Another similarity I find is where jesus teaches above the Moses' law don't even think about it,  and  Buddha teaches similarly the mind is the place we need to clean up by purging our minds of destructive thoughts and delusions.

Here is what Jesus says;

Matthe 5:28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

I believe Zen  Buddhism teaches how to do it through Zazen practice purging our minds and hearts.

I came across a Zen story on the different ways we look at the same thing about an old monk, a young monk and pritty young lady at a mud puddle on the way home. The young lady was all dressed up and weeping not wanting to get  to get dirty. The old monk saw her predicament and with no other thought than to help picked her up and set her down on the other side. Glad to be able to help her.

The young monk however was not happy to see her because he didn't see a damsel in distress rather he saw a desireable young lady. Picking her up would cause great problem for him because of the way he saw this same girl. Because he saw her as an object of desire he would struggel for a month or more, whenever she came to mind.

Here are two monks who see the same girl differently. One as a damsel in distress and one as an object of desire.

How we see the world is determined in our minds and hearts.

Zen ans Jesus are teaching the same thing which is maintain a pure mind so we can see the world as it really presents itself to us.

Jesus and Buddha are absolutely teaching have a pure mind.  

Sep 20, 2011 -- 8:55AM, Lilwabbit wrote:

"That the divers communions of the earth, and... means by which they can be established."

Hi Lw, one of the rules for posting here is that you must state who you are quoting. There's nothing wrong with the post itself, we just need to know the source.

Ren Galskap, moderator

Sep 20, 2011 -- 6:15PM, RenGalskap wrote:

In response to Lw's quote about prophets who come from god, I want to point out that the Buddha wasn't a prophet and wasn't sent by a god. His teaching came from himself. And while learning to love god or become one with god may be a worthwhile endeavor, it's not part of Buddhism.

Buddhism as we know it. I've lived a long time in a Theravada Buddhist country and the intuitive ordinary practice of Buddhism in the villages and towns is palpably theistic. As such, it is at variance with some of the philosophical formulae the monks hold so dear. The same is true to practical Hinduism by millions of village-dwellers who do not have the luxury nor the interest to embark on endless philosophical hair-splitting about the exact theological status of sages, prophets, Universal Consciousness, Universal Self and God Almighty.

Any intuitive soul with a pure heart will think twice before boldly lumping all these great teachers of mankind, whose ethical teachings and nobility of spirit are so strikingly similar, into distinct categories.

With kind regards,

LilWabbit

Having practised Buddhism, I am no stranger to the general Buddhist notion that God plays no part in the Faith.

 

But, if one really does not want to include God in any Buddhist Discussion, why not merely display a banner which advises that Buddhism is an hermetically sealed Faith; that Buddhists have no interest in the religions of a broader world. Where the notion of "Multi-faith" is anathema.

 

Whilst it may be the case that one may not find the Teachings of God in Buddhism, it is also the case that for Buddhism to take root in the Western World, it is going to have to both learn and practise tolerance towards other Religions; if it is to survive.

 

The local Buddhist Vihara is funded almost entirely by Asian people. Western folk have no real interest in the place. Just as the Christian Church is almost extinct, with the disappearance of many churches, Buddhism is not speaking to the youth of the inner cities. Just recently, there has been a spontaneous outbreak of rioting in several cities [UK].

 

Historically, Buddhism died in India because it was defeated by the Brahmins. When push came to shove, it could not compete with Vedic Brahmanism for Dharmas which looked after a person from the cradle to the grave. The Vedas offer a vast array of subjects which are vital for man to live a righteous life, in this world. They taught man the Paths to Joy, and Security, Financial Solvency.

Buddhism seems to pride itself on its rejection of the Ancient Wisdom of the Vedas. In doing this, it threw the baby out with the bath water.  There have been historical instances where all of the virile young men ordained to become Bhikkhus. But, this meant that tehre were  no good people left to work and support the Sangha in its Noble Duties. Without a Healthy Householders'  Institution [Laity], Bhikkhus cannot live in accordance with the Vinaya.

Brahmanism is not just about the End-Game of Enlightement. It perfomrs a Duty of Pastoral Care fo rthe Whole Ecology of Worldy Life. It takes care of the Environment. During his lifetime, the Buddha had to rebuke the Sangha for failing to understand the Vital Role of the Householders for the Health of the Sangha and its Survival.  Hinduism seems to have a better handle on this reality than Buddhism, which is becoming almost completely Nirvana-centric.
 

Buddhism, by contrast taught man that life was miserable, and then you die.

 

For the Householder, Hinduism has the Kama Sutra, which is not just about sex. It Teaches Sixty-Four Arts which are vital to living peacefully and successfully in the world. It also has its own Cosmology.

 

Historically, the Buddha never liked the Brahmins but, they returned his dislike and defeated his Religion, kicked it out of India. If Buddhism is to take root in the West, then it will need to develop diplomacy with regard to to other cultures and faiths.

For any Relgion to survive, and prosper, it must evoke the Love of the Common People. To Love God is to Serve God. To Serve God is to Minister to the Needs of one's Fellow Human Beings. If Buddhism is rejecting this, then it will not survive.

and the rules protected him from his desire.