs can go to heaven or not.
ofcourse when it comes to humanity all religion views are mostly common becauce its for common needs. dont it make any sense? but it doesnt mean they are same.
buddhism heaven realm and hell realm are much different because these realm wasnt a gift and too they dont stay eternality. when their karma finish they has to quit that realm.
may be there could be some influnces from buddhism to Christianity since buddhism came before christ.
If you interpret the Bible with some latitude, you will see obvious similarities.
And, certainly, Jesus's message was a message of Love, as is Buddhism's.
If you practice Tibetan Buddhism and are also familiar with Catholicism, the similarities become much stronger.
- St. Theresa Avila, in her treatise on Contemplative Prayer, is describing how to meditate
- Both Catholicism and Tibetan Buddhism have the concept of the Aspostolic Succession/Lineage of the Teachings.
- Both have a ritual for penance and purification: The Sacrament of penance/The Vajrasattva Puja
- Both have a ritual for taking the teacher within through eating food: The Transubstantiation of the Host/The Guru Puja
- Both use water, incense, candles, gestures in their rituals, and both also have prayer/Mala beads on which they say prayers/mantras
- Both have female image, as well as angels/saints.
I do not know if this indicates a Divine consensus, or merely - as Carl Jung would have proposed - an indication that the subconscious images of mankind are the same no matter where in the world you go.
Connection between Christianity and Buddhism?
