Taking a 2nd Look at Buddism

8/14/2019 Taking a 2nd Look at Buddism

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(Matthew 23), and Paul causing a riot in Ephesus because of his preaching (Acts 19). I'mcertainly not a prophet, and it's not my intention to stir up controversy, but I do feel that

as a Christian I have an obligation to examine truth claims and respond to them in thelight of God's Word. Furthermore, false ideas produce devastating effects in people's

lives. If in this paper I can show the beauty of God's Word as revealed in

Jesus Christ, and the dangers of Buddhism, I will have accomplished my goals. If an ideahas merit and truth to it, it will be able to withstand the heat of examination. Jesus Christand the Old and New Testaments have long been targets for critics, but they have been

found to be tried and true. For examples of this reliability, please see the followingwebsites:

An overview of evidences for the reliability of the Bible:http://www.gospelcom.net/faithfacts/maps.html

William Lane Craig's virtual office:http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/menus/historical.html

A bibliography of books listed by topic:http://www.gospelcom.net/rzim/publications/biblio_all.php

The Great Theory Tale

In his book, Payutto, who is speaking from a Theravada Buddhist perspective, repeatedlymakes reference to how scientific Buddhism is. He says, There is no God who created

the world and controls man's destiny. Man is his own master. The way is one of self-effort, free from prayer and superstition (10). Speaking of a Buddhist revival in Japan,

Payutto writes, Buddhism was then revalued as its teachings were found to becompatible with new

discoveries and theories of modern science, such as Darwin's theory of evolution (129).To say that humans are in the same category as animals (only more developed) is a denial

of God as Creator and a denial of God asJudge. By saying that Man is his own master an affirmation is made of the Satanic

Bible verse Do what thou wilt. This autonomy from God is rebellion, whether clothedin black robes and deadly ceremonies or orange robes and good works. My people

have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and havedug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water (Jeremiah 2: 13).

The title of a Calvin and Hobbes comic book reminds me of evolution: Scientific

Progress Goes 'Boink.' Macro-evolution, in the world of theories is like a dinosaurwhich is still on display, but doesn't have any life breath left. Here are a few resources

that reveal just how boinky evolution is (without using the word boink):- Articles by Phillip E. Johnson, a law professor at the University of

California, Berkeley:

-On-line audio messages by Dr. Ron Carlson:

-On-line audio messages by Ken Ham of Australia:

A Boat Ride


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The second of three books I read on Buddhism is The Lotus and the Cross: Jesus talkswith Buddha, by Ravi Zacharias (a Christian apologist from India). In this book,

Zacharias imagines what would be said if Jesus and Buddha had a chance to talk to oneanother. This meeting takes place while on a boat ride. A prostitute dying of AIDS and

the boatman also participate

in this conversation. The book is based on library research as well as conversations withBuddhist monks and instructors in Malaysia, India, Singapore, and Thailand. In theintroduction, Zacharias gives an appeal: Jesus and Buddha cannot both be right. The lotus

is the symbol of Buddhism the cross, the symbol of the Christian faith. Behind the twosymbols stand

two diametrically opposed beliefs. I ask you, the reader, to examine the message of each,using both your heart and your mind. It is worth the exercise because it will determine

your destiny. One day we will all find out that being respectful and sincere does not giveus license to be wrong.

Truth demands investigation and commitment. Our conclusions must be in keeping withTruth that can be tested. To be handcuffed by a lie is the worst of all imprisonments. (8)

Distance between Jerusalem and Northern India Some have claimed that Christian

teachings were copied from Buddhist teachings. When looking at the teachings ofChristianity it's important to note that there were Old Testament prophecies concerning

much of Christ'sministry. These preceded the New Testament by hundreds and even thousands of years.

The virgin birth parallel which is claimed as evidence of a Christian copy of Buddha'sbirth, was prophesied by Isaiah about 700 years before Christ (Isaiah prophesied from

around 740- 681 B.C.), and 300 years before Buddha (according to recent calculations ofBuddha's birth).

