Is the pope secretly a buddhist?

[Joyo]

Imagine a Christian seeing a Buddhist expressing some wisdom and compassion, and saying maybe he's secretly a Christian?

I didn't enter into Buddhist practice because Buddhism is the best, better than the rest. It was because there was a recognition that the Buddhist stream is in these bones, and that somehow it was like coming home. Somehow the Buddha's way is patterned like this brain. Maybe if things were different I would have chosen practice in a Christian contemplative stream. I've met Christians no less wise than the wisest Buddhists.

If I think being a Buddhist means raising it above other traditions then what have I become?

Merry Christmas

Gassho
Daizan

I never thought of it that way, Daizen. You make some good points. Thanks for sharing.

And, Vincent, I agree that I don't think you came across in a sectarian sort of way. I know for me, because of my history, I can be pretty harsh when it comes to Christianity. Part of my practice is keeping my ego in check, so that is why I think Daizan brought up some good points.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Ongen]

While not believing in mushing things together in a new age fashion, Buddhism is Buddhism and Christianity is Christianity, I feel more and more the nameless heart from which they both spring.

Gassho

Daizan

Beautiful words

Gassho

Vincent

Sat today



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[Ishin]

hmmm I think I am going to have to go with a big NO on this one...

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1500093.htm

Full disclosure, I really like the the direction the new Pope is going, and my wife is catholic; we make it work. At the end of the day though, the Pope IS catholic.

And bears do poop in the woods too.

Gassho

Clark/Ishin

Sat Today!

[Ongen]

hi Ishin,

and so 'the monkey comes out of the sleeve' as we say in the Netherlands
Gassho

Ongen / Vincent

[Troy]

Is the pope secretly a buddhist?

Interestingly though, perhaps Buddha is (was?) a Catholic saint!

http://frimmin.com/2006/08/06/is-the-buddha-a-recognized-christian-saint/

Well, in a round about way at least

..sat2day•

[Myosha]

Hello,

Thank you for the link.


Gassho,
Myosha sat today

[Ishin]

Interestingly though, perhaps Buddha is (was?) a Catholic saint!

http://frimmin.com/2006/08/06/is-the-buddha-a-recognized-christian-saint/

Well, in a round about way at least

..sat2day•

That is very interesting Troy, thanks for sharing. I personally have found articles and theories that Jesus probably did study Buddhism at one point very interesting as well.

Gassho
Ishin

Sat Today! ( with all the saints)

[Geika]

Just glad to see some good work being done by anyone, really.

Gassho

Sat today

[Kyotai]

Just glad to see some good work being done by anyone, really.

Gassho

Sat today

well said..

Gassho, Kyotai/Shawn
Sat today

[Troy]

Is the pope secretly a buddhist?

That is very interesting Troy, thanks for sharing. I personally have found articles and theories that Jesus probably did study Buddhism at one point very interesting as well.

Gassho
Ishin

Sat Today! ( with all the saints)

It is possible. I have researched this before. Here it goes to the best of my memory

There were well established trade routes between India and Rome during Jesus's time.

Greece and India shared embassies since the time of Alexander the Great.

If I remember right, it was Ptolemy III, who was king of Egypt prior to Jesus's life time, wrote about Buddhism and there is some speculation Buddhist festivals were celebrated there. In the Gospels, it says Jesus spent some of his childhood in Egypt.

Rome also shared embassies with India during 1st century Rome. In fact, a Buddhist monk immolated himself in Athens in Jesus's time and a memorial to him can still be seen there today.

Jesus also grew up near a cosmopolitan city along the trade routes. Jesus is said to have read the Torah in the synagogue indicating he was literate. Literacy was rare among the common folk which indicates he was well educated.

However...

There was a story that he visited India to study during his "lost years". That story was later debunked.

Jesus was clearly a devout Jew. His primary source of spiritual study was Judaism. It is likely he was also influenced, as the rest of the empire was, by Greek philosophy.

There is no direct evidence of Jesus studying Buddhism. While there are similar teachings, Christianity at it's core is not Buddhism.




