Buddhism: A Christian Looks at the Buddhist Faith

Dr. Freddy CardozaBUDDHISM

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Interesting Buddhist Facts

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Schools of Buddhism1. Theravada (35%) (directly from

Buddha) from Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos

2. Mahayana (60%) in China, Nepal, Tibet, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Asia

3. Sometimes Zen/Ch'an

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Buddhist Scripture• THE SUTRAS• Other non-canonical books

(unofficial scripture) include the Tibetian Book of the Dead, the Pali Canon and the Mahayana Sutras

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Buddhism is not so much a religion as a "worldview" or "philosophy of life"

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Buddhism is Essentially an Agnostic/ Atheistic Movement. There is no Supreme Being or

Deity or "Personhood"cc: Photos by Mavis - https://www.flickr.com/photos/42941459@N00

Jatakas• Select tales of Buddha's 550 past lives• Recorded @1000 years later• Former Guru who gave himself to a tiger,

so she wouldn't eat her cubs• Former Ship Captain where he killed a

would-be murderer on his ship• Many lives as an animal (monkey, deer,

elephant, etc.)cc: JapanDave - https://www.flickr.com/photos/56413961@N00

Prayer Wheels• The cylinder contains a sacred text

written or printed on paper or animal skin.

• These prayers oblige any existing spirits or deities to act

• Turning them is the same as saying the prayer, and illiterate Buddhists use them to pray, since they can't read the prayers

Buddhist Temple Artifacts• Flowers are offered as reminders of the

impermanence of life• Lit candles represent the darkness of

ignorance and light of the 4 Laws• Incense represents the blessed smell of

compassion to others• Buddhists bow in temples 3 times for

Buddha, Noble Truths, and Community/Monks

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Stupas (Shrines) contain

remains of cremated Buddhists, especially

monkscc: tarotastic - https://www.flickr.com/photos/30674396@N00

Sky BurialA Tibetan Buddhist Practice

Releasing the Soul by Destruction of the Body

Sometime from 600s-400s BCBuddha Born

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300 Million Adherents1/3 size of Hinduism & Islam; 1/4 size of Christianity

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5% of Buddhists are Monks

Budai isn't actually BuddhaThis is a Chinese Buddhist (Laughing Buddha)

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The Buddha, after enlightenment, remained a meat-eater and this is mentioned often in

Buddhist writingscc: dixoncamera.com - https://www.flickr.com/photos/49499629@N02

Vegetarianism as Moral Issue

• Eating meat was done by Buddha, even after Enlightenment, and it wasn't forbidden in Buddhist Scripture (or Christian scripture)

• Vegetables require tilling soil and spraying crop, resulting in the death of creatures

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• The Vegan uses numerous other products that lead to animals being killed (soap, leather, serum, silk, etc.).

• Both require the death of animals, so why abstain from one source (meat) while using the others for lesser reasons than food/survival?

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Siddhartha GautamaWho Was Buddha?

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Siddhartha Guatama was born here in Lumbini, Nepal

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A prince, his mother Queen Mahamaya dreamed he would become a king or holy man (Sadhu). But

Siddhartha's father sought to preserve his royal lineage and overprotected the young man from the world, until he left the royal compound and

saw how people livedcc: Arun kumar | Photography - https://www.flickr.com/photos/63177671@N00

Gautama's "4 Sights"

1. Old Man: aging, lost virility2. Sick Man: disease and pain3. Corpse: death, decay, grief4. Holy Man: hope

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Gautama deserted his young family as

they slept, to pursue

answers

The following 6 years he ate little,

didn't bathe,

and wore no

clothingcc: terbeck - https://www.flickr.com/photos/39832617@N07

At age 35, meditating here at the Diamond Throne(which at the time was under a tree), he

was enlightened to 'truth' and became awakened

Bodh GayaBirthplace of Buddhism & Most Visited Site

Buddha lived the following 45 years as a Bodhisattva to teach others his way

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"To Awaken"/Enlightened One)BUDHI/Buddha

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Buddhist Worldview

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Major Elements• The Three Jewels/Refuges• Four Noble Truths• Eight-Fold Path• Five Virtues• Ten Perfections

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Three Jewels/Refuges

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3 Refuges from Eternal Samsara

1. The Buddha's Example2. The Dhamma (Four Truths)3. The Sangha (Buddhist

monastic community)

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Four Noble Truths

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Buddhism teaches that people are unhappy in life and can never be satisfied because they desire what

they don't have and can never be

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Four Noble Truths (Dhamma)

1. All Life is Suffering (Dukkha)2. Our Suffering is Caused by Our

Attachments and Desires (Samudaya)3. Accepting our human condition and

letting go of the desire for life to be different will lead to the cessation of suffering (Nirodha)