Information on Buddha's birth can be found on a page of the University of Virginiawebsite:

Date of Birth: Many Western scholars place the Buddha's lifetime from 563-483 BCE,while the Sri Lankan tradition believes the Buddha to have lived from 624-544 BCE.

More recent date setting suggests that some time around 410 BCE is more accurate(http://religiousmovements).

lib.virginia.edu/nrms/buddhism. html). The date of 410 BCE is from Damien Keown's1996 book entitled Buddhism: Avery short introduction. Using this date, the prophecy

of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will bewith child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.) and the time that

Sidhartha Gautama was searching for answers was separated by approximately 300 years.Even using the other dates separates the end of Isaiah's ministry and the beginning of

Buddha's by about 90- 150 years.

How long would it take for a person to travel from Jerusalem to Northern India? Using anestimate that is on the slow side, if a person travels 4 miles per hour, for 3 hours a day,

resting every seventh day, it would take approximately 285 days (c. 3000 miles as thecrow flies) including Sabbath days. Adding another year for getting lost, crossing

mountains and rivers,time for settling down before moving again, 10 years for language study, etc. it's not


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unreasonable to think that these prophecies about Christ could have been passed alongwithin 15 years.

In 722 B.C., Jews in Northern Israel were removed from their homeland by the

Assyrians, and in 586 B.C. more Jews from Southern Israel were taken away by the

Babylonians. These people would not have had to be religious experts or even have anymanuscripts with them. Even most non-Christians in the west are familiar with some ofthe basic teachings of the Bible. In the same way, to hear the prophet Isaiah or another

prophet speak would have been amemorable event (this was the mass media of the day, in addition to manuscripts). The

ideas could also have been passed along by the grapevine, whether by Jews or outsidemerchants, not requiring one individual or group to make the entire journey there.

Buddha's virgin birthis actually one of the least substantiated claims made by those who wish to see parallels

here. Knowing the distances involved and the antiquity of the Old Testament, though, isimportant for some of the other claims. According to the Nidanakatha, which Thomas

calls an example of hagiographical industry (xxi), after the Buddha was born thereappeared signs. Among these, in a summary by Thomas, .the blind receive their sight,

the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the cripples become straight-limbed, the lame walk, andthe fire in all the hells is extinguished (32). This is reminiscent of the much older text in

Isaiah 35: 5-6, prophesying about Jesus: Then will the eyes of the blind be opened andthe ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue

shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

Other ParallelsWhile surfing the web, I came across two lists of parallels between Jesus and Buddha in a

discussion forum, posted by the same individual. The first list has 27 parallels, and thesecond list has 13 parallels. These can be found at

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Courtyard/1652/BuddhaChrist.html.On an Islamic sponsored website (www.themodernreligion.com/comparative/

http://www.themodernreligion.com/comparative/christ/ bible_buddhism.htm) the first listmentioned above was given in a streamlined fashion, with 22 parallels. In these parallels,

scripture references from the Bible are given for Jesus, but for Buddha, with theexceptionof one Buddhist scripture reference, these were referenced by

giving the name of a scholar. This has made it difficult to track down the scripturelocations for these items about Buddha, especially since the Pali canon alone (not taking

into account all of the scriptures of other schools) is approximately 15 times the size ofthe Bible (http://www.akshin.net/literature/budlitsourcespali.htm). Fortunately though, I

did find a good book which did this work for me. This is the third book which Imentioned: The Life of Buddha as Legend and History by Edward J. Thomas. In this

book there are 16 parallels which Edwards considers noteworthy (these arebased on vanden Bergh's work).

Incidentally, the one Buddhist scripture mentioned in the list of 40 parallels, comes from

the 11th century AD! That reference was from the Kathasaritsagara: Although its dateshave not been conclusively established, the Kathasaritsagara is said to have been


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compiled by aKashmiri Saivite Brahmin called Somadeva in AD 1070. Legend has it that Somadeva

composed the Kathasaritsagara for queen Suryavati, wife of King Anantadeva who ruledKashmir in the eleventh century. (amazon.com)

