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Rock7
Guest
Hey I was wondering how the church could evangelize Buddhists. Whether they be zen, Theravada, pure land, or mayahana. What is an effective means to get them to accept the gospel?
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Simca
Guest
Well, I think this is really difficult.
I don’t think that Buddhists, as a whole, even believe in God.
The Scripture says that those who come to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
I think we have to start with intensive prayer that they will come to believe in God. That’s step one.
I don’t think that Buddhists, as a whole, even believe in God.
The Scripture says that those who come to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
I think we have to start with intensive prayer that they will come to believe in God. That’s step one.
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Michael_Mayo
Guest
I think Buddhists are not far from the kingdom if they seek peace, truth and compassion. Not far if they seek the fullness of life in each moment.
I did a little exercise the other day. Jesus does a great job in Matthew of laying out rules of life.
I think a Buddhist can agree with all this. Perhaps they can be closer to Christ than many Christians.
I did a little exercise the other day. Jesus does a great job in Matthew of laying out rules of life.
- Be poor in spirit.
- Be gentle.
- Hunger and thirst for uprightness.
- Be merciful.
- Be pure in heart.
- Be a peacemaker.
- Let your light shine in people’s sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven.
- Be reconciled with your brother/sister
- Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him.
- Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black.
- Offer no resistance to the wicked. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well;
- Give to anyone who asks you, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.
- Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you;
- Your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
- Pray, in your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
- Forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours;
- When you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face,
- Store up treasures for yourselves in heaven.
- Do not worry; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What are we to wear?”
- Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on God’s saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well.
- Do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself.
- Do not judge.
- Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs.
- Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Treat others as you would like them to treat you.
- Do the will of the Father in heaven.
- Be cunning as snakes and yet innocent as doves.
- Be prepared for people to hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues.
- Do not be afraid
- Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
- Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- Renounce yourself and take up your cross and follow me.
- If your faith is the size of a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.’
- Change and become like little children.
- The one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.
- ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’
- Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave
- Give to the hungry, food, the thirsty, drink, welcome the stranger, clothe the, naked, visit the sick, and prisoner.
- Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
- and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’
I think a Buddhist can agree with all this. Perhaps they can be closer to Christ than many Christians.
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Rock7
Guest
So you are saying they come to Christ on their own?
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Kosta
Guest
A friend of mine (who was only culturally Catholic, by the way, which makes it all the more strange, I suppose) recommended a book called Silence. The book is historical fiction, but my friend mentioned that the writer mentions that the Japanese as both Zen Buddhists and Shinto alike would very much be into Christ’s message of love and peace. If perhaps you could explain the historical significance of Christ to potential converts, you could go from there eventually explain to them that the idea that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of Living God. I know it’s pulling at threads here, but hey, if you were look the book over, even if it doesn’t help you find what you’re looking for exactly, you’d still get a great read.
Alternatively, you could look into online or physical sources about the missionary activities in Japan, China, and the rest of the Buddhist World and how they operate. The chaplain of my Orthodox Christian Fellowship chapter served the Japanese Orthodox Church—Japan is even where he met his wife, who’s one of the nicest Matushka’s that I have ever met. If this is something you’re passionate about, I can even send him an email asking him about how the Church has reached out to a Buddhist audience in the past and is currently reaching out to Buddhists in the present.
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Simca
Guest
I don’t think Buddhists can do the above mentioned things if they don’t first believe in God.
I understand the spirit behind what you’re saying, though.
I think we should have conversations with Buddhists, first about the existence of God.
Jesus said to go into all the world and preach the gospel. I don’t think we’re just to hope that good and humble people will somehow find Christ.
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Auntie_A
Guest
As I have always been told by Buddhists, Buddhism is a philosophy. And it doesn’t have a God. Yet our hearts were made for God. In some Buddhist groups, they make Buddha a god but that doesn’t jive with our heart’s yearning–Buddha was a man become God; Jesus was and is the only God become man, and the difference in those two statements is deep and profound. It is exemplified in Christ’s personal sacrifice at the crucifixion and the gift of the Holy Eucharist. Learn to live and teach the depths of Christ’s message for us all.
