Multiple Worlds, Multiple Incarnations?

[Siddhartha]

St. Thomas Aquinas argued that multiple Incarnations of God are possible. This has implications for inter-religious dialogue.

But if we are talking about the possibility of multiple incarnations, this also opens us up to more dialogue with Hinduism and its understanding that the ultimate One (depending upon the tradition, this could be Shiva, Vishnu, Kali, or someone else), has eternal existence, creates the world and world history, and incarnates himself or herself into it as many times as necessary to keep it in proper order. For example, those who worship Vishnu see him as incarnating as a fish, as a tortoise, as a boar, as a man-lion, as a dwarf, as “the angry man,” as Rama, as Balarama, as Krishna, and in the end, as Kalki. What would differentiate Christianity from Hinduism is in the reality of the incarnation itself; for Hinduism, it is more docetical, while for Christianity, any incarnation would be real, definitive, and eternal. But, as with Buddhism, there is a sense that an aspect of the Gospel, perhaps an aspect we have not yet picked up on, is being prepared for us through the Hindu tradition, and its proclamation of multiple incarnations. Buddhism explains well how we would experience the form of one who might have multiple incarnations, providing the means by which Lewis’ Narnia is explicable; Hinduism, in its affirmation of theism, provides us the other key in a way which negates the weakness of Buddhism’s non-theism. Combine the two together, with Lewis’ inclinations, and we have a means by which we can understand and appreciate how multiple incarnations could be experienced, thereby giving strength to St Thomas Aquinas’ position, where he describes the multiple incarnations…

 

[FightingFat]

St. Thomas Aquinas argued that multiple Incarnations of God are possible. This has implications for inter-religious dialogue.

You should read amazon.com/Truth-Tolerance-Christian-Belief-Religions/dp/158617035X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259607703&sr=8-1

I have a Buddhist friend- Theravada- and he and I agree on just about everything up into the point where he disappears into nothingness and I experience the eternal happiness of the beatific vision and communion with God.

 

[AJTheMan]

You should read amazon.com/Truth-Tolerance-Christian-Belief-Religions/dp/158617035X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259607703&sr=8-1

I have a Buddhist friend- Theravada- and he and I agree on just about everything up into the point where he disappears into nothingness and I experience the eternal happiness of the beatific vision and communion with God.

The Buddha was not very clear on what Nibbanna (Nirvana) would be like. He did say, however that Nibbanna is the ultimate place of happiness.

To reach Nibbanna may take many lifetimes, however.

 

[FightingFat]

The Buddha was not very clear on what Nibbanna (Nirvana) would be like. He did say, however that Nibbanna is the ultimate place of happiness.

To reach Nibbanna may take many lifetimes, however.

The Buddha may not have been very clear, but my friend, and the Theravada tradition are pretty clear!

What Buddhist flavour are you AJ?

 

[Siddhartha]

You should read amazon.com/Truth-Tolerance-Christian-Belief-Religions/dp/158617035X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259607703&sr=8-1

I have a Buddhist friend- Theravada- and he and I agree on just about everything up into the point where he disappears into nothingness and I experience the eternal happiness of the beatific vision and communion with God.

Your Theravada friend – or your interpretation of your Theravada friend’s position – is sorely mistaken. If nibbana were nothingness, then it would be no different than the nothingness imagined by the Indian materialists who were contemporary to the Buddha. And the Buddha refuted materialism left and right.

 

[AJTheMan]

The Buddha may not have been very clear, but my friend, and the Theravada tradition are pretty clear!

What Buddhist flavour are you AJ?

As Christianity has denominations, Buddhism has schools. Mahayana, Theravada, and Tibetan are the main schools with Mahayana further dividing into schools like Zen and Nichiren.

The highest aspiration for all Buddhists is to reach Nibbanna. The different schools disagree on the best way to do this but most agree that the highest goal is ending the process of suffering and rebirth and reaching Nibbanna.

For Theravadans, the highest aspiration is just that - Nibbanna (Which is also called Nirvana.). In the Theravada tradition, however, lay members have a slight chance at reaching Nibbanna. Because of this, a good lay member would try to live a moral live by giving to the poor, striving for insight, and helping the local sangha – such acts will raise their karma.

 

[AJTheMan]

The Buddha may not have been very clear, but my friend, and the Theravada tradition are pretty clear!

What Buddhist flavour are you AJ?

Well, we’re not exactly sure what Nibbanna is like. I’m pretty sure that we’d have a difficult time comprehending it in our current state. We do know, however, that the Awakened One described it as a place of the “highest happiness” in the Dhammapada. It is bliss, complete peace, and is the place in which people can finally end the cycle of rebirth. To say that it is “nothingness” is a vast generalization of what the Buddha taught about it.

As Christianity has denominations, Buddhism has schools. Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan are the main schools with Mahayana having various traditions – Zen, Nichiren, and others.