..sat2day•

[Risho]

Troy -- agreed. In reading Zealot, it's actually quite the opposite; scholars have very good reason to think that Jesus was likely illiterate. Also, it was quite common during that time period for a lot of people to claim they were the savior. It is a very, very interesting read.

I don't want to be divisive, but I"m not going to avoid truth because I'm afraid of illustrating differences that do exist. I get very wary when people start combining religions and saying they are all the same. That is simply not the case; at a high level a turd and a filet mignon look the same, but it's not very useful or accurate to call them the same; and I'm sure you'd have quite an enlightening experience if you ate a turd thinking it was the latter. lol I'm not calling anything a turd here, by the way; the word just came to me. lol

I think there can be a tendency to gloss over differences or to reach for sameness where that sameness is just being used to push an agenda. Sure there is sameness in some sense, but unless Buddha took Jesus Christ as his savior and believed in a soul, and got baptized etc, etc, etc let's get real.

I'm sure I'm taking this way too far, but I just don't like this mixing. It's a disservice to all religions being compared in this manner.

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

Edit-- my beliefs have really changed significantly since practicing Zen. I'm just trying to state my case; I don't mean to offend anyone who does believe in a soul, etc. That is not my intent.

[Ishin]

I would just simply argue that both religions, regardless of what REALLY happened, may in fact be both far removed from what their founders taught. I think it is interesting to talk about the influences of the past, but it is only interesting, it doesn't serve to help our actual practice whether that be Christian or Buddhist or anything else. I do find the possibilities of different regions overlapping very compelling though. For example the beliefs of the Gnostic Christians sound alot like Buddhism, but that doesn't make them the same either.

In the end I think Buddha's advice on trying what works rings true

Gassho
Ishin

Sat Today

[Shugen]

Is the pope secretly a buddhist?

And now for something completely different.....

I am rereading a book by Christopher Moore called "Lamb" that touches on some of these issues. It is completely irreverent and I found it very funny.

Gassho,

Shugen

#sattoday

Shugen

[Troy]

Is the pope secretly a buddhist?

I would just simply argue that both religions, regardless of what REALLY happened, may in fact be both far removed from what their founders taught. I think it is interesting to talk about the influences of the past, but it is only interesting, it doesn't serve to help our actual practice whether that be Christian or Buddhist or anything else. I do find the possibilities of different regions overlapping very compelling though. For example the beliefs of the Gnostic Christians sound alot like Buddhism, but that doesn't make them the same either.

In the end I think Buddha's advice on trying what works rings true

Gassho
Ishin

Sat Today

Yes, agreed!


..sat2day•

[Troy]

Troy -- agreed. In reading Zealot, it's actually quite the opposite; scholars have very good reason to think that Jesus was likely illiterate. Also, it was quite common during that time period for a lot of people to claim they were the savior. It is a very, very interesting read.

I don't want to be divisive, but I"m not going to avoid truth because I'm afraid of illustrating differences that do exist. I get very wary when people start combining religions and saying they are all the same. That is simply not the case; at a high level a turd and a filet mignon look the same, but it's not very useful or accurate to call them the same; and I'm sure you'd have quite an enlightening experience if you ate a turd thinking it was the latter. lol I'm not calling anything a turd here, by the way; the word just came to me. lol

I think there can be a tendency to gloss over differences or to reach for sameness where that sameness is just being used to push an agenda. Sure there is sameness in some sense, but unless Buddha took Jesus Christ as his savior and believed in a soul, and got baptized etc, etc, etc let's get real.

I'm sure I'm taking this way too far, but I just don't like this mixing. It's a disservice to all religions being compared in this manner.

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

Edit-- my beliefs have really changed significantly since practicing Zen. I'm just trying to state my case; I don't mean to offend anyone who does believe in a soul, etc. That is not my intent.

The Zealot is in my list. I got about three books ahead of it, but definitely on the list. Yes, it is possible Jesus was illiterate too. You know what they say. You get 23 scholars in a room and ask them who Jesus was and you will get 23 different answers, lol!


..sat2day•