Jesus and Buddha on Happiness

Thanks for sharing this, nunatak.

I have no respect whatever for the so-called "Buddha." As your quote notes he left his wife and family. He was also very arrogant, as can be seen from his "writings," which by the way were not set down by his devotees until over 200 years later--though the Gospels were written by direct disciples and contemporaries of Jesus Christ.

I have talked to literally hundreds of Buddhists, and I have to say that Buddhism is a terrible religion. Never mind the public image of that old fake, the Dalai Lama. Buddhists have no inner peace, they do not obey the teachings of "the Buddha" about not lusting (Buddhist countries are terrible about prostitution), they have caused many wars (contrary to Bible-believers, though false Christians have been known to start wars). Buddhists priests in Japan are known to be money-grubbers, requiring many expensive ceremonies.

I could go on and on, but have work to do to try to win Buddhists to Jesus Christ.

 

Yet Jesus said:

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. - Matthew 10:37

and

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.- Luke 14:26
​

 

And every mature Christian knows what these verses mean, or at least should.

 

You have got to be kidding. Are you actually trying to excuse "the Buddha" for leaving his family? Or say that he was actually following Jesus by leaving his familly?

 

Just pointing out the obvious. You're welcome!

 

Be clear. Stand up for what you really believe, whatever that is. Was "the Buddha" following Jesus or not when he left his family? Was his act moral or immoral?

 

You missed the point by a mile.

 

I phrased it like I did as questions so I wouldn't misrepresent you. But you still haven't answered. Was "the Buddha" immoral or not?

And if I missed the point by a mile, then please share with me and maybe help me to grow. All you did was quote verses--ones that I know well and live with daily--you didn't explain your meaning.

I am doing my best to follow this passage literally. I left my whole family in America to come to Japan with my wife and baby boy as a missionary for Jesus. My father died without me being there (my brother paid my ticket to go back to the funeral, since we couldn't afford it), my mother is currently very old and very sick and I have no doubt will go to Heaven without me there.

Now our only son is in America. I saw him last year, but my wife hasn't seen him in years. He just graduated with his M. Div. without us there. I believe this is the kind of thing Jesus meant. But all of this is far different than the so-called "Enlightened One" abandoning his wife and child to seek "enlightenment."

But I'm willing to learn more about Matt. 10:37 & Luke 14:26. So please teach me if you have something for me that I missed. :type:

 

It is clear that if a Muslim be comes a Christian, he/she can be put to death by the father/husband. Many Christians have had to make that choice. Death for Christ over family. Paul tells us this.

1 Timothy 5:8
8But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Yep ole Prince Guatama Siddhartha is real happy right now.

 

Here is the point...let me make it very clear. It was pointed out that Buddha left his family to pursue his search for religious enlightenment. I was merely pointing out that Jesus himself advocated exactly that. I was not saying that Buddha was folloowing Jesus, merely that this very action was also endorsed by Christ. In no way was I saying that Buddha was a Christian. You are reading way too much into my post.

I will say that most Buddhists I have come across have been very kind and good people. I don't hold them in any type of negative light. Of course, there are varying types of Buddhism, and they vary quite a bit. Some are actually quite atheistic, while others have a sense of deity. I do not know as many Buddhists as you, as I am sure you encounter many in Japan. Most of them I know are ethnic Vietnamese, but they are very nice people. I find their temples to be beautiful buildings & gardens, and places of peaceful contemplation. Doesn't mean they are right about their religious belief, but as we see on this board, there is no consensus among Baptists either.

 

Most buddhist I know will not claim to be an actual religion but a philosophy. A way of looking at the world.

 

Sad thing MP is that they will die and go to a sinner's hell. Then what will happen to their beautiful temples, nice personalities, and ethical way of life?

 

As opposed to what other hell?

 

Depends on what you mean. Sheol - place of the dead all dead also a valley where the dead are. Or the burning lake of fire which all sinners and watchers and apostate angles are cast in which will then be cast into another hell.

 

Dan, you know exactly what I mean. I'm not going split hairs with you.

 

Actually, this is about what I thought you were saying. And I in no way thought you were saying that Buddha was a Christian.

And I profoundly disagree that Christ advocated leaving your family to pursue religious enlightenment, which is what "Buddha" did. Christ did not teach religion, He taught eternal salvation. Read the entire Bible and you will find only one positive mention of religion, James 1:17.

I know Buddhists who are outwardly kind and good, too. There is my wife's friend Junko who has helped us in many ways, Masakazu who makes the best crepes in his shop in the world, Sayuki who has the English garden and many others. Unfortunately, being outwardly kind and good helps one not at all when facing the eternal God.

As for their temples being places of peaceful contemplation, they cannot be so. If a beautiful building was found to be the hideout of a gang of vicious thieves, would it be a place of peaceful contemplation? Yet Buddhist temples are where people violate the first two of the ten commandments. They are places of idolatry, which is a great insult to the eternal God and His Son Jesus Christ, who alone are worthy of worship. Reading the Bible teaches me that God spent far more time condemning idolatry than any other sin.

In "the Buddha's" favor, he did not advocate idolatry. He was an atheist. In fact he claimed to be greater than all the gods of India (no great stretch). So the truth is that modern Buddhists who practice idolatry are not true followers of Buddha.

 

You must not know many Buddhists. Or at least you only know the American convert type rather than the cultural Buddhist from Asia.