Buddhist Outreach in 300 BC

Og · 01-10-2007, 08:24 AM

First off, Buddha came into the picture around 500BC.

I really wish that the western world would realize the influence that jesus represented from these beautiful ideas that come from the east. It's particularly clear with gnostic expressions of christ's teachings that have been found in the last 100 years in old jars and such in the deserts of egypt and the middle east. But the parallels are clear in the bible as well.

Ashoka the Great - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is the first indian king to become a buddhist. He spent a large portion of his life conquering north and east india and then realized what suffering he had caused and connected with the buddhist message that life is suffering. Then at approximately 300-250 BC, he sent buddhist missionaries out across the world to the near east where, 300 years later, christ would show up on the scene. This is when neo-platonic philosophy arises in the near east.

Ananda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ananda is exactly analogous to St. Peter in the catholic tradition. Both went on to start the respective churches of their relgions. Ananda was basically buddha's student who didn't quite get it in the same way peter always seemed to not get the message of jesus (i.e. put down the sword!)

Buddha was born from his mother's side at the level of the heart. They don't really believe this. The story, however, is told as a metaphor for spiritual birth given that the heart in hindu philosophy is a compassionate center and the axis about which the religion revolves.

Christ was born of a virgin.

Buddha left his family, cut off his top knot and went to the philosophers of his time to learn.

Christ left his family, was rejected in nazareth, went to John the Baptist to learn about his nature.

Buddha then went walking and found himself under a bodhi tree. There he sat down in lotus posture and did not move until he was tempted by kama (desire) mara (fear) and dharma (social duty). Kama presented his beautiful daughters to buddha and he wouldn't be moved. Mara threw spears of an army at buddha and he was not there in spirit (awakened) and the spears turned into lotus flowers as they entered his presence and he was worshiped. Then dharma came telling him that he must follow the ways of his society. He simply touched the ground with his hand at the "immovable spot" and said, "don't tempt me with the world, eternity is on my mind"

Then the godess of all creation (Mother Universe, Maya) came out to buddha and declared:
"This is my beloved son, who through innumerable lifetimes has so given of himself that there is nobody here."

At this point all the temptation bowed to the buddha and dispersed. Buddha got up and went to teach.

In the christian tradition the story line is almost identical. He was baptized by John

Quote:

"And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him. And behold a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16, 17). "And there came a voice from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22)."

After this, jesus went into the desert for 40 days and was tempted by satan as most of us in the western tradition know with hunger (turn rocks into bread), desire for power (all this can be yours if you worship me), and spiritual vanity (throw yourself off this temple etc). Christ resists these 3 temptations and returns to deliver his teachings.

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Beyond these obvious similarities in the teachings of the 2 traditions, the messages that get delivered by christ are amazingly similar to those of buddha.

The essence of both teachings are the rejection of desire and fear to a "middle path" in buddhism and the equivalent symbol of "the straight and narrow" in christianity.

There's plenty more to the comparison and I've found that what it really represents is that these two stories are FOLK expressions of the identical elementary idea which is contained in the teachings of christ and the buddha.

It's interesting that buddhism has not ever launched into anything akin to the crusades or the burning of witches. It has never caused violence and in fact it's basic tenants act against this. And this is the message that jesus gives on innumerable occasions from "turn the other cheek" to "peter, put down your sword, he who lives by the sword dies by it."

Yet western culture has taken the buddhist concepts from the east and for about 1500 years has used them to justify their horrific behaviors and intolerances.

All the while, the buddhists sit in their lotuses and feel compassion for all of those around them, and especially for those who do them harm.

Looking at the depth of the hindu tradition that the buddhists come out of, it's just amazing to see the differences that they have compared to western culture. They are spiritually light years ahead of us and it's been blowing my mind over the last months to come to this realization.

There's definitely a lot of squalor and such in the east and overpopulation and nasty conditions, but their spirituality is so wonderful and has been for thousands of years longer than Christianity or Judaism has been around. These people are swimming in their psyches while westerners drown into psychoses.

Og · 01-11-2007, 07:38 AM

Well I thought it was cool

Seems like such a clear expression of eastern influences of a fundamentally compassionate and peaceful tradition. Makes you wonder where the authors that made the parts of the bible that they "weren't there for," like the birth and the temptation, got their material.

harleylove · 07-22-2007, 07:09 PM

I think it's sad that this post went unanswered. If people could open their minds and see the message you are trying to portray here, the full meaning of it. If the bible is a methapor about inner happiness and growth and not literal the way most Christians see it, how can anyone not take that into consideration.

pseudonous · 07-22-2007, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Makes you wonder where the authors that made the parts of the bible that they "weren't there for," like the birth and the temptation, got their material.

