Help! I'm stuck (Buddhist-Christian question)?

Question

How would you resolve this conflict in perception between Buddhism and Christianity:

I told the head of a campus Christian fellowship that Buddhism was not against Christ. There are ways to teach correctly where Buddhists can receive Jesus, instead of mutual rejection. Where he got stuck was the concept of Nirvana as "nothingness" that the purpose of Buddhism was to extinguish the soul. I tried to explain this means complete selflessness, as Christianity teaches to empty our cup that we may be filled. We must depart from false material attachment or false desires of the "flesh" before we can live by spiritual values. So the concept is not against Christianity.

How would you explain this where it makes sense to a Christian?

Another common misperception -- Buddhism may teach that "karma" reincarnates but not souls. (Source: Buddhist monk). This is wholly consistent with Christian concepts of "sin" revisited upon future generations, you reap what you sow, and generational curses and demons connected to unresolved unforgiven sins or "bad karma" from the past. This is why Christ came to free us from the sins of the past, and thus renounce living by the karmic or carnal letter of the law, material laws of cause and effect or "retributive justice," and to live by the spirit of the laws, with divine grace and forgiveness which is "restorative justice" in Christ.

RE: Wassana "Buddha is not god"
Buddha represents perfect wisdom or knowledge. That is not against God but is the equivalent of seeking the "Kingdom of God." He warned against making idols or religions of any relative truth, which blocks the mind from objectively receiving God's eternal truth. Both Buddhists and Christians are guilty of this, as all human beings tend to cling to our beliefs.
Buddhist teachings are based on Two Promises (to develop perfect wisdom and perfect compassion) which are the cultural equivalent of the Two Commandments to love God and to love our neighbor. Buddhist may focus on God as "Wisdom" and Christians as "Love" but these are equal manifestations of God. Why not have both.

RE: Buddhist Meditation
The way a fellow Christian once explained it best, Christian prayer is like talking to God and Buddhist Meditation is letting God answer. The two are different, but both are necessary to have a conversation with God!

Note: regarding demons, division and the devil
I think keeping people divided by ignorance and selfishness is the "work of the devil or satan". I trust in the Spirit of Truth to cast out deception, and bring correction and reconciliation in Christ. You can separate the churched under divine laws from gentiles under natural laws, but that doesn't make them inconsistent. I think the "devil" is about diving people to weaken the church for selfish worldly political power instead of truly giving dominion to God and submitting to God's universal truth, which by definition is all inclusive.

Answer 1

It depends on the Christian - some will never understand, no matter how it is explained.

The purpose of Buddhism is not to extinguish the soul...it is to over come suffering. That is done by letting go of everything impermanent.

Nirvana is nothingness - in that it is NO-thing...beyond concept. Buddhism is not nihilism or atheism.

Many Christians believe, teach, and say that God is beyond concept - not a thing (ie no-thing, again). If God is beyond concept/no-thing, then God is Nirvana. If Christ is God, then Christ is Nirvana.

The nothingness is really not absolute void - so the concept confuses many.

Nirvana is not something, nor nothing, nor both, nor neither.

~ Eric Putkonen

Answer 2

Sorry, you are wrong on this one. While I can see perfectly your compelling argument it is flawed. Buddhism reflects on achieving a higher plane of existence and also believes in karma and reincarnation. Christianity does not believe in a higher existence, save heaven and they will not be spun out again. Bad things happen to good and evil people but it is not Karma merely the way of the world.

I am sure I could do better if I had more time but I will end with this. Buddhism is very similar to Christian doctrine and that is where it is dangerous. It moves us into accepting things that appear wise and good on the surface, but only moves us away from God. It was a problem for the Jews every time they allowed another faith in and the same will be for the Christian that tries to blend other faiths for peace and harmony.

A glass of water and a glass of acid both look very nice to drink but one brings life and the other death.

Answer 3

BTW Buddhist meditation and Christian meditation are different. In Buddhism, the idea is to KEEP yourself empty. In Christianity, it is to live by the spirit denying yourself. Those are 2 different things that ARE irreconcilable.

The problem is you are trying to give credit and follow eastern philosophy when you should be giving all your devotion to God. There may be elements of of other world religions that mimick or are similiar to principles on the Bible or the church, but we have to be careful to follow God and give him the credit instead of trying to give a good name to things that are evil and opposed to him.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. -Romans 12:9

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. -2 Corinthians 10:5

Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. -James 4:4

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. -1 Corinthians 10:21

Answer 4

well, there's no resolution to a conflict when one side is insistent that only their perspective can be considered as valid. you can resolve it for yourself within our own consciousness and conscience (and perhaps with those whose minds are open to your concepts) but Christianity is an elitist religion and it's their Way or no Way. as you can see, in the minds of many Christians your attempt to find a common thread of truth running through both Christian and Buddhist spirituality is playing into the hands of their devil.

Answer 5

That's nonsense.

Are you aware that Buddhism is an atheist religion? Buddha is NOT a god.

We just think that Jesus is a weird excuse to escape karma, which is the balance of ones worldly good and evil.

Answer 6

It kind of make sense to me already. Just explain that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion...lots of experts say that. It will help disarm them. It doesn't say anything about worshipping a diety or anything, it's a way of life, a way of thinking.

Answer 7

The question is.. does the soul get extinguished or does it live forever. I'm not sure anyone has ever came from Nirvana to tell us about it but Jesus Christ died and rose to tell us about Heaven and Hell. Pray, read your Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to tell you. (He can)

Also, I feel it is a false hope to tell people that they can have more than 1 try to go to Nirvana(Heaven) May be a lie from the devil so that you don't live for Christ now.

Answer 8

That's "cafeteria" Buddhism and "cafeteria" Christianity. You can't order a little bit from Column "A" and a little bit from Column "B". It doesn't work that was. Buddhism teaches reincarnation, which is an offense to God and Holy Scripture.

Answer 9

You sound like a real expert!
Expert - Little drip under pressure

Answer 10

I Have never thought about it,but that makes complete sense. I can see the parallels.