Is Saint Josaphat the Buddha?

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I have beliefs that are a mix between buddhism and christianity i’m wondering if I can be a follower of both if i think of myself as a follower of Saint Josaphat.
 
jredden92 said:
I have beliefs that are a mix between buddhism and christianity i’m wondering if I can be a follower of both if i think of myself as a follower of Saint Josaphat.
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No. Christianity makes exclusive claims on salvation and the nature of God, and these are not compatible with Buddhism.
 
Yes, the story of St Josaphat is based on the story of the bodhisatva Gautama Buddha. This is a sign that what is good and holy in that story is revered by Christians as well as by Buddhists. This is Catholicism fulfilling its catholicity, embracing what ever is holy and true wherever God has placed them.

This is not the same as being both Buddhist and Christian. Christ is the savior of all and we learn from Buddhists by being servants of Christ. Usually there are lesser forms that accompany what is holy and true and these could lead you astray. Christ will always forgive you if you fall into sin or error, so it is always helpful to walk with the Church when you seek to know God better.
 
Buddhism is not Christianity. The moral rules of behaviour are (mostly) the same:
  • avoid injuring living things.
  • avoid taking what is not given.
  • avoid sensual misconduct.
  • avoid false and malicious speech.
  • avoid intoxication.
The big absence, compared to Christianity, is the rules about God. Buddhism essentially ignores gods. If you are to attain enlightenment then you have to do it yourself. Nobody else can do it for you.

The theology of Buddhism is very different from Christianity.
 
To believe they can be mixed is to credit neither Christianity nor Buddhism.
 
Interesting discussion about Buddhism and Catholicism!

I am always curious, does Buddhism ever mention anything about God (or a being of Godly-nature)? If so, what?

My understanding is that Buddhism neither denies or agrees with the existence of God, but seems the pursuit of these questions as a inability to detach from your inner desire, and an obstacle to let go of your worldly self and worldly desire, and hence, a hindrance to attaining enlightenment.

Anyone have any insights into any and/or all “official accounts” from Buddhism about God?

Many thanks in advance!
 
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DoubtingKT said:
I am always curious, does Buddhism ever mention anything about God (or a being of Godly-nature)? If so, what?
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Yes it does, but I’m afraid Christians might not like what it says.

Here is a god describing himself:
“I am the Brahma, the great Brahma, the conqueror, the unconquered, the all-seeing, the subjector of all to his wishes, the omnipotent, the maker, the creator, the supreme, the controller, the one confirmed in the practice of meditation, and father to all that have been and shall be. I have created these other beings. Why can I say so? I can say so because a while ago I thought to myself: ‘Would that some other beings come to this place!’ As I wished so, other beings have appeared in this place.”

Brahmajala sutta, section 42
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That god is mistaken in his claims to be “all seeing”, “omnipotent”, “creator”, “supreme”, “father to all” etc. The sutta explains how the god’s error arose. That god exists, but his claims are not true.

The passage comes from the section of the sutta listing various mistaken views, specifically mistaken view #5, that the universe contains both eternal and non-eternal entities. In Buddhism there are no eternal entities.
 
Thank you!

I am hopeful that people may not agree but will not show dislike against what others view. Whatever is true will remain true! So, I am grateful for your willingness to share, so that I may ponder about it and hopefully lead one another close to Truth!

Who is the “I am” speaking? Buddha himself?

Where is the explanation of the error in the sutta?🙂
 
I would say to choose one or the other. A decision, even the wrong one, seems more acceptable to God.
Revelation 3:15-16
‘’‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. "
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DoubtingKT said:
Who is the “I am” speaking? Buddha himself?
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No, the “I am…” is the god Brahma speaking.

The explanation of the god’s error is somewhat long and involved, requiring knowledge of the Buddhist view of the universe, specifically the immaterial part of it. Brahma thinks he is powerful, he is, but he is not all powerful. He thinks he is eternal, but he is nor. He is merely the longest lived of the gods.

The whole text is available: Brahmajala sutta, though it is not an easy read. Apart from anything else, the style of the Pali suttas (of which this is one) is not like Christian scriptures. Search for “The Sixty-Two Kinds Of Wrong Views” and look for wrong view 5.
 
jredden92 said:
I have beliefs that are a mix between buddhism and christianity i’m wondering if I can be a follower of both
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Buddhism and Christianity are not compatible. You cannot be a follower of “both”.
jredden92 said:
if i think of myself as a follower of Saint Josaphat.
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Saint Josaphat is a 16th century Polish martyr.

The story of Barlaam and Josaphat is a pious legend. You wouldn’t be “following” an actual Saint.
 
I see! Thank you for continuing the discussion with me:)

Through what worldly medium did Brahma speak to humans?
rossum said:
Brahma thinks he is powerful, he is, but he is not all powerful.
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So who say He is not all powerful? Who claims that “He is merely the longest lived of the Gods”?

Brahman is Hinduism teaching or Buddhism teaching?
 
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Brahma is a general name for many gods in Indian religions, Hinduism, Buddhism and IIRC Jainism. They are usually among the more powerful gods.

Brahman (with the ‘-n’) is specific to Hinduism and is AIUI an indescribable over-god. The ‘-n’ is the Sanskrit neuter ending, while all the other various Brahmas are masculine. That makes the difference very obvious in Indic languages, though it is less obvious in translation.

Brahma was speaking to Himself, as reported by the Buddha. The Buddha being enlightened has sources of knowledge not available to the unenlightened.
 
I see! Thank you for clarifying on this!

So, Buddha, who is an enlightened man, echoed Brahma’s words in his scriptures… Will ponder and reflect about what you shared!

Will I consider Buddhism a polytheist religion then? Seems like Brahma is one of the Gods that Buddha was able to perceive what Brahma said?

And in this case, is Buddha considered a God now?
 
Buddha never claimed to be a God and I believe Buddhists see him also as just a man not divine.
 
DoubtingKT said:
Will I consider Buddhism a polytheist religion then?
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Buddhism has a great many gods. Western Buddhism mostly ignores them. Eastern Buddhism pays more attention to them, but only for mundane things. If you want to win the lottery then pray to one of the gods; the Buddha is not going to help you with that.
DoubtingKT said:
And in this case, is Buddha considered a God now?
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No, the Buddha is a Buddha, different from gods.
It is said that soon after his enlightenment the Buddha passed a man on the road who was struck by the Buddha’s extraordinary radiance and peaceful presence. The man stopped and asked,

“My friend, what are you? Are you a celestial being or a god?”

“No,” said the Buddha.

“Well, then, are you some kind of magician or wizard?”

Again the Buddha answered, “No.”

“Are you a man?”

“No.”

“Well, my friend, then what are you?”

The Buddha replied, “I am awake.”
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jredden92 said:
Buddha never claimed to be a God and I believe Buddhists see him also as just a man not divine.
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Yes. This is important. The Buddha was a man who attained enlightenment. What one man can do, others can do as well. Had the Buddha been a god, then men could not do what he did. Because he was a man, other men can follow and attain enlightenment as he did.
 
Agreed! That’s what I understand about the Buddha too!

I am just curious, so potentially as a Catholic, I can achieve enlightenment and become a Buddha in my lifetime?
 
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Is it safe to say Buddhism affirms the existence of gods but not God?
 
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