niranjan

A book has been published recently , named 'Jesus and Buddha:
The Parallel Sayings' which focusses on the striking similarity between Jesus and Buddha's teachings.....


http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Buddha-P.../dp/1569751218


http://www.beliefnet.com/story/10/story_1056_1.html


http://www.heartlandsangha.org/parallel-sayings.html

http://www.eclectica.org/v2n3/gaborro.html

__________________
You yourself are your only friend. You yourself are your only enemy.

---Krishna ( Bhagavad Gita )


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

---Buddha


The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.

---Thomas Paine

niranjan

SWAMI ABHEDANANDA AND JESUS CHRIST


Swami Abhedananda was a direct disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and brother-disciple of Swami Vivekananda.

In Hemis Monastery, he discovered a manuscript on the unknown life of Jesus Christ, which has been incorporated in the book Swami Abhedananda's Journey Into Kashmir & Tibet published by the Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, Kolkata.


The monks there not only assured them that Notovitch had spent some time in the monastery as he claimed, they also showed them the manuscript-part of which they translated for Swami Abhedananda, who knew from having read Notovitch's book that it was indeed the same writing found in The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ. Subsequently, Abhedananda had the English translation of Notovitch's text printed in India where the Christian authorities had until then prohibited both its publication or its importation and sale.


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

__________________
You yourself are your only friend. You yourself are your only enemy.

---Krishna ( Bhagavad Gita )


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

---Buddha


The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.

---Thomas Paine

niranjan

INDIAN INFLUENCE ON ANCIENT GREECE



Noting the strong similarities between Platos philosophy and Indian philosophy, many western scholars like Will Durant have stated that there is a strong possibility that Plato must have travelled to India and studied there.

Ralph Waldo Emerson says: "Plato was synthesis of Europe and Asia, and a decidedly Oriental element pervades his philosophy, giving it a sunrise color."





Similarly with Pythagoras. Many of his geometrical theorems were a part of Indian mathematics and the shulbasutras.

It should be noted that pythagoras also believed in reincarnation, and was a vegetarian.

" It is very important to note that some 2,500 years ago at the least Pythagoras went from Samos to the Ganga (Ganges) to learn geometry...But he would certainly not have undertaken such a strange journey had the reputation of the Brahmins' science not been long established in Europe..."

--- Voltaire




Intensely interesting stories have been minutely recorded by Greek historians and others who accompanied or followed after Alexander in his expedition to India. The narratives of Arrian, Diodoros, Plutarch, and Strabo the geographer have been translated by Dr. J. W. M'Crindle to throw a shaft of light on ancient India. The most admirable feature of Alexander's unsuccessful invasion was the deep interest he displayed in Hindu philosophy and in the yogis and holy men whom he encountered from time to time and whose society he eagerly sought. Shortly after the Greek warrior had arrived in Taxila in northern India, he sent a messenger, Onesikritos, a disciple of the Hellenic school of Diogenes, to fetch an Indian teacher, Dandamis, a great sannyasi of Taxila.

"Hail to thee, O teacher of Brahmins!" Onesikritos said after seeking out Dandamis in his forest retreat. "The son of the mighty God Zeus, being Alexander who is the Sovereign Lord of all men, asks you to go to him, and if you comply, he will reward you with great gifts, but if you refuse, he will cut off your head!"

The yogi received this fairly compulsive invitation calmly, and "did not so much as lift up his head from his couch of leaves."

"I also am a son of Zeus, if Alexander be such," he commented. "I want nothing that is Alexander's, for I am content with what I have, while I see that he wanders with his men over sea and land for no advantage, and is never coming to an end of his wanderings.

"Go and tell Alexander that God the Supreme King is never the Author of insolent wrong, but is the Creator of light, of peace, of life, of water, of the body of man and of souls; He receives all men when death sets them free, being in no way subject to evil disease. He alone is the God of my homage, who abhors slaughter and instigates no wars.

"Alexander is no god, since he must taste of death," continued the sage in quiet scorn. "How can such as he be the world's master, when he has not yet seated himself on a throne of inner universal dominion? Neither as yet has he entered living into Hades, nor does he know the course of the sun through the central regions of the earth, while the nations on its boundaries have not so much as heard his name!"

After this chastisement, surely the most caustic ever sent to assault the ears of the "Lord of the World," the sage added ironically, "If Alexander's present dominions be not capacious enough for his desires, let him cross the Ganges River; there he will find a region able to sustain all his men, if the country on this side be too narrow to hold him.

"Know this, however, that what Alexander offers and the gifts he promises are things to me utterly useless; the things I prize and find of real use and worth are these leaves which are my house, these blooming plants which supply me with daily food, and the water which is my drink; while all other possessions which are amassed with anxious care are wont to prove ruinous to those who gather them, and cause only sorrow and vexation, with which every poor mortal is fully fraught. As for me, I lie upon the forest leaves, and having nothing which requires guarding, close my eyes in tranquil slumber; whereas had I anything to guard, that would banish sleep. The earth supplies me with everything, even as a mother her child with milk. I go wherever I please, and there are no cares with which I am forced to cumber myself.