Have you seen the first third of zeitgeist the movie? Apparently, Jesus has as much in common with Horus as with Buddha. What do you make of this, is it nonsense or is their a truth to it? I take it you would agree with the parallels between Christ and Buddha but what about all the other gods?

Og · 07-22-2007, 08:10 PM

Certainly with other gods. Orpheus is often portrayed crucified on a cross with a moon over his head (i.e. the moon resurrects after 3 days in the "new/dark" phase). He resurrected as well. There are MANY influences. My point was that this was a folk expression of an elementary idea fundamental to all world religions.

The significance of the crucifiction and resurrection is NOT that jesus actually resurrected! The significance is that of finding life when you yield to life. Die to live. All of us are christ. All of us are buddhas.

That's the elementary idea in all traditions. The story is a metaphor that speaks to individuals. It's ridiculous to think that it's some literal story about actual events. You completely miss the point of religious metaphor.

Astreja · 07-28-2007, 12:31 AM

There's even a "Good Shepherd" parallel between Buddha and Jesus, although I'm unsure of the source...

In the course of his travels, Shakyamuni came upon a lamb limping on the road and put it on his shoulders to carry it. Walking a bit further, he came across a herdsman driving a large number of animals designated for sacrifice by order of the king. The lamb still riding on his shoulders, Shakyamuni confronted the king and convinced him not to kill the animals. (One version of this story has it that the Buddha offered his own life for that of the herd.)

Searcher · 09-15-2007, 08:23 PM

I also think it's very interesting, and would like to know a little more which some brief investigation has not shed much light on.

Where did the first reports of the Buddha's experiences as described above come from? As I understand it, no Buddhist scriptures were recorded in writing until at least 400 years after his death. And I get the impression that by this time there were already various divergent (but related) teachings, to varying degrees embellished beyond the truth.

Some of the books I scanned through made no mention of any of these events, implying it does not constitute a particularly significant part of the Buddhist teachings.

And I guess ultimately, I would be interested to know whether one is inspired by the other in some way, or did they develop entirely seperately of each other?

marmalade · 10-23-2007, 07:45 PM

I don't have the book handy, but I remember there is an extensive discussion of Buddha in Acharya's second book. She says that Buddhism originated long before the accepted dating of Buddha's life. She makes tons of comparisons with Christianity.

I read somewhere that there was a Buddhist monastery at the time and place that the Jesus story takes place. I only ever read that in one place and haven't heard of it since. I can't remember for sure, but it seems like it might have been in Acharya's first book. Does anyone else know about this?

niranjan · 10-27-2007, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Searcher

As I understand it, no Buddhist scriptures were recorded in writing until at least 400 years after his death.

The Buddha had already organized a band of disciples , to carry forth his message in his own time, and he spend many years in training them.

Around two dozen disciples of his became enlightened in his own time.

Indian society at that time was highly literate,educated and cultured, and great importance was given to scholarship. Universities and great institutions of study existed at that time.

The Taxila university in ancient India is the oldest known university on earth, and was a HIndu and Buddhist centre of learning from the 6th century BCE to the 5th century CE,and it attracted students from all over the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxila

Many of the best intellectuals in Indian society at that time became Buddha's disciples. And hence his teachings indeed were written down at that time, in order to spread them as he had exhorted his followers in India.

Ashoka ( 304--232 BC ), born two centuries after Buddha, himself built many pillars and edicts showing inscriptions of Buddha and Buddhism. He had also spoken about the constant understanding of Buddhas teachings at that time through the study of the Dhamma texts by both the monks and the laymen.

"These Dhamma texts -- Extracts from the Discipline, the Noble Way of Life, the Fears to Come, the Poem on the Silent Sage, the Discourse on the Pure Life, Upatisa's Questions, and the Advice to Rahula which was spoken by the Buddha concerning false speech -- these Dhamma texts, reverend sirs, I desire that all the monks and nuns may constantly listen to and remember. Likewise the laymen and laywomen." Minor Rock Edict Nb3 (S. Dhammika)

Tomasz · 03-04-2008, 05:34 AM

It's also worth noting that it's impossible to arrive at the conclusion that hell was outside of Buddha regerdless of the way you read Buddha's story.
The same can't be said about Christian hell in New Testament

What the authors of New Testament really wanted to say is not so clear.
The question is why didn't they make it clear, or maybe it was meant to be read literally