4. One does this through the 8 fold path (Magga)

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Noble Eight Fold Path

The 8 Principles Fall in 3 Areas

• Mental Discipline (#1-2)• Wisdom (#2-5)• Ethical Living (#6-8)• Together these help people

overcome bad karma to work their way to Nirvana

8 Fold Path1. Right Undertanding2. Right Intention3. Right Speech4. Right Action5. Right Livelihood6. Right Effort7. Right Mindfulness8. Right Concentration

Together these 8 help people overcome bad karma to work their way out of endless lives

of suffering

Five Virtues

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Five Virtues for All Buddhists

1. Don't harm living beings2. Don't take from/violate others3. No sexual misconduct4. No false speech5. No intoxicating drinks/drugs

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Virtues for Buddhist Monks• The previous five for all Buddhists,

plus:• No dancing/music/arts• No extra meals• No adornment/fragrance• No high seats• No gold/silver

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Ten Perfections

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Monks have a total of 227 rules to be followed. These are summarized by the 10

Perfections to Buddhahood

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Ten Perfections to Buddhahood

1. Generosity2. Virtue3. Renunciation4. Wisdom5. Energy6. Patience7. Truthfulness8. Resolution9. Loving-Kindness10. Even-Temperedness

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For What Goal?

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TO ESCAPE SAMSARA"A Wandering Through" Endless Suffering

Referring to Reincarnationcc: Nicolas Vollmer - https://www.flickr.com/photos/91094471@N02

"Liberation from Suffering of Samsara/Rebirth"Nirvana

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Nirvana isn't "heaven." Nor Physical. Nor Bliss. Nor Embodied. Nor with

Family. Nor with God. Nor Reward. The Deathless State. Non-Being.

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Sharing Faith with Buddhists

Buddhist Evangelism• Buddhist focus on ethical living renders

inconsistent Christians ineffective in witnessing

• Christians should speak to the issue of God and Suffering by studying "Theodicy" (Problem of Evil and Suffering)

• Speak about meditation and prayer to God, something they think of differently

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Buddhist Evangelism• Speak to the idea of a personal God, as

Buddhists are made by our God and have the need for exactly Him-- though they may not be aware of it. Everyone is made for a relationship with the one true God

• Point to ethical texts (Proverbs, Sermon on the Mount, Ecclesiastes) for Dialogue

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Buddhist Evangelism• Center on the idea that life should have

meaning and the cyclical view of Buddhism doesn't offer that.

• Challenge them on the futility and hopelessness of endless rebirths, while showing the hope of eternal life in this lifetime

• Point to the beauty and wonder of grace and mercy against "karma"

• Very few adherents of Buddhism practice it faithfully. Issue a loving challenge about this.

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Buddha LegendsLong After Buddha's Life in Non-Canonical Writings

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Walking and Talking the Moment of His Birth by His Mother

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Every place the baby Buddha placed his foot, a lotus

bloomed

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The Twin Miracle(fire and water) produced

from his body

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Taming of a Raging Drunken Elephant by Buddha's Love

Converted Hinduism's Chief Deity, Brahman, to Buddhism

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Commanded Floodwaters So He Could Pass Across on Dry Ground

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Additional Informationcc: Northwest Rafting Company - https://www.flickr.com/photos/23299229@N06

REALITY versus MAYAThe primary difference between

Buddha's teachings and traditional Hinduism's teachings concerns the teaching about Atman. The Hindus

believe in the soul as being a discreet unit that incarnates over

and over. Buddha taught that even the soul was an illusion

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The Dalai Lama is the exiled Buddhist spiritual-political leader of Tibet displaced by China

who has become a symbol for many Buddhistscc: Glyn Lowe Photoworks. - https://www.flickr.com/photos/65354164@N02

Tathagata is the name the Buddha gave to himself (one who has gone/come)

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Buddhist Glossary• Boddhisattva: a person who is

able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings.

• Meitreya: Future Buddha Savior

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Q&A

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Small Group Discussion• What are ways the Biblical idea of

God is different than Buddhism?• The Bible documents Jesus' life

beginning 25+ years after his Resurrection. The Sutras do so several hundreds of years later. What difference does it make?

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Small Group Discussion• The 8 fold path may take Buddhists

hundreds or many thousands of lifetimes of reincarnation, were it true. Compare the concept of resurrection.

• How is 'hope' different between Christianity and Buddhism?

• What starting points for Buddhist evangelism make the most sense to you?

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Sources• http://cardoza.link/BuddhismBeliefs• http://cardoza.link/BuddhistFacts• http://cardoza.link/BasicBuddhismVideo• https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=2CM-QiBnazg• http://cardoza.link/

BodhGayaCreditDennisJarvis

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• http://cardoza.link/BodhiTreeBodhGayaMargieSavage

• http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/dharmadata/fdd21.htm

• http://cardoza.link/AdamCohnIndianWoman

• http://cardoza.link/WonderlaneOnFlickr

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• Ruegg, D.S. "Ahimsa and Vegetarianism in the History of Buddhism" in Buddhist Studies in Honour of Walpola Rahula. S. Balasooriya, (et.al) London, 1980.

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