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It's not good to judge about other people's motives, whom you don't even know, and many of them even had no opportunity to hear about Jesus... Would a Buddhist reading comments like these be instantly attracted to know Jesus? We need to bring light to people, not cast judgment...
Are you aware that Buddha developed a lot over the course of his spiritual journey? Escaping suffering might have been the first idea when he departed from his palace. But over the course of his life, he became dedicated to help others be free and that became his final purpose in life. That reminds me a lot of what we do as Christians. So I'm thinking that the Spirit talked to this man over the years. Reincarnation doctrines came later, people trying to make sense of ancient writings (this was a case of Hindu influence) and there are various interpretations, but such happens in religions, look how many people believe in purgatory but does the Bible actually teach it? No. I actually looked at it because I was curious and the whole reincarnation thing was based upon reading into the text - I realized Buddha actually taught about our old man wanting to reappear and live vicariously through us, vs our new enlightened man! My jaw dropped when I read that... That's the Bible! Also, Buddhist sages teach a dark and exitless hell for licentious living, which many Christians don't even know because they are only familiar with atheist adaptation of "flavor" of Buddhism which actually is not Buddhism. But also there's a lot of religious baggage in Buddhism people make a religion out of everything and won't just take the substance, they like the external appearances and ritualizing. Buddhism is as religious as Christianity is. Most Christians also start out just trying to avoid hell and then grow into freeing others as they have been freed. But my main point here is, does a child ask for a fish and God give a snake? I believe that God was talking to Buddha, as he was a prince, but left all he had to find spiritual enlightenment, not to chase vices. The Spirit responds to people who are ready to leave it all behind and actually He settles for nothing less. Buddha sadly did not get an opportunity to speak with God in flesh or become His disciple, if he had, I'm sure he would have followed Jesus, but I do believe Jesus talked to him in spirit... so many Buddhist monks converting nowadays and following Jesus. Christ is naturally richer and superior Way. No need to meditate for 20 years to perceive the fullness and bliss of Divine Reality, or God. As we call the great I AM, this big impartial suprapersonal (above personal and impersonal) being that cannot be named, which is why the Jews refused to pronounce the name because He won't be named. You can only name someone whose appearance you were around to witness. But no matter what monikers people use for God, you don't have to be slaving off in a religion, you can have the fullness right now, with Jesus. It saddens me that many Christians seem to think God despised and ignored that man and others like him. Based on the Bible, I really don't believe God did that. We need to be mindful of what we say and become a better witness to the East. Paul approached and started with what people already knew, and then expanded their knowledge and understanding.
Are you aware that Buddha developed a lot over the course of his spiritual journey? Escaping suffering might have been the first idea when he departed from his palace. But over the course of his life, he became dedicated to help others be free and that became his final purpose in life. That reminds me a lot of what we do as Christians. So I'm thinking that the Spirit talked to this man over the years. Reincarnation doctrines came later, people trying to make sense of ancient writings (this was a case of Hindu influence) and there are various interpretations, but such happens in religions, look how many people believe in purgatory but does the Bible actually teach it? No. I actually looked at it because I was curious and the whole reincarnation thing was based upon reading into the text - I realized Buddha actually taught about our old man wanting to reappear and live vicariously through us, vs our new enlightened man! My jaw dropped when I read that... That's the Bible! Also, Buddhist sages teach a dark and exitless hell for licentious living, which many Christians don't even know because they are only familiar with atheist adaptation of "flavor" of Buddhism which actually is not Buddhism. But also there's a lot of religious baggage in Buddhism people make a religion out of everything and won't just take the substance, they like the external appearances and ritualizing. Buddhism is as religious as Christianity is. Most Christians also start out just trying to avoid hell and then grow into freeing others as they have been freed. But my main point here is, does a child ask for a fish and God give a snake? I believe that God was talking to Buddha, as he was a prince, but left all he had to find spiritual enlightenment, not to chase vices. The Spirit responds to people who are ready to leave it all behind and actually He settles for nothing less. Buddha sadly did not get an opportunity to speak with God in flesh or become His disciple, if he had, I'm sure he would have followed Jesus, but I do believe Jesus talked to him in spirit... so many Buddhist monks converting nowadays and following Jesus. Christ is naturally richer and superior Way. No need to meditate for 20 years to perceive the fullness and bliss of Divine Reality, or God. As we call the great I AM, this big impartial suprapersonal (above personal and impersonal) being that cannot be named, which is why the Jews refused to pronounce the name because He won't be named. You can only name someone whose appearance you were around to witness. But no matter what monikers people use for God, you don't have to be slaving off in a religion, you can have the fullness right now, with Jesus. It saddens me that many Christians seem to think God despised and ignored that man and others like him. Based on the Bible, I really don't believe God did that. We need to be mindful of what we say and become a better witness to the East. Paul approached and started with what people already knew, and then expanded their knowledge and understanding.