Of the 40 parallels mentioned above, many can be dismissed just by making the samecomparisons with people in general or religious leaders in particular. Items such as *theyboth fasted for a long time, *they were about the same age when they began public

ministry (Jesus 30 Buddha 35- though Buddha's age is debatable here), *the multitudesrequired a sign from

both, *both taught compassion, and *both were of royal descent (in the case of Buddhathis is debatable), could be said of many people, especially a religious leader. Thomas

(1927) summarizes the work of several scholars in this area of study:Seydel's fifty instances are reduced by van den Bergh to nine. In proportion to the

investigator's direct knowledge of the Buddhist sources the number seems to decrease. E.W. Hopkins discusses five 'cogent parallels', but does not consider any of them very

probable. Garbe assumes direct borrowing in four cases, Simeon, the Temptation, Peterwalking on the sea, and the Miracle of the loaves and fishes. Charpentier considers

Simeon the only unobjectionable example. Other scholars reject all connexion. Inany case the chief events of the life- birth, renunciation, enlightenment, and the death, the

very items which might give strength to the comparison- disappear from the question.(247-248)

Rather than going through all of these, I'll just address some of the key ones. In the case

of Simeon seeing Jesus at the temple, and Asita going to see the infant Gautama,regarding the Buddhist scripture (Nalaka-sutta of the Sutta-nipata), Thomas says, It is

clearly late, as is shown by the reference to the thirty-two marks and as it is in generalagreement with the Sanskrit accounts, there is nothing to prove that it is as early as the

pre-Christian era (39). The thirty-two marks refer to physical characteristics used toidentify a potential Buddha. This is thought to be a later Mahayana development (K.R.

Norman, 1983, Pali Literature: including the canonical literature in Prakrit and Sanskritof all the Hinayana schools of Buddhism, 42). James Kennedy (1917), in his article The

Gospels of the Infancy, the Lalita Vistara and the Vishnu Purana, addresses the walkingon water parallel:

The story occurs in the introduction to Jataka No. 190.in this case all we know is that thestory of the monk, and the Jataka which follows it, were considered old enough to be

included among 546 others, when the Jataka book was compiled in the fifth or sixthcentury A.D. (528)

Regarding the multiplying of food parallel, Kennedy writes, Like the story of the monkwe have just discussed, it occurs in the introduction to a Jataka [No. 78], and is subject to

the same comment (529).

Another parallel claim made regards the prodigal son stories of Buddha and Jesus. For anexcellent description of the content differences in these stories, please see the following

website: http://www.comparativereligion.com/prodigal.html. This story in Buddhist scriptures is found in the Saddharmapundarika


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sutra. According to the following Buddhist website, the composition date of this volumeis later than the composition of Luke (the gospel in which Jesus tells the story of the

prodigal son). Luke was Luke's first volume, the second being the book of Acts (both ofwhich are dated before 63 AD). Here's the dating assigned to the Saddharmapundarika

(also known as the Lotus Sutra): Contains elements of various eras. The final edition is

believed to have taken place around 200 CE, but a lot of later interpolations are foundwithin it. The Buddha here is not a historical figure, but the manifestation of an eternal,abstract 'Buddhahood'. Further, it contains the doctrines of 'Expedient Means' (upaya) and

of the 'One Vehicle' (ekayana).(http://www.akshin.net/literature/budlitsourcessanskrit.htm)

Shin Buddhism (a form of Pure Land Buddhism developed in Japan)This form of

Buddhism has been thought of by many to be very similar to Christianity, because theend goal is a pure land, and achieving that goal is not based on self-effort, but through

the merits of Amida Buddha. There are, however some serious differences betweenChristianity and Shin Buddhism. When seeking out a doctor, people want to be sure that

the doctor's training has taken place at a reputable school, that the doctor is basing thediagnosis on medical facts rather than just speculation, etc. When it comes to the soul,

how much more important is it to establish the reliability of the source and the content ofclaims? Looking at Shin Buddhism in this way, there are some serious insufficiencies:

Dharmakara's credibility: Dharmakara is said to have been a king who gave up his throneto become a monk and later became Amida Buddha. It is claimed he lived approximately

65 billion years ago- using the time unit of a kalpa, which can also be interpreted as beinginconceivably long

(http://www.akshin.net/pureland/pl-purelandbuddhism-partone. htm). If thisis the case, why did he wait until the 2nd century AD (some say the 2nd century B.C.) to

reveal this plan of his pure land? It seems rather suspect that this concept was notdeveloped until after Siddhartha Gautama made his claims.

