Is Saint Josaphat the Buddha?

[annem]

it’s one thing to answer questions or debate points, but I find it troubling that you are allowing people who are clearing trying to convert Catholics to Buddhism.

 

[tomarin]

I find it troubling that your supernatural ability to read others’ minds and hearts is so acute. Also, in all the time I’ve read Rossum’s posts over these many years, they have always been in response to other people’s specific questions about Buddhism, so perhaps you should reserve your spleen and condescension for them?

 

[rossum]

So you admit that the main platform - the plank upon which the entire of Buddhism exists is simply wrong?

No I do not. I was pointing out that there are four Noble Truths, and you cannot contradict Buddhism by agreeing with the first of them: Suffering exists.

Suffering exists, but it is not inevitable. It can be avoided, and Buddhism shows the way to avoid it.

 

[DoubtingKT]

No Catholic could come to such a conclusion

Hi Annem, firstly, just want to apologise for causing so much distress to you!

It is really not in my intention to do so.

I was merely trying to ask @rossum if the Buddhist’s understanding of enlightenment is simply my understanding of sanctification.

On a bigger picture, I feel that Buddhism provides somewhat an incomplete truth that Catholicism provides in completion by the grace of God.

Sanctification is only possible if it is grounded in an ever growing faith in Christ to see myself as a image of Christ.

And I think it is wicked

This is definitely not my intent. I was just trying to be friendly, hoping to get Rossum to see Catholicism and hopefully, something about Catholicism will resonate with Rossum.

But, I will need to examine my actions and writings too now that you brought this up. Pray that I did not derail anyone from God through these writings! If I do, I will delete them immediately! (Catholic Answers Admin: @admins)

Last thing i want to do, is to cause Catholics to be confused.

Not sure why this thread got closed. But, anyway, I reflected on my actions. Maybe my discussion is too personal between me and @rossum only, so I should take it off-thread to PM. Hopefully, we will lead one another closer to Truth and to God.

But still, no regrets in posting what I posted, but maybe more prudent with how and what I say, and move some discussion to PM in future. Genuinely hope that the Peace and Love of the LORD be with all of us! Amen!

 

[MNathaniel]

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.

Christianity must be primary. Christ as the Word of God incarnate, the self-revelation of God to man, and the invitation to a direct, all-encompassing relationship with Him, is central.

To the extent that anything is true, good, or beautiful, a Christian may embrace it. This includes any elements of Buddhist belief/practice that happen to be compatible with truth. An example of something in Buddhism which is not only compatible with Christianity but reaches its fullness in Christianity: freedom from attachments of the flesh. But all things must be understood through ultimately the Christian lens, not the Buddhist lens. Because Christ is God himself, and He has the final word (He is the Word); the ‘Buddha’ was just a man, and while God might have permitted Him (by special graces) access to elements of truth, he didn’t seem to attain to the fullness of truth.

 

[Randolph]

it’s one thing to answer questions or debate points, but I find it troubling that you are allowing people who are clearing trying to convert Catholics to Buddhism.

As a Catholic who grew up in a predominantly Buddhist country, Buddhism is not what it has been sold/represented in the West. It’s not just about meditation, peace and compassion. It is a pagan religion. Buddha denied that he himself was neither anything other than what he was—Buddha (awake). He did make references to deities. There is not a uniformly accepted group of deities. Each Buddhist temple (branch) worships their own deities. In order to appease the deities so they would grant people their wishes, people must make offerings/sacrifices (physical, financial, self mutilation, etc…) to these deities. The persons in charge of this are usually monks or voodoo type priests/priestesses. People must obey what they say and must meet their demands. Failure to do so would result in swift and severe punishments from the deities. The pagan ceremonies (very close to Satanic sacrifice rituals) are basically submitting one’s very own self (soul) to the deities.They are so powerful that innocent bystanders who observe the ceremonies occasionally also get themselves possessed by demons. These people would have had to go to voodoo entities to cast out the demons.