The most important things in evangelizing is prayer, humility, and good example. And to remember that God might have a larger picture than yours in the world’s redemption.
The most important things in evangelizing is prayer, humility, and good example. And to remember that God might have a larger picture than yours in the world’s redemption.
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Michael_Mayo
Guest
I think they can align their values with his and do as he says. It was God who inspired the Buddha to begin with.
Belief in God can be tricky. When it come to the higesdt truth or highest reality I think they prefer to remain silent, nothing can be accurately said. A very apophatic approach.
I think the main problem is their self salvation. They take full responsibility for their own salvation which, BTW, is a very different understanding of salvation than we have.
I do think they leave room for grace though, and assistance from the Budha and bodhisatvvas.
I think the question for us can ber, To what degree is Christ already present in thier way of life.
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PJM
Guest
A extremely difficult task
[1] They don’t believe in God so that’s the first hurdle to overcome
[2] Because God ALONE is in charge of the conversion-results; so be aware of this going in
[3] We may NEVER force someone to accept our beliefs: So THEY MUST BE SEEKING
Then PRAY MUCH!
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christofirst
Guest
You might look into the work of Paul Williams (not the diminutive musician, the professor). He wrote the book, *The Unexpected Way, On Converting From Buddhism to *Catholicism, and has an online presence of articles as well:
whyimcatholic.com/index.php/conversion-stories/buddhist-converts/item/65-buddhist-convert-paul-williams
Other authors I have read who chronicle Buddhist to Catholic journeys include Susan J Stabile, Robert E Kennedy, and David G Hackett, but they all write from a western perspective, and most had some Christian background before they explored Buddhism and arrived at Catholicism.
I think the best we can do with those we encounter who were born into Buddhism is to remember 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” Emphasis on the hope, gentleness, and reverence! Sow the seeds by our words and deeds, and see where God leads.
whyimcatholic.com/index.php/conversion-stories/buddhist-converts/item/65-buddhist-convert-paul-williams
Other authors I have read who chronicle Buddhist to Catholic journeys include Susan J Stabile, Robert E Kennedy, and David G Hackett, but they all write from a western perspective, and most had some Christian background before they explored Buddhism and arrived at Catholicism.
I think the best we can do with those we encounter who were born into Buddhism is to remember 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” Emphasis on the hope, gentleness, and reverence! Sow the seeds by our words and deeds, and see where God leads.
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Grym
Guest
Hi!
Buddhists do believe there *are * gods. We are just not so sure about what they say and promise.. It is just that we believe our salvation is our own to follow.
In the Digha Nikaya. Buddha teaches the Path to unification with God. There is no big difference from the path to Nirvana. So it is possible to get to both destinations using the Dhamma if one wishes.
But there is a big difference between the Buddhist path to God and the Abrahamic religions.
In Buddhism and Hinduism the path is to union with God i.e. to join with and become the same as God. In Christianity it is to come to Heaven.
Hope this helps understanding Buddhism.
/Victor
Buddhists do believe there *are * gods. We are just not so sure about what they say and promise.
. It is just that we believe our salvation is our own to follow.In the Digha Nikaya. Buddha teaches the Path to unification with God. There is no big difference from the path to Nirvana. So it is possible to get to both destinations using the Dhamma if one wishes.
But there is a big difference between the Buddhist path to God and the Abrahamic religions.
In Buddhism and Hinduism the path is to union with God i.e. to join with and become the same as God. In Christianity it is to come to Heaven.
Hope this helps understanding Buddhism.
/Victor
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Michael_Mayo
Guest
I know “heaven” is taled about in ancient Chinese philosophy and perhaps even Buddhism to some degree. Is that a realm between incarnations of Nirvana?
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Grym
Guest
Hmm.