Dharmakara's limitations: Even if we are to believe this person existed, he was still just aman, who was preceded by another Buddha, and who spent approximately 22 billion

years (apparently not as a man at this point), studying other Buddha lands, in order todevelop his famed Pure Land.

Already it's apparent that he's not on the same level as God Almighty as revealed in theBible.

No atonement: Shin Buddhists place their faith in Amida Buddha to secure salvation forthem. Unfortunately, this is like trusting a homeless man to pay our million dollar bail to

get out of jail. He barely has the means to sustain himself, let alone get us out of the jailcaused by our sins.

Anyone with their own sins to deal with (which is everyone, including Dharmakara if weare to suppose he existed), can only take the punishment for their own sins. Even then

though, being imperfect, this bearing of sins can only fulfill justice. It can't pay forsalvation. Only Jesus, being God in the flesh, and sinless, could take the punishment for

others.Shinran's choice of patriarchs (focusing on the first patriarch): Shinran is the man who

developed Shin Buddhism into what it is today. He lived in Japan from 1173- 1262 AD.In an attempt to establish authority for his new interpretation of Pure Land, Shinran chose


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seven patriarchs: He acknowledged Sakyamuni Buddha as being the voice of AmidaBuddha, and then named the first patriarch- Nagarjuna, a man in India who lived from c.

150 AD- c. 250 AD (http://www.akshin.net/pureland/pl-purelandbuddhism-parttwo.htm). This wide gap from the time of Sakyamuni Buddha, to the time of the first

patriarch (500 years, if not more) shows just how far removed from the original it is.

Also, Nagarjuna is said to have had interactions with giant snakes, just as Sakyamuniencountered Mucalinda:Mahayana tradition explains the chronological discrepancy by contending that they were

indeed taught by the Buddha to advanced disciples, but that he ordered that they behidden in the underwater realm of nagas (beings with snakelike bodies and human heads)

until the time was right for theirpropagation. The legend further reports that the second-century philosopher Nagarjuna

(fl. ca. 150 C.E.) was the person preordained by Buddha to recover and explicate thePerfection of Wisdom texts. After one of his lectures, some nagas approached him and

told him of the texts hidden in their kingdom, and so Nagarjuna traveled there andreturned with the sutras to India.

(http://www.geocities.com/gileht/chandrakirti/middle_part3.htm)This is a man who was taught by giant snakes! How can we entrust ourselves to such

teachings? What parents would leave their baby in the care of a cobra? Half ofNagarjuna's name is of Hindu origin, and the other half comes from his interactions with

these nagas:When he preached the Dharma in the monastery park, the nagas performed acts

of reverence such as six of the serpents forming a parasol to shade him fromthe sun. Having thus become the Lord of the Nagas, the Acarya was named The Nga.

Because his skill at spreading the Mahayana Dharma resembled theshooting speed andmastery of the famed archer Arjuna, he became known as wll as The Arjuna (

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4886/ naga1.htm)

Shin Buddhism's scriptures: Shin Buddhism is based on the writings of the evenpatriarchs, as well as on the three primary texts: Scriptures of this tradition [Pure Land in

general] (which later became known as the Triple Sutras) appeared during the initialperiod of the Mahayana movement. Two of them are of Indian origin and date from about

the first century B.C. The third scripture, which dates from about the fourth century,exists only in a Chinese version.

(http://my.cybersoup.com/hongakujodo/history.html)Apart from being late in and of themselves, Shinran, and other patriarchs made changes

to the doctrines. Also, Amida Buddha is not even mentioned in the earlier Pali canon. ThePali canon itself is not exactly a history textbook, but it is closer to the time of the

Sakyamuni Buddha. Pure Land's change in status: One example of a changed doctrine isthat originally the Pure Land was thought to be an intermediary place, ideally suited for

obtaining nirvana. Later it was believed that the Pure Land is the end goal itself.In summary, trusting in Shin Buddhism is like playing soul roulette with every barrel

loaded. The founder (Dharmakara) is probably entirely mythical. Even if we suppose heexisted, he is so human that he could not have even saved himself. And, the record of

Shin Buddhism's teachings speaks of relying on snakes and late, revised ideas.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4886/%20naga1.http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4886/%20naga1.


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The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ as compared to Sakyamuni Buddha There are over 300prophesies about Jesus in the Old Testament (the most recent ones are 400 years B.C.

most are older than that). In Thomas' book which gave a very detailed account, includingperspectives from various schools, I found one prophecy at the time of his birth, when it

was said he would become a great king if he stayed in the palace, but would become a

Buddha if he left. Also, the Buddhavamsa text contains prophecies by the previous 24Buddhas. Although the Buddhavamsa is part of the Pali canon, Thomas refers to it asanother example of hagiographical industry (xxi), and being in the Pali, it would have

been composed after the death of Sakyamuni. Jesus had a forerunner to announce Hisarrival (John the Baptist- who was also prophesied in Isaiah 40:3)

Jesus' mother outlived Him (on earth, that is) [Buddha's mother died seven days afterhe was born (Thomas, 33)] Jesus, being God in the flesh, created His mother and all

people Jesus was born into a poor family (as opposed to Buddha's royal upbringing-although it is in dispute as to whether Buddha was really of royalty) Jesus didn't need

teachers (whereas in the stories of the Buddha, he had several teachers, and words such assearching and striving are used) Jesus could borrow a tomb (He used it for less

than three days) Jesus' public ministry lasted for 3 years. Buddha's lasted for 45 years.Jesus died at age 33 (by crucifixion). Buddha died at age 80 (by unintentional food

poisoning). This difference also has a bearing on recording the events of their lives. Iftwo people died today at these ages (33 and 80), in order to find eyewitnesses of these

accounts for the person who was 33, we'd have to find people who were living around1969 to the present. For the person who was 80, we'd have to find people who were alive

(and at least 10 years old, such that they would have a clear memory of the events)around 1922. It becomes clear that there would have been far more eyewitnesses (both

sympathetic and hostile- which meant the writers had to be accurate in their retelling ofthe events) for Jesus.

Jesus is not one in a series of greats- rather He is completely unique- God in the flesh.Buddha, depending on which text is used was preceded by 6, 24, 54, or more than a

hundred previous Buddhas (Thomas, 27). Jesus, though tempted, such that He could beunderstanding and compassionate, was completely sinless. Sakyamuni Buddha had many

sins, as is evidenced by the many lives that are claimed for him (547 previous lives asrecorded in the Jataka tales), in which he had to work off his bad karma.

SyncretismBuddhism has a history of adopting practices and ideas of its surrounding cultures. IfBuddhism were a business, this would be an admirable quality. Since it is a truth claim

however, this quality undermines its authority. Choosing a religion is not the same thingas choosing a flavor of ice cream. One is based on preference and the other is based on

truth. Customizing truth to suit people is another form of rebellion against God, who callspeople, not truth to change.

Payutto explains the origination and spread of making Buddha images:Around this time,

through the Greek influence, there appeared for the first time the making of images of theBuddha. Within a century, this practice became common in northwestern India as a

development of the Gandhara school of art and then spread and was accepted in allBuddhist lands. (46- 47) Thomas concurs on these points, and provides a date: It is in


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sculptures of the Gandhara school in the first century B.C. that the earliest figures ofBuddha are found. A type of the figure of Buddha modeled on that of Apollo was created,

from which the Indian and all others are derived. (221)

Buddhism is incompatible with the attachment displayed in paying homage to ancestors.

In an online article (http://www.aloha.net/~albloom/shin study/unit06.htm), the reason forthis addition (in some countries and sects of Buddhism) is given:While Buddhism was not initially a religion of funerals and ancestor reverence, it

developed this emphasis in China as a means to disprove the Confucian criticisms thatBuddhism was unfilial in advocating monastic and celibate life which involved the

leaving of home and withdrawing from society.

The Pali CanonThe Pali Canon is held to be the closest to the original teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha.

