What do Buddhists believe?

 

Little is known about Buddha’s early life. No biography was written during his lifetime. Only isolated events from his life before he attained enlightenment were preserved. Traditional belief is that he was born a prince in Lumbin–, Nepal in the Terai lowlands near the foothills of the Himalayas. However, considerable archeological evidence now shows that he may have been born in Kalinga — now Orissa in India.

 

He was a member of the –ãkyas clan. His father, Suddhodana, was king of the clan. His mother was named Maya. There is no consensus on the date of his birth. Modern Buddhists of the Theravada tradition suggest he was born in 623 or 624 BC. Until recently, many religious historians have preferred birth dates ranging from 567 to 487 BC. Various modern scholars have suggested dates from 420 to 502 BC. In short, nobody really knows.

 

In common with many other great religious leaders, many miraculous stories were associated with his birth. He emerged from his mother’s side without causing her any pain. The earth shook as he was born (Note, the earth shook when Jesus died on the cross).

As a newborn, he was miraculously showered with water. He stood up, took seven steps, announced that he would be the “chief of the world.” He also stated that this would be his last reincarnation. Gautama Buddha left his home and family in search for enlightenment, which he is said to have found meditating under a Bo tree. Buddhists look to him as their source of enlightenment. 

 

Buddhism is not monotheistic.

 

Four Noble Truths:

1) Life consists of suffering which entails pain, misery, sorrow and the lack of fulfillment. In Christianity, it is this very truth that leads people to the cross.

2) Nothing is permanent or unchanging in the world and we suffer because we want what is not permanent.

3) The way to liberate oneself is by eliminating all desire or craving for what is temporal.

4) Desire can be eliminated by following the Eightfold Path: 

1) Right View

2) Right Resolve 

3) Right Speech

4) Right Conduct

5) Right Livelihood

6) Right Effort 

7) Right Mindfulness

8) Right Samadhi (meditative absorption or union)

 

Buddhists believe in reincarnation and Nirvana (the final state of nothingness) where there is no more desire or frustration.

Tao-sheng (A.D.360-434) combined Buddhism with Taoism, which holds to oneness with Nature. This form of Buddhism is called Zen (meditation) or Zen Buddhism. The world is viewed as illusory. History is illusory. The events of the past, present and future are “unborn”. They have no reality beyond being manifestations of the mind. Zen is the ocean, mountain, air, thunder, lightning, spring flowers, summer heat, winter snow, man, thoughts and the personal experience of life. God is man and man is God. All is God and God is all. Everything and everyone are really one. The mind is described as having been in existence since the beginningless past. Mind is not born and does not die.

 

Zen Buddhism didn’t catch on in the west until the 1950s. The dominant principle in Zen is Zazen or “sitting in meditation.” While Christian meditation is filling yourself with God’s word and the Holy Spirit, Zenists seek to stamp out the self and become one with the impersonal cosmic consciousness of the universe. Zen uses nonsensical riddles to dismantle the mind, like “what is the sound of one hand clapping?”

 

Cited Sources: http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism5.htm , Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics by Norman Geisler, The Complete Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff.

 

Trucking Through New Mexico (2008):  Christians, God has a way of putting people in your path. You are the instrument God will use to communicate the Gospel. The Elk Ridge Express tractor trailer broke down in Mexico. It was towed to a mechanic where I met another truck driver, Lee. We struck up conversation about the trucking industry and how owner operators are having a hard time staying afloat between fuel costs and repairs. He had a unique tattoo and so I asked him what it meant. This turned into a 2 hour conversation. Some encounters that I have with people are open doors, while others are closed doors. This day was into the great wide open to spiritual matters. Lee explained the tattoo meant good luck. He’s a Cambodian man who has also lived in South Vietnam and Thailand. He talked about his Buddhist beliefs with passion. I asked him many questions to see if what I believed about Buddhism lined up with his beliefs. Once I knew we were on the same page, I asked him what he knew about Jesus. He said the teachings of Jesus and Buddha were both good teachings and he respected Jesus. I shared more about what Jesus taught and compared it to Buddhism. Most people get offended when I get to the point of Jesus being the only way to the kingdom of God. Lee wasn’t offended. He was open for communication. So I explained the way of salvation through the sinner’s prayer. He believed that he did wrong things in life, but had trouble believing that he could be given a clean slate through the blood of Christ. Lee respectfully disagreed with me and said, “It can’t be true. I have to do good deeds in this life to be in a better position in my next life.” Sound familiar? Many Christians believe the same thing. However, in Buddhism, this is the process of reincarnation. He believed that he lived previous lives. For example, he may have been an animal. He didn’t say for sure because he didn’t know. But he did tell stories of 3 year old children who had knowledge about things that would be impossible unless they had lived previous lives. I found that interesting. I explained the Gospel to him and that through Jesus He could have assurance of salvation. We are not left to wonder how things will work out or how many lives we must live to finally reach enlightenment. Lee didn’t say that he was on his last reincarnation, so maybe he believed had more lives to live. Buddha claimed to be on his last reincarnation and that after death he would attain Nirvana, enlightenment or what we would call Heaven. Once enlightened, he would discover that existence is independent of time. He would step outside of birth and death. He would discover that time itself is a creation of the mind, and not reality at all. And so we can find our Buddha Nature too. It is the release from the confusion, emotional disturbances and pain of this world. These distortions are all incidental impurities and are not fundamentally who we are. Buddhism is attractive to the post modern world seeking spirituality without objective truth. Buddha didn’t claim to be God; Jesus on the other hand did and raised Himself from the dead. Jesus prophesied this. In the end, Buddha will bow down and confess with his lips that Jesus is Lord. Lee wasn’t ready to trust in Jesus. It is not our job to talk people into the kingdom. It is our job to share the Gospel. He couldn’t go from 53 years of Buddhism to trusting in the blood of Christ. Understandable. In Lee’s words, “It sounds too good to be true.” I answered, “Amazing Grace!” I asked Lee if I could pray with him. He answered yes and took off his hat. After praying with him, I said God will send people in your life and invite you again. Maybe someone will invite you to church or a bible study. I gave him a few theology cds to listen to while trucking. I know from my experience that is one of the best ways to absorb information; through the ear gate. Faith comes from hearing the Word. I warned him about the false teachings of two groups; Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. Lee said, ”people in his family have already gotten involved in Mormonism.” Yes, they are more aggressive than Evangelicals. They come right to your doorstep, 

- Michael Hoover