Buddism And Christianity - Far Apart? Not really..

[TheCigSmokingMan]

We have been studing Buddism... And noticed something interesting...

Buddism is founded on the following ideals as we understand it.

o The Three Jewels
o The Four Noble Truths
o The Noble Eightfold Path
o The Five Precepts

One observation that we have is that the "path" to studying Buddism may be "backwards" in a sense.

We will look at The Five Precepts first... not last.


1) I undertake the precept of refrain from harming living creatures

2) I undertake the precept to refrain from taking which is not freely given.

3) I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct

4) I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech (lying, slander, harsh language, idle chit chat)

5) I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.


Not a bad foundation for a good life... Could have more precept or rules or COMMANDANTS? From a "christian" perspective which is mine.


That's right... 4 of the 5 "Precepts of Buddism" match 4 out 10 of the "10 Commandmenets"


Let's review some see if the are familiar...


Thou Shall Not Steal

Thou Shall Not Covet Your Neighbors Wife

Thou Shall Not Kill

Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor


The "Shat Not Steal" Commandment matches up with Precept No. 2

The "Covet Wife" Commandment matches up with Precept No. 3 although somewhat vague in meaning.

The "Shall Not Kill" Commandment matches up with Precept No. 1 although it sounds like it includes all living animals. However, we live in a "domesticated" animal food supply society today. Individuals do not "kill" on a animal to man basis. Individuals are "designated" to perform that function for society and society knows it needs it for "protien" purposes.

The "Bear False Witness" Commandment matches up with Precept No. 4. The Buddist Precept goes further than the just the "Commandment". Which isn't a bad thing.


As for PRECEPT NO. 5 that prohibits or discourages alchohol and drug like substances. Maybe GOD should have INCLUDED THAT COMMANDMENT with MOSES but it DIDN'T REALLY EXIST at the time. With our underingstanding of "modern" society based on SOCIAL DRINKING and RECREATIONAL DRUG USE, it wouldn't be bad to add a "11 COMMANDMENT" or a have society discourage it.


Let's assume GOD sent many PROPHETS to DIFFERENT REGIONS ON EARTH and AT DIFFERT TIMES to spread the WORD OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD. Translations and society entho-centric influences VARIED the MESSAGE and depended on THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS of the INDIVIDUAL PROPHETS.



Something to think about...

TheCigMan

 

[TheCigSmokingMan]

The Noble Eightfold Path<-The Five Precepts

We have examined "The 5 Precepts" and their commonalities to some of the "10 Commandments"...

We have even may have realized that there is a missing "Commandment"

11) Thou shall not take intoxicating substances....

I would even suggest a 12th Commandment

12) Thou shall preserve the Earth


Mel Brooks in his movies suggests there are 15 Commandments and the third tablet was "broken" on the way down the mountain by Moses.

Maybe... Mr. Brooks...

But I digres.


But one has to master Precept No 4. in order to move on the The Noble Eightfold Path...


1. Right Understanding

2. Right Thought

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindifulness

8. Right Concentration


You must be able to control one thoughts in order to control ones actions and feelings.

There is a theory...

Words Have Meanings... Meanings Have Contexts... Contexts Have Feelings... Feelings Produce Actions.

This is why language and the meaning of words is important.

It has been suggested that 'Illuminati' like forces are trying to change the meanings of words in order to "control your mind and actions"...

Let's look at the English Dictionary... It has words that no longer use the "PHONETIC" pronunciation of words.... In fact, we suggest the phonetic pronunciation is MORE PURE and ZEN LIKE.

Something to think about.

Spiritual Earth People don't have "dictionaries" with "strange spellings of words"... /ttiforum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

An example, using the plight of the African-American...

The have gone from

o Slaves
o N-Words
o Black
o African-Americans

And probably should be just

o Americans

or

He or She etc...

Society and Racism dictate the "words" you used in your head to describe them.

Most of them "hateful" and "angry"?

Why? Until recent times, many people didn't even know an African-American.

I would suggest something further...

Black is used to suggest "bad" such as The Black Plague or evil Black Cats or The Night as Black and evil and mysterious...

But have you really looked at an African-American?

They are BROWN in color... Not "Black"

Brown doesn't have any negative connotations....

And "White" people in America... Aren't REALLY WHITE...

You laugh...

Look closely... They are BEIGE in color... NOT white like paper or glue or etc..

So we have all this racism in America...

But we have BROWN and BEIGE people... Not far from each other...

Asians are really BEIGE as well...

American Indians have been suggested as the color "RED" but I'm not so sure about that...

And near, far and middle eastern heritage people are really TAN in color in respect to BROWN and BEIGE people...

You see how using the "correct" words to describe things cause a more "pure" thought in your mind.



TheCigMan