Of course there are many other Buddhist scriptures besides the Pali Canon (such asSanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese scriptures). Earlier I mentioned that the Pali Canon is

approximately 15 times the size of the Bible. The Chinese Canon is approximately 120times the size of the

Bible! (http://www.akshin.net/literature/budlitsourceschina.htm) Thomas in his biographyof the Buddha, writes, The earliest period at which we have evidence for the existence

of a body of Scriptures approximating to the present Canon is at the third Council heldB.C. 247. (xix). The reason he says approximating is because within the Pali canon

some parts are considered to be much later than 247 B.C. Thomas goes on to say, Wehave nothing, even in the Pali, at all like 'the real facts of the Gospel history' to put in the

place of the Sanskrit legend. We have merely other forms of the same legend, someearlier and some later (xxiv).

Amazing GraceStephen H. Short was a Zen Buddhist for 13 years before turning to Christ. In an onlinearticle (http://www.summit.org/resources/ZenandtheArt.htm) he retraces how he became

involved in Zen and how he decided to leave. Hereare some excerpts:

I considered whether there might be truth beyond Zen that I would never find becausethrough Zen I had lost all desire to look for it. Watching my desires and attachments

appear and trying not to hold on to them, I also watched my attention becoming more andmore focused on myself. Though we students bowed, chanted, meditated, ate, and slept

together, we might just as well have been alone on a mountain top..The irony ofbecoming wrapped up in the self in order to lose the self was not lost on me. We were

told that bringing our attachments to awareness was a prerequisite to letting them go.Might not increased awareness subtly lead to increased attachment? Were we trading

bondage to desire for bondage to self-absorption?

Jim Stephens was a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist for 14 years. In his online account() he gives the reasons for his departure from

Buddhism and how he turned to Jesus Christ. Here are three excerpts:The accident report read, Cause: Act of God. I was in a train station in Japan, making a


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pilgrimage to the head Buddhist temple Daisekiji at the foot of Mount Fuji, when a youngman - in perfect English - warned: Beware the winds of Himeiji! Three and one-half

hours later, I was leaning over to put some postcards into my travel bag and heardsomeone yell a warning in Japanese. The next thing I knew, a sign weighing nearly 200

pounds came crashing down on my back.I was painfully lost in a spiritual wasteland and

was weighed down with sin. I realized that while Buddhism had benefited me in manyways, it ultimately led to a spiritual dead end. As a great wiseman, King Solomon, oncesaid: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Prov.

16:25).That night, my wife- a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist for 16 years- also believed.What grace!

Lit-Sen Chang (1904- 1996) was a university professor at age 21, and his thoughts were

influential among Chinese government leaders. In his Christian testimony he writes,Though after my conversion I also wrote five million words as before my conversion,

the fruits were different (294). He goes on to say how feedback from his readers showslives changed for the better. Some of his later books are A Christian Critique of

Humanism, The Spiritual Decline of the West, Transcendental Meditation,Comprehensive Christian Apologetics (four volumes), and Zen- Existentialism. In

his book Asia's Religions: Christianity's momentous encounter with paganism, he tellsof how he became a Christian at age 50, after deep involvement with various Asian

religions. Here's an excerpt:I was intoxicated with Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoismas were many other Chinese scholars, and became the founding President of Kiang Nan

University.The Yung De-sheng family donated five thousand acres of land, beside the most beautiful

lake T'ai Hu. This was to be the center of a resurgence movement of Asian religions andculture. My purpose was to revive Asian religions and destroy Christianity. I was forty-

five years old. (290) Through a surprise change of plans he went to Indonesia instead ofIndia, and was invited to the opening ceremony for a new church. This became the

beginning of his life in Christ.

Kaneki Masuda, of Omuta, Japan, became a Christian four and a half years ago. Here'spart of his story:I had been a Buddhist for 40 years. I did all of the many and varied

ascetic practices of that religion, such as: standing under cold water falls, Zen practices,sitting in Zen meditation in the snow and ice, all-night meditations, fastings, etc.

Furthermore, of the many sects of Buddhism, I chose to believe in the Fudo- the god offire. In my own way, I endeavored to serve that sect. And, now, I suddenly realize I am

71 years of age.According to A Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Concepts, Fudo is a Buddhist deity

who serves practitioners by defeating the obstacles and devils which hinder Buddhistpractice.He is popularly depicted as an angry figure surrounded by flames, holding a rope

and a sword. Fudo is among the deities called myoo. The Kodansha Encyclopediaexplains further:Myoo were originally non-Buddhist Hindu deities who were adopted into

the pantheon of ESOTERIC BUDDHISM.The deities have been especially popular inJapan, chiefly since the introduction of esoteric Buddhist traditions in the 9th century.

The most popular of the myoo is Fudo the temple Shinshoji (Naritasan) in ChibaPrefecture is the center of the Fudo cult.


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When Mr. Masuda went to the hospital for an operation, he took with him abook his daughter had given him. He explains:I was totally ignorant of Christ, but as I

continued to read, I felt the depth of love and Christ's sacrifice of Himself and his familyto help others. I was half believing and half doubting, wondering if these things could

possibly be true. Anyway, I couldn't put the book down and read all night long. It was

time for breakfast the next morning when I finished the book. The story goes on, and hewas transformed by the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.

ConclusionJesus said, He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me,

scatters (Luke 11:23). Buddha is a false teacher. The teachings of Buddha and Jesuscannot be mixed without causing a poisoning effect. To say that there are some good

morals in Buddhism is not enough, when the spiritual effect is to poison the soul againstGod. If a glass of water is 99 % pure water, and only 1% poison, it's still fatal. Buddha is

often thought of as a man who was a spiritual pioneer searching for answers. The pictureis not quite as innocent as that though. He was also a man adrift on the fascination of his

own status. In the Acchariyabbhutadhamma-sutta (of the Pali canon), Buddha and otherbodhissattas are quoted as saying at their birth, I am the chief in the world, I am the best

in the world, I am the first in the world. Also, in the Pali canon (in the Majjhima) he isquoted as saying, Alone am I the All- enlightened. This puts him beyond being a mere

innocent seeker. And yet, in other places, Buddha takes more of an agnostic view ofthings: .the Buddha often declared that he was merely a 'guide' (Dh 276), not an

authority (D 2:100, 154), and that all propositions, including his own should be tested (A1:188 f) (New Light From An Old Lamp- 5 lectures by Tan Beng Sin, Piyasilo). He

gave people mere speculations which in truth lead people farther from God and reality.

Coming back to my opening remarks about the Buddha sitting on a giant cobra, this storyis from the Udana of the Pali canon. Concerning the breaking of his bones for

distribution, this story seems to be a legend developed later. Working out of theMahaparinibbana of the Pali, Thomas writes, But the Mallas of Kusinara in their

assembly refused to make a division, as the Lord had attained Nirvana in their domain.Then the brahmin Dona counseled concord, and proposed to divide the relics into eight

equal parts for each of the eight claimants (155). These relics are apparently his robe andbowl and such items, since the Buddha was said to have been cremated: It burned

without leaving behind any of the skin, flesh, sinews, or fluid of the joints, or any ash andsoot (155). There are however two lists which mention five teeth as relics.

By contrast, Jesus Christ is alive and well (http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter

/articles/josh2.html)

, and has the power to transform any repentant sinner. Our problem as humans is not thatwe have no SELF, as Buddhism asserts, but that our SELF is in rebellion against God.

But God made us, and He knows what's best for us. Our choice here boils down to thesure Word of God as revealed in the Bible, or the empty speculations of Buddhism. We

are in fact commanded to make the right choice, and we are also shown demonstrablelove in Jesus' crucifixion on our behalf, but we have the ten witnesses (the ten


12/12

commandments) testifying to our guilt if we refuse. I want to ask you the reader, pleasemake the right choice.

Any questions or comments? I can be contacted at [email protected] If you're

writing for the first time, please send four e-mails of the same message, so I can easily

spot it in my junk mail folder. After that I'll add you to my safe-list.

www.letusreason.org
mailto:[email protected]

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Taking a 2nd Look at Buddism