"Should Alexander cut off my head, he cannot also destroy my soul. My head alone, then silent, will remain, leaving the body like a torn garment upon the earth, whence also it was taken. I then, becoming Spirit, shall ascend to my God, who enclosed us all in flesh and left us upon earth to prove whether, when here below, we shall live obedient to His ordinances and who also will require of us all, when we depart hence to His presence, an account of our life, since He is Judge of all proud wrongdoing; for the groans of the oppressed become the punishment of the oppressor.

"Let Alexander then terrify with these threats those who wish for wealth and who dread death, for against us these weapons are both alike powerless; the Brahmins neither love gold nor fear death. Go then and tell Alexander this: Dandamis has no need of aught that is yours, and therefore will not go to you, and if you want anything from Dandamis, come you to him."

With close attention Alexander received through Onesikritos the message from the yogi, and "felt a stronger desire than ever to see Dandamis who, though old and naked, was the only antagonist in whom he, the conqueror of many nations, had met more than his match."

Alexander invited to Taxila a number of Brahmin ascetics noted for their skill in answering philosophical questions with pithy wisdom. An account of the verbal skirmish is given by Plutarch; Alexander himself framed all the questions.

"Which be the more numerous, the living or the dead?"

"The living, for the dead are not."

"Which breeds the larger animals, the sea or the land?"

"The land, for the sea is only a part of land."

"Which is the cleverest of beasts?"

"That one with which man is not yet acquainted." (Man fears the unknown.)

"Which existed first, the day or the night?"

"The day was first by one day." This reply caused Alexander to betray surprise; the Brahmin added: "Impossible questions require impossible answers."

"How best may a man make himself beloved?"

"A man will be beloved if, possessed with great power, he still does not make himself feared."

"How may a man become a god?"

"By doing that which it is impossible for a man to do."

"Which is stronger, life or death?"

"Life, because it bears so many evils."

Alexander succeeded in taking out of India, as his teacher, a true yogi. This man was Swami Sphines, called "Kalanos" by the Greeks because the saint, a devotee of God in the form of Kali, greeted everyone by pronouncing Her auspicious name.

Kalanos accompanied Alexander to Persia. On a stated day, at Susa in Persia, Kalanos gave up his aged body by entering a funeral pyre in view of the whole Macedonian army. The historians record the astonishment of the soldiers who observed that the yogi had no fear of pain or death, and who never once moved from his position as he was consumed in the flames. Before leaving for his cremation, Kalanos had embraced all his close companions, but refrained from bidding farewell to Alexander, to whom the Hindu sage had merely remarked:

"I shall see you shortly in Babylon."

Alexander left Persia, and died a year later in Babylon. His Indian guru's words had been his way of saying he would be present with Alexander in life and death.

The Greek historians have left us many vivid and inspiring pictures of Indian society. Hindu law, Arrian tells us, protects the people and "ordains that no one among them shall, under any circumstances, be a slave but that, enjoying freedom themselves, they shall respect the equal right to it which all possess. For those, they thought, who have learned neither to domineer over nor cringe to others will attain the life best adapted for all vicissitudes of lot."

"The Indians," runs another text, "neither put out money at usury, nor know how to borrow. It is contrary to established usage for an Indian either to do or suffer a wrong, and therefore they neither make contracts nor require securities." Healing, we are told, was by simple and natural means. "Cures are effected rather by regulating diet than by the use of medicines. The remedies most esteemed are ointments and plasters. All others are considered to be in great measure pernicious." Engagement in war was restricted to the Kshatriyas or warrior caste. "Nor would an enemy coming upon a husbandman at his work on his land, do him any harm, for men of this class being regarded as public benefactors, are protected from all injury. The land thus remaining unravaged and producing heavy crops, supplies the inhabitants with the requisites to make life enjoyable."

__________________
You yourself are your only friend. You yourself are your only enemy.

---Krishna ( Bhagavad Gita )


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

---Buddha


The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.

---Thomas Paine

epicureious

Mark Mason wrote a book "In Search of the Loving God" that excerpts a large section of Notovitch's "Unknown Life of Jesus Christ". Mason notes that while all 4 "gospels" blame the Jews for Jesus' death (Issa in the Hindu/Pali writings). The Issa Scriptures however, put the full blame for the death on the Romans and credit Jewish authorities with going out of their way to try to save Jesus/Issa. If true, it would indicate tampering with the gospels.

It's interesting who gets credit for all this investigation. In addition to Notovitch being authenticated by Swami Abhedananda, a Mrs. Harvey wrote of the existence of the scripts on Issa in her book "The Adventures of a Lady in Tartary, China and Cashmir (1854), 33 years before Notovich or the Swami.

__________________
"Psycho" = "Crazy insane." "Toddler" = "One who toddles."

Jesus H. Christ

Yeah, I did. So?

niranjan

Thanks for the backup, master. We were just clarifying a few small issues about where u were during the ages of 16 to 30.