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As someone who was into Eastern philosophy for nearly twenty years before i was saved i can tell you its not remotely a neutral area to dabble in . I practiced meditation, fasting, visualisation, and many other such practices . I was led into deeper and deeper ' spiritual ' deception ,to the point I was consumed by it . I had ' experiences ' that convinced me I'd found the truth. My point is ,everything I learned about the ' new age ' , metaphysics , reincarnation, oneness , is anti Christian . When I met a Christian who shared the Gospel with me I was so indoctrinated against Jesus i did not like to even hear his name mentioned . I had answers for every verse she would throw at me . The problem was that my Eastern mysticism had taught me how to ' spiritualise each verse away . It took 7 months to finally break through to me . No this is not a innocent past time. I believe Siddhartha Gautama was decieved by a false spirit, just as I was . for 20 years .
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I'd have to date a Buddhist before marrying them. I'd likely date one just to learn what Buddhists believe from the Om's mouth. But marriage? Doubtful.
Buddhists are told everything is an illusion. And all life is suffering. But if everything is an illusion then so to is the belief that all life is suffering.
How they came about this wisdom? The Buddha was an Indian prince. His very rich family lived well while the majority of Gautama's fathers subjects did not. One day Gautama arrived at the question, due to personal experience in the family, why is there suffering and death?
He went on a pilgrimage to find the answer. He sat in lotus position beneath the Bodhi (fig) tree, the spot is now a shrine known as Animisalocana cetiya, for seven weeks, 49 days, and meditated to find the answer.
At the conclusion of this meditation he had it. All life is an illusion of pain and suffering.
And this enlightenment led to what became the four noble truths or the foundation of what is today known as Buddhism.
Those four noble truths:
The current DL wears silk robes sewn with thread made of real gold. He lives in a palace in Dharamsala in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. He was exiled to India after the Chinese invaded his homeland of Tibet and the Dalai Lama and a number of monks lost in armed combat fighting the invading army.
Every so often dedicated Buddhists make a pilgrimage to that palace. The majority are poor but they bring gifts to this rich silk robed man who has a full home gym in his residence but stops exercising the moment he breaks a sweat. (revealed in an interview he gave some years ago).
These pilgrims walk to this palace taking one step, dropping to their knees and falling prostrate on the ground, before getting up and doing this again. All the way to the palace from their point of origin in the journey.
Buddhist temple to be adorned with 600lb of gold
Buddhists are told everything is an illusion. And all life is suffering. But if everything is an illusion then so to is the belief that all life is suffering.
How they came about this wisdom? The Buddha was an Indian prince. His very rich family lived well while the majority of Gautama's fathers subjects did not. One day Gautama arrived at the question, due to personal experience in the family, why is there suffering and death?
He went on a pilgrimage to find the answer. He sat in lotus position beneath the Bodhi (fig) tree, the spot is now a shrine known as Animisalocana cetiya, for seven weeks, 49 days, and meditated to find the answer.
At the conclusion of this meditation he had it. All life is an illusion of pain and suffering.
And this enlightenment led to what became the four noble truths or the foundation of what is today known as Buddhism.
Those four noble truths:
- Suffering, pain, and misery exist in life
- Suffering arises from attachment to desires
- Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
- Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path
The current DL wears silk robes sewn with thread made of real gold. He lives in a palace in Dharamsala in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. He was exiled to India after the Chinese invaded his homeland of Tibet and the Dalai Lama and a number of monks lost in armed combat fighting the invading army.