Despite its false and empty promises of peace and compassion, Buddhism is absolutely incompatible to Catholicism. In Catholicism, we strive for peace, love, mercy and forgiveness from Christ who is our Lord and Creator. In Buddhism, it says that attachment and complete obedience to Christ is a very source of our suffering. This is an absolute rejection of the Catholic Faith. I remember my parish priest and nuns taught us to stay away from anything Buddhism when I was growing up. They were right.

 

[AlNg]

Buddhism and Christianity are not compatible. You cannot be a follower of “both”.

What about Thomas Merton? And if you cannot be a follower of both, why did Francis Cardinal Spellman give the Imprimatur to the book:
Zen Catholicism by Dom Aelred Graham ?

 

[Randolph]

What about Thomas Merton? And if you cannot be a follower of both, why did Francis Cardinal Spellman give the Imprimatur to the book:
Zen Catholicism by Dom Aelred Graham ?

Thomas Merton and others can believe whatever they want. They have to answer to God for their actions. Merton never explained the contradiction:

Buddhism rejects attachment and complete obedience to Christ—our Lord, Savior and Creator. It goes on to say that this attachment is a very source of human suffering.

 

[AlNg]

They have to answer to God for their actions.

So how do you explain the fact that Francis Cardinal Spellman gave the imprimatur to the book
Zen Catholicism by Dom Aelred Graham ?
And have your read the book Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian, by Roman Catholic theologian, Paul F. Knitter, who is also a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, and practicing Catholic…
Father Robert E. Kennedy, S.J., Roshi (Zen master), is both a Zen teacher and a Jesuit priest
Also see the presentation by Father Richard Rohr:

 

[Randolph]

So how do you explain the fact that Francis Cardinal Spellman gave the imprimatur to the book
Zen Catholicism by Dom Aelred Graham ?
And have your read the book Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian, by Roman Catholic theologian, Paul F. Knitter , who is also a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, and practicing Catholic…
Father Robert E. Kennedy, S.J., Roshi (Zen master), is both a Zen teacher and a Jesuit priest
Also see the presentation by Father Richard Rohr:

I don’t know why Cardinal Spellman and other theologians did what they did. I don’t have time to review many books written about Buddhism. But I know about Buddhism and what it stands for. It is a pagan religion and involves many deities that Christ and the Church vehemently oppose. Buddhism teaches attachment is the source of all human sufferings. This includes Christ, the Catholic Church, our Holy Mother, our own parents, grandparents, spouse, children, siblings, good friends, etc… I love them and want to be with them. They are God’s gifts to me. They are my joy. How could they be my sufferings? Why would I want to detach myself from them?

In his book “Crossing the Threshold of Hope”, Pope St. John Paul explained in good details the flaws and dangers of Buddhism. His point was Buddhism denies God’s creation. In Buddhism, the world is the problem and it must be detached. But it was God who created the world and He deemed it was good. To deny God’s creation is to deny God—Himself.

I don’t know about you. But, as a Catholic, I stick with the writings of the saints and attach myself to Christ, the Holy Mother and the Church.

 

[AlNg]

as a Catholic, I stick with the writings of the saints and attach myself to Christ, the Holy Mother and the Church.

That’s fine but according to Roman Catholic theologian, Paul F. Knitter , who is also a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, and practicing Catholic, he is a better Christian now due to Buddhism.

I don’t know why Cardinal Spellman and other theologians did what they did. I don’t have time to review many books written about Buddhism.

Maybe then if you did read what these Catholic theologians have said and taught you might have a different view.
It is true though, and you are right that Pope John Paul ii did express his disagreements with certain aspects of Buddhism.

 

[Randolph]

Maybe then if you did read what these Catholic theologians have said and taught you might have a different view.

No thank you. I will stick with Christ, our Holy Mother, the saints, and the Holy Catholic Church. The fullness of truth is in the Catholic Church. I “shall not want” to go beyond this refuge—risking my own soul.

An aside note, I personally have a few catholic friends who decided to venture into Buddhism. One lost his Catholic faith, and became a Buddhist and an atheist. A couple more became quasi-Catholics, and now consider Christ just as a good moral teacher—not God our Lord and Savior. I don’t doubt that some Catholics have found Buddhism helpful to them. But given its great dangers, I believe many, many more souls are lost—than helped.