Great that we got your testimony as well.

__________________
You yourself are your only friend. You yourself are your only enemy.

---Krishna ( Bhagavad Gita )


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

---Buddha


The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.

---Thomas Paine

SirArthur

niranjan,

You're just forgotten that Plato lived about 450 years b.C.

The most amazing thing however happen on that time but not with Jesus, Isaiah, Tao Tse and Sidarta Gautama nearly at the same time and on different parts of the World start preaching for a new philosophy. Thus they did it theocratically, but theocracy and philosophy aren't that different, except for one to try to fundament itself on deities and the other for be explain as simple understandings of the philosopher.

This new philosophy broke up with the unmerciful ancient World, where the ill and the weak were either exploited, abandoned or killed, into a new World where the weak and ill become a responsibility to protect and heal by the strong and healthy.

Jesus is another brick on that wall that changed the World, where he lived, how he was killed, I think is meaningless as long as his way and his philosophy was good and contributed to a better World, even if we still have a long way to go.
Other Hindu and Buddhist monks amazed by this philosophy of a society that cares and protects in counter point to that ancient view of punish and abandon surely tried to trim it as best as they could, unfortunately I know nothing or pretty few on Hinduism or Buddhism to talk about it, my "areas of expertize" on religion are Islam and Christianity.

__________________
We can never have an idea of what we can achieve. All we can do is follow an interrogation and see where it may lead us to.

The Great Bible & Quran of Atheists and Agnostics:

http://cleanup.awardspace.com/

niranjan

Yes I know Arthur, and we were also there then as well.

Buddha lived from 563 to 483 bce.

Mahavira, the Indian enlightened master was older than Buddha too, and lived in 599 to 527 bce.

Krishna was more ancient than them,and the Rishis who composed the vedas were more ancient than krishna.

__________________
You yourself are your only friend. You yourself are your only enemy.

---Krishna ( Bhagavad Gita )


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

---Buddha


The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.

---Thomas Paine

romansh

The most informative book (and only) I have read on this subject is:

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff
By Christopher Moore

I can recommend it to all agnostics and Christians, though not all Christians will enjoy it.


The book is completely

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There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. ........... Douglas Adams

noeticcenter

Journeyman;5862 The absence of any evidence of Jesus in his years between 18 and 30 is typical among cults and religions thousands of years before Jesus. In Egypt the gods(Horus) did the same thing during the same ages. Birth to 12 -nothing- 30 to death and resurrection. As as far as Greek influence goes, just read the NT and look at its influence. The book of John is heavily based on a Greek and Roman motif. BTW, from what I understand Buddhist are concerned with enlightenment and Christianity is concerned with a salvific process. They are not the same thing. Certainly one could be a Christian and a Buddhist experiencing salvation and enlightnement.
~~
" And He came to Nazareth where He HAS BEEN BROUHT UP; and as His CUSTOM WAS, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and STOOD UP TO READ" Recorded by the Greek Physician Luke in Luke 4: 16.

At least for the first two years He was in Egypt. Then we see him lost in the Temple at age 12 during their annual visits there for Passover. Then his routines are given till the age 30. Then He is with John the Baptist in Judah. Then he is back in Galilee as described in Kuke 4. Then three years He is all over Israel and finally at about 33 years He is crucified, buried, risen leaving no trace of His dead body... When in th world was He in India?

Noetic Response
[Jeannette] Agnostic Forum

"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things as a meaningful unity" - Albert Einstein
Jeannette
[url]http://jeannett.snow.prohosting.com
~~~~~~~
Einstein is not infallible. Gautamma though a prince was inferior to the Brahmins. He did not like that. He wanted to abolish the Caste system (Caste is an English coinage of word. Varna = color is the rght
original Hindu word. Caste system was a Color system.
But, the English saw all Indians as colored.). His second problem was 330 million gods of Hinduism, while the Upanishads make no such references. So, he got rid of all of them and declared Nirvana as the end of Reincarnations. His version of Hinduism (Buddhism) swept across India all the way to Shri Lanka, Burma and Tibet- all then parts of Bharat/Hindustan (India).
Then Shankar, the teen age Sanskrit prodigy from Kerala, India came along and his guru gave him a mission, actually a trick. He should go to Benares ( the Vatican of Hinduism) and convince the Pundits that there are no gods but " You are Brahman", and " I am Brahman" and "everything is Brahman". This is the unity you are talking about!

Sankar was influenced also by the Monotheism of the Mission of Apostle Tomas in India, especially to the Cochin Jews Kerala. St. Thomas landed was very close to his grand parents around 53 A.D.

Eistein and many secularists and humanists in the West were also tricked into this.
Buddha died an ordinary death and his body was burned according to customs. Some could not believe this. So he was venerated and extolled into Nirvana.
There is only one Tomb which does not have any trace of its guest. That is the tomb of the Messiah. There was no Nirvana, only the historic Bodily Resurrection attested by his enemies and friends alike.
Noetic