Every so often dedicated Buddhists make a pilgrimage to that palace. The majority are poor but they bring gifts to this rich silk robed man who has a full home gym in his residence but stops exercising the moment he breaks a sweat. (revealed in an interview he gave some years ago).
These pilgrims walk to this palace taking one step, dropping to their knees and falling prostrate on the ground, before getting up and doing this again. All the way to the palace from their point of origin in the journey.
- Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
Buddhist temple to be adorned with 600lb of gold
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I understand you had a horrible experience with a confused mix of Eastern and other practices. "New age" and various "philosophies" is something entirely different than what I was writing about. There is Buddha's life, then the religion of Buddhism that people made, then many denominations of it, and then there is that which is coming to the West, and what are most people on the West actually practicing, which like you say, is not Buddhism, it is a new age amalgamation mixed the with occult. While I understand where you're coming from, it's personally not possible for me to believe that God would award a diligent knocking with deception instead of opening. I'd really have to deny constancy, impartiality and kindness of God's character to believe that.
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You better check Buddhism too. It seems they somehow heard of this matter as well!
"Someone who ignores the truth of cause-and-effect, while causing all kinds of bad karma and says that, ‘everything is originally empty', and ‘there is nothing wrong even though I do some bad things'; without fail he will enter the exitless Hell and the lightless Hell eternally without hope of getting out; because of this, a wise one would not raise this kind of thought."
---Bodhidharma
"Someone who ignores the truth of cause-and-effect, while causing all kinds of bad karma and says that, ‘everything is originally empty', and ‘there is nothing wrong even though I do some bad things'; without fail he will enter the exitless Hell and the lightless Hell eternally without hope of getting out; because of this, a wise one would not raise this kind of thought."
---Bodhidharma
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Careful... You're poking a hornet's nest there. Evangelicals straight up hate anything contemplative or meditative, even if Christian. Only reading WORDS in the Bible or discussing theological WORDS or making a VERBAL prayer (in WORDS) is an acceptable spiritual activity and offering. We cannot possibly offer quietude to God... (Then to balance all that talking, they decided women must be quiet.) I wonder what did the previous 1700+ years of Christian contemplative experience do without the Western evangelical counsel...
Psalm 46: "BE STILL and know that I am God"
Psalm 46: "BE STILL and know that I am God"
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Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
This communion with the Lord is very personal and very real. This is the the relationship that the lord longs to have with each and every one of us. It is wonderful, yet it is only a foretaste of the final state of those who put their complete and total trust in Jesus. We need to endure some painful things now, but all things work together for good for those who put their total trust and faith in Jesus.
This communion with the Lord is very personal and very real. This is the the relationship that the lord longs to have with each and every one of us. It is wonderful, yet it is only a foretaste of the final state of those who put their complete and total trust in Jesus. We need to endure some painful things now, but all things work together for good for those who put their total trust and faith in Jesus.
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I've probably responded to this thread.
But back when I taught English in Korea, some students asked me to go out with them somewhere. Then, the two men left and one said, 'You, date her.' The girl was drop dead gorgeous, one of the prettiest students I've ever had. But she was a Buddhist, and one of my students, so I didn't pursue a relationship with her.
I'm married now, but when I was single, I resolved I would marry only a Christian. There is a lot more to being married than a woman being attracted to her. Just think how difficult it would be to raise children in the fear of the Lord if your wife is teaching them the evil practice of bowing down to idols? i don't find their meditation to be awesome either.
But back when I taught English in Korea, some students asked me to go out with them somewhere. Then, the two men left and one said, 'You, date her.' The girl was drop dead gorgeous, one of the prettiest students I've ever had. But she was a Buddhist, and one of my students, so I didn't pursue a relationship with her.
I'm married now, but when I was single, I resolved I would marry only a Christian. There is a lot more to being married than a woman being attracted to her. Just think how difficult it would be to raise children in the fear of the Lord if your wife is teaching them the evil practice of bowing down to idols? i don't find their meditation to be awesome either.