First of all there are no more reincarnations after Nirvana In Buddhism. That is the purpose of nirvana to flee the endless circles of reincarnation. The Hindu Nirvana on the other hand is a state of merging with the Brahma as I understand it. There might be reincarnations after that kind of Nirvana.
Secondly the cosmology of buddhism plays only a small and insignificant role in my type of buddhism which is Theravada. Other branches like Mahayana and Vayrayana might have another emphasis. I do not know. Questions like Origin of the world is anwsered in a more personcentric way.
“The world is born, exists and dies in the six senses.”
There are numerous heavens described. Some that has gods like those in greek mythology or like the Angels of Christianity and some that holds Creator Gods like the Christian God or the Brahma. Yet others that are even more subtle and hold gods with even greater mental development.
Those Buddhists that are secular tend to think of these realms as purly descriptions of mental states.
Still in the old suttas it is said that it is Right View to believe that there are priests that declare these realms after seing these god realms for themselves. What you would call profets maybe?
I also know of a mental practise which is used by buddhist to see/meet Angels.
.And I believe I know people that have used this technique with success.
Br
/Victor
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Rock7
Guest
I don’t mean to be rude but I firmly believe the poster who said God inspired the Buddha just blasphemed. The Buddha was a false teacher just because they have seeming qualities of righteousness doesn’t make them Holy! Paul wrote that our righteous acts are filthy rags. I’m sorry if I seem hostile but to say that just being good without accepting Christ as there savior and get to heaven is the very epitome of idolatry, deception, and godlessness!
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Rock7
Guest
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Grym
Guest
The term blasphemed and holy are not used in buddhism that I know of but I find I agree with a lot of other things in this. God did not inspire the Buddha to begin with, He asked the Buddha to please teach the Dhamma when the Buddha was already enlightened.
The major goal in buddhism does not aim to come to any of heaven. It might be a “side effect” to end up in one of the heavens for a while before final liberation though.
Neither do we use the word Holy. Advanced practitioners endowed with the correct moral qualities might be called Aryans and those that have reached the Goal are called Arahants and they are shown a lot of respect and even reverence. But there is nothing Godly in or about them i.e. nothing Holy.
Hope this helps to understand Buddhism a little bit more.
Cheers!
Victor
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Simca
Guest
When the Buddha came, he spent his whole life searching for the way. He spent his whole life meditating inwardly and came to the conclusion that we are all kind of gods unto ourselves.
When Jesus came, he didn’t need to spend ANY time searching for ‘the way’. He said that he himself is the way. He is God.
I don’t see that the beliefs of Buddha and of Christ are in any way connected, If the Buddha was inspired by God, then his teachings would have been the same as Christ’s, because there is only one God and his messages are always the same. The Buddha may have had some nice, moral-sounding things to say, but he does not lead us to Christ.
I don’t mean to be rude to the previous poster either, but I do agree with this post.
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Grym
Guest
Sorry for interrupting the discussion but I find there are so many minconceptions about Buddhism and You are never going to get anywhere in Evengelizing Buddhists if you do not properly understand how we think.
The Buddha never concluded that we are gods unto ourselves. That might be Hinduism. I do not know. He found that our salvation from discontent in our lives is our own to find and cultivate. No Gods involved. And that it can be done here and now no need to wait for heaven after death.
Neither did he spend his whole life at that. He reached enlightenment in midlife and preached the Path for 40 years or so.
I thought Jesus was away for like 30 years and that what he did during that period is not really clear? But was it not after that period he started his mission on earth and not before? Sounds like he did some solesearching maybe during that period?
The Moral Precepts of Buddhism are more or less the exact same as in christianity. But the goal is not God nor Christ.
Dito
./Victor
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Grym
Guest
Soulsearching! No disrespect meant!
/Victor
/Victor
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Simca
Guest
Thanks for answering my post.
I think the reason Jesus waited until he was 30 was because that was the age at which a man could become the High Priest, which is the office that Jesus came to fulfill.
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