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Similarity and difference between Buddhism and Christianity
Similarity and difference between Buddhism and Christianity
Similarity and difference between Buddhism and Christianity
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Introduction Amidst people in different locations, times and civilizations we see a lot of same descriptions of Utopia or Pure Land. It is as if we have a unified idea of what a Heaven, Pure Land, or Paradise is. The characteristics of these heavenly realms are very similar between different cultures. The concepts of having infinite space, light, beauty, great peace, perfection and comfort are present in both Pure Land Buddhist ideals and Christianity. The most important distinction of this other world however is the idea that there is no feeling of time in any conception of Heaven. There is no hurry in any description of Heaven and there is no place to go, we have already arrived. In Heaven or the Pure Land people do not have to worry about being late for a meeting, having to hurry in order to enjoy themselves, and they never need to be 'pressed for time'; in these realms time as it is related to earth has no meaning. The experience of this other realm can be described as serene joy that is wholesome. There are of course many differences between Pure Land Buddhism and Christianity, but the fundamental idea of Heaven is prevalent in both religions. The Pure Land Pure Land Buddhism is derived as the easy way to enlightenment, that is to say that even a lay person is able to achieve enlightenment through the Pure Land if they are willing. It revolves around faith on Amida Buddha, the Buddha of infinite light and infinite life. Unlike the gurus of the former age, it is extremely difficult for beings to practice and attain siddhis in our degenerate age. The Pure Land is a simpler, but not lesser, path that allows one to achieve enlightenment. If a person dedicates their life to chanting the phrase “Namuamidabutsi” with a single focus... ... middle of paper ... ...must be granted immortality by God through resurrection. “All human beings had to pay for sin with death, unless, to complete the economic symbolism, they were redeemed-literally meaning "bought back"-by Christ (Abrahamic Transcendence pg. 173). Heaven is, fundamentally, the utmost culmination for which all Christians strive for; it is “fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1024). In Heaven, the sanctified carry on blissfully conforming to God’s will in affinity to all life, they will rule with Christ for eternity. The general belief is that there will be an individual judgment after your death where God will grant you immortality in heaven or in hell and then a universal judgment where all of mankind on earth, in heaven, and in hell will have their final reckoning in front of God.
Thích Nh’at Hanh is a world renowned Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, religious figure and accomplished writer. Living Buddha, Living Christ is only one of his many famous publications. Thích Nh’at Hanh, is famous for his insights into spiritual heritage and mindfulness in the present moment. Many Americans are seeking religious understanding and personal spirituality, even if they do not practice in the traditional manner. Throughout this book Nh’at Hang encourages readers to find meaning, understanding, mindfulness, and peace in the teachings of Buddha and Christ. His main focus is to open meaningful dialogue between different traditions, cultures, and religious groups around the world, for the betterment
Since the beginning of European colonization whites have taken Native American’s lands in order to expand their own settlements. Throughout the years there have been many disputes and up rises because Indians have refused to give up or sell their lands. With an escalating white population, Native American communities have been disintegrated, killed in conflicts, or forced to move into Indian Territories. The year of 1828 would again demonstrate how white settlers would obtain Native American’s lands with the Cherokee Indian Removal. Known as the Trail of Tears, the Cherokees would start their tragic journey to Indian Territory in which thousands of Indians would die along the way and soon after their arrival due to illnesses or violent encounters. The Cherokee Indian Removal was not only cruel but injustice, the Cherokees shouldn’t have ceded their lands because before the removal they attempted to be “civilized” by the Americans giving up their cultural and religious beliefs and the federal government by treaty had to protect Indians from any state oppressions.
In religion the concept of life after death is discussed in great detail. In monotheistic religions, in particular the Christian theology, death is a place where the soul, the eternal spirit that is part of you, transcends or descends to depending on if you go to heaven or hell. The argument calls for a form of immortality of the soul and a lack of immortality of the body—the soul lives forever, the body perishes. John Hick in his excerpt from “Immortality and Resurrection” refutes the ideology that the spirit and body are dichotomous, one being everlasting and the other limited. In his view on the immortality of the human psyche, he claims that the spirit and body are connected; they are not too distinct entities. With this proclamation he attempts to prove the existence of life after death by analyzing resurrection from a psychological perspective and through thought experiments.
Christians answer the question of what happens to us when this life is over by their beliefs in heaven and hell. If a true believer has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior and led their life by the Bible and the laws of God, they will go to heaven once their earthly body dies. If a person leads a life of sin and never seeks redemption, living their life against God and His kingdom, they will burn in the fire and brimstone of hell.
The Orcs of Middle Earth trampled through the forest leaving a visible path of broken branches. In another part of Middle Earth, Ents spent their time slowly and thoughtfully making decisions. The land culture of the Ents in The Lord of the Rings differs greatly from the Orcs, thus, providing readers a view of Tolkien’s perspectives of agrarianism and current culture. An Orc’s nature is just to follow the orders of their leader and that is all. It is not as much that Orcs don’t like the nature, but that they are unaware of it and it’s importance. Ent’s are known to do everything slowly, from decision making, to talking. These relationships to land correlate to modern views of the land. Wendell Berry is a writer and farmer, who is a leader
Meridel Le Sueur writes in “The Ancient People and the Newly Come”, “The body repeats the landscape. They are the source of each other and create each other. We were marked by the seasonal body of earth, by the terrible migrations of people, by the swift turn of a century, verging on change never before experienced on this greening planet.” Jane Smiley includes this as a preceding quote to A Thousand Acres. Whether or not this quote was intentional, Sueur’s words articulate the character development of Ginny Clark throughout A Thousand Acres. The way Smiley develops the oldest daughter is quite different than how William Shakespeare portrays the character.
Through this prayer, the images of heaven as a paradise a demonstrated, helping highlight heaven as having a locational sense attached to it. However it does illustrate another significant argument surrounding heaven, illustrating the idea that heaven was also a state of mind in which the individuals of the later Middle Ages accepted. J.B. Russell argues this idea of heaven in the sense of an edenic garden contributing more to the ideas of heaven being more of a state of mind, describing heaven as a concept of the Middle Ages society in
All are tormented and tortured, in isolation from God, without any hope of mercy or relief (Robinson). Many Christians believe that when a person dies, they enter into complete oblivion – a state of non-existence. They remain in dormancy. At the time of the second coming of Jesus, the dead are resurrected and judged. Those who have been saved while on earth will be given special bodies and go to Heaven, unlike the unsaved who will go to Hell for eternal punishment (Robinson).
In Buddhism, one seeks salvation from pain, which is caused by desire; so one seeks a state of absence from desire. This is achieved through meditation and the "Noble Eightfold Way of mental and moral discipline: right views, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration." It is a timeless state, and is spoken of as "becoming Brahman" and entering into Nirvana. The absence of desire necessitates a certain amount of separation from the world and a constancy of mind that is not found in the normal clamor of daily life.
The Biblical understanding of the afterlife is, in fact, quite different when one compares the Old and New Testaments. The very first verse of the Bible, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,” (Genesis 1.1), makes it clear that heaven has existed as long as the rest of creation. Although mentioned several more times throughout the Old Testament, heaven in this case is not the paradise of eternal salvation as described in the New Testament. Rather, it is only the dwelling place of God. Job confirms this when he proclaims, “My witness is in heaven” (Job 16.19). In addition, the author of Psalm 115 writes, “The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to human beings” (Psalm 115.16). Clearly, then, the heaven of the Old Testament was a place for God only, not a place for humans to ever expect to be in, even after dying.
Peace of mind, body and spirit, in a personal sense, a social sense and a universal sense. Although they share the same goal, adherents of the faiths have difference conceptions of what a ‘state of peace’ encompasses, and the path to which it may be attained. For Christians, the ultimate peace is in the afterlife, in heaven, where believers will find their salvation. In heaven there is no sin, Christians can see God, and live in his presence, whilst anyone who does not choose to believe within their lifetime on earth, will go to hell, a place of eternal pain and suffering. For Buddhists, peace is found in nirvana, through enlightenment, whereby one experiences perpetual rebirth until this ultimate harmony is achieved. Buddhism and Christianity both care about the Self and the Other, but the order is reversed. Buddhists believe that in serving yourself you serve others, focusing on your own path to enlightenment, and practicing loving kindness, will leads to social transformation and world peace. Christians on the other hand serve others in order to serve self, believing that by following Jesus’ instructions and entering relationship with
Since Vasubandhu is a patriarch he played a great role in the unfolding of this practiced tradition. Pure Land Buddhism is a broad range of Mahayana Buddhism and one of the most widely practiced traditions of Buddhism in East Asia. It is specifically designed for ‘lazy people’ and is sometimes called the Easy Path, as it only requires the simple act of faith and recitation of the Nembutsu (Amitabha Budda). Pure land is a tradition of Buddhist teachings that are focused on Amitabha Buddha (celestial Buddha) who is known for his longevity attribute, magnetising red fire element, the aggregate of discernment, pure perception and the deep awareness of emptiness of phenomena. It is
passed by me, the whirlwind scooped up a dormant pile of leaves lying next to
When asked, an ordinary Christian would agree that, from the New Testament teachings, the fate of man after demise is that life continues after death. This topic has been discussed widely. The concept of life after death (resurrection) is pegged on the Christ-event. However, this is offensive to modern-day thought, and incompatible with the concept of the Greek belief in immortality. It is not very integral to the early Christian proclamation, and can be surrendered or reinterpreted without stealing away the New Testament’s substance.
Modernity believes that eternal life is determined by our beliefs and action. There are many religions talk about eternal that can lead to eternal life, such as Buddhism, Taoism and Hinduism. In different religions, they have different definition of eternal life. The definition of eternal life in Christianity is living in happiness with God forever. According to the bible, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). This chapter tells that those who follow God have eternal life. Although everyone will die one day, God will be