What is the best way to explain the four noble truths to a christian?

Question

I have a christian friend that doesn't like to read, but would like to know about the buddhist concept of desire/suffering.
I need to keep it extremely simple, and make sure I don't insult her religion in the process.

Any ideas?

It came up in conversation before, and I would like to give her a simple overview, so that she gets it enough to understand. I'm not a Buddhist, but various religions come up occasionally, and she often feels left out of the conversation. I'd just like a simple way to narrow it down to the basics for her.

Answer 1

First, already the word "truth" makes it a little troublesome when you explain them to a Christian, because that will give them associations to another kind of absolute, religious truths, like "Jesus is the Thruth", or "the Bible writes the Truth", or something like that.

So, maybe first explain the Four Noble Truths are nor that kind of "absolute Truths", and essentially don't contradict Christian teachings (although some other Buddhist teachings do, if you dig deeper into them philosophically).

Maybe first just explain them as "four general psychological observations", or perhaps rather "three general psychological obervations with a practical idea about how to solve the problems they describe".

Essentially they carry this message:

1. There is suffering and unsatisfation. If you analyze your own mind, you will find that a considerable part of your life is filled with this kind of thoughts:

a) You want things that you don't have, like more money, a girlfriend/boyfriend if you are alone, a new car, an exam, a work if you're unemployed, better health or a more beautiful body.

b) You want to be free from things that you have, like headache, a demanding boss, a fat stomach, worries or insomnia, people who irritate you, you're inablilty to do certain things good enough.

c) You are afraid of loosing things you have, like loosing your job, meeting a robber, your wife or husband leaves you, your body gets old and tired and looses its vigour and strength, your new car will look more worn, the temperature will fall.

d) You are afraid to meet things you don't have, like you're afraid of getting sick (cancer, STD, whