Was Jesus a Buddhist?

TruthSeeker

Illuminator
TruthSeeker
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Sep 5, 2003
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I wouldn't be surprised if this has already been discussed here but my search was unsuccessful.

I have been following the Reader's Digest discussion "does the soul exist?" It has veered onto many interesting topics. Today, it is whether Jesus was a Buddhist trying to reform Judaism.

Any thoughts on that possibility?
 
It seems unlikely. Socrates, on the other hand, is more likely to be one.
 
Hexxenhammer said:
Dam you Truthseeker! Now I'm compelled to post over there again!

Mightor returns!
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Apologies.

How did you tear yourself away? It is so fascinating. I haven't jumped in but I've enjoyed every bit of it, especially the UFO/Satan discussion.
 
TruthSeeker said:



Apologies.

How did you tear yourself away? It is so fascinating. I haven't jumped in but I've enjoyed every bit of it, especially the UFO/Satan discussion.
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I haven't been over there in a couple of months so this UFO/satan stuff is new to me. Once that bojna2 character started typing bible verses at me in caps lock with 17,000 exclamation points after them, I stopped. Wasn't fun anymore.
 
Hexxenhammer said:

I haven't been over there in a couple of months so this UFO/satan stuff is new to me. Once that bojna2 character started typing bible verses at me in caps lock with 17,000 exclamation points after them, I stopped. Wasn't fun anymore.
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Bojna's the INSANE one, my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

couldn't resist :p
 
Mr Clingford said:
It is v unlikely that Jesus was a Buddhist. There you go:)
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Actually it’s not.

There have been many books written on the “lost years of Christ” 17 years unaccounted for in the NT. There is I know a German still working on this and has several books. They believe he spent many years in the Himalayas, Tibet and India. He believes he married and settled in Cashmere which was a Buddhist country.


The NT is comprised of many tails from other older beliefs as the OT is with the same but more so from Babylonian tails the flood etc.

Such Buddhist tails found in the NT would be the Buddha’s lost son. http://reluctant-messenger.com/gospel_buddha/chapter_65.htm which became the Christian tail of the prodigal son.


Who can say for sure but I believe to say
It is v unlikely that Jesus was a Buddhist. There you go
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would need to be supported with some facts even if you did say “There you go”…lol
 
Pahansiri:
 There have been many books written on the “lost years of Christ” 17 years unaccounted for in the NT. There is I know a German still working on this and has several books. They believe he spent many years in the Himalayas, Tibet and India.
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For what it's worth, Buddhism did not exist in Tibet during Jesus' lifetime.

Where in the New Testament does Jesus teach the Four Noble Truths? If he was a Buddhist, there should be clear evidence in his teachings.
 
RCNelson said:
For what it's worth, Buddhism did not exist in Tibet during Jesus' lifetime.

Where in the New Testament does Jesus teach the Four Noble Truths? If he was a Buddhist, there should be clear evidence in his teachings.
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Right in Tibet that is somewhat true as to the country converting over this was around middle of the seventh century.

But Buddhist monks were all over the region as if there was a Jesus he was born some 500 years after the Buddha died.

In reality Buddhism did reach the whole Himalayan region as the Buddha himself was born in what is now Nepal. There Tibetan text talking of the Issa legend saying a kind being lived and studied in the area. Some also believe as does this German writer that after he excepted the crucifixion, not from rising from the dead, he married and settled in Cashmere.


Where in the New Testament does Jesus teach the Four Noble Truths? If he was a Buddhist, there should be clear evidence in his teachings.
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Well I do not believe he was anything more then a good and wise being that was used by Paul to help Paul get what he wanted, a religion. We must remember the NT has more to do with the Roman emperor Constantine then anything. It was he who hired the collectors of data and writers.

There are many web sites speaking of all the Buddhistic teachings found in the Bible. If you like I can compile them for you but a goggle such is easy and will produce for you many sites and information. We need look only to the one example I gave, to karma/cause and effect reap what you sow

Buddhism is clearly found in the NT as is other beliefs as I stated there is little new in the NT.

Here is a start
http://jimvb.home.mindspring.com/ser1998Oct11.htm

Or here http://directory.google.com/Top/Soc...s/Christianity/Jesus-Was-a-Buddhist_Theories/



As I said I do not and can not know or need to.

Be well
 
Pahansiri said:
There have been many books written on the “lost years of Christ” 17 years unaccounted for in the NT. There is I know a German still working on this and has several books. They believe he spent many years in the Himalayas, Tibet and India. He believes he married and settled in Cashmere which was a Buddhist country.
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It's obvious to me there are no 'missing years', since the birth and childhood years are completely made up. IF Jesus did exist the only possible record of him are the Sayings of Q, which are just a list of sayings - out of context. The Gospels took the sayings and injected them into an historical setting. To talk about 'missing years' is to misunderstand his (so-called) "life".
 
triadboy said:


It's obvious to me there are no 'missing years', since the birth and childhood years are completely made up. IF Jesus did exist the only possible record of him are the Sayings of Q, which are just a list of sayings - out of context. The Gospels took the sayings and injected them into an historical setting. To talk about 'missing years' is to misunderstand his (so-called) "life".
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As I said I do not believe he was more then a man and I agree as to the v/Bible as I said.

to say It's obvious there are no "missing years I perhaps agree greatly but can not as you can not say for sure.

It is all irelavent in reality. I believe.
 
I guess the question goes something like this:

If we assume there was a historical person "Jesus of Nazareth" who was a spiritual teacher and that some of his teachings are reflected in the gospels (both canonical and otherwise), are the teachings consistent with the teachings of Buddha (who we assume also existed and also taught something resembling what was eventually written down)

Of course, it may well be that neither person existed and that the parallels in teachings (if they exist) reflect the universality of "spiritual" principles.
 
TruthSeeker said:
I guess the question goes something like this:

If we assume there was a historical person "Jesus of Nazareth" who was a spiritual teacher and that some of his teachings are reflected in the gospels (both canonical and otherwise), are the teachings consistent with the teachings of Buddha (who we assume also existed and also taught something resembling what was eventually written down)

Of course, it may well be that neither person existed and that the parallels in teachings (if they exist) reflect the universality of "spiritual" principles.
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Greetings TruthSeeker.

As to the Buddha who’s name was Siddhartha Gotama we do know he existed who his father was and the kingdom they lived in , his father was king. There are many historical records of Siddhartha Gotama.

As to him writing down anything? He did not as the custom was that all stories and teachings were told and retold. The Tripitaka the Buddhist canon was about 100 years after his death carved into stone tablets and wood.

No Buddhist believes everything in these huge text ( 11 times larger then the OT and NT)just what the Buddha said and the text reflect this.

As to the passing of teachings from one person to the next the Guinness book of world records list 2 men as having the best memory. Both are Buddhist monks and both can recite word for word every line of the Tripitaka.
 
Pahansiri said:


Greetings TruthSeeker.

As to the Buddha who’s name was Siddhartha Gotama we do know he existed who his father was and the kingdom they lived in , his father was king. There are many historical records of Siddhartha Gotama.

As to him writing down anything? He did not as the custom was that all stories and teachings were told and retold. The Tripitaka the Buddhist canon was about 100 years after his death carved into stone tablets and wood.

No Buddhist believes everything in these huge text ( 11 times larger then the OT and NT)just what the Buddha said and the text reflect this.

As to the passing of teachings from one person to the next the Guinness book of world records list 2 men as having the best memory. Both are Buddhist monks and both can recite word for word every line of the Tripitaka.
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Thank you for sharing this. Personally, I believe that both Buddha and Jesus existed historically. I would also think that Buddha's teachings have been recorded more faithfully than have Jesus'

I am not a Buddhist but I have grown a great deal from reading Buddhist texts and teachers and from mindfulness meditation. Just yesterday, I finished reading Stumbling Towards Enlightenment. It was highly readable and I particulary enjoyed her humanity and willingness to reveal her own difficulties with meditation.
 
TruthSeeker said:


Thank you for sharing this. Personally, I believe that both Buddha and Jesus existed historically. I would also think that Buddha's teachings have been recorded more faithfully than have Jesus'

I am not a Buddhist but I have grown a great deal from reading Buddhist texts and teachers and from mindfulness meditation. Just yesterday, I finished reading Stumbling Towards Enlightenment. It was highly readable and I particulary enjoyed her humanity and willingness to reveal her own difficulties with meditation.
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Thank you my friend for the book title.

I also agree with you on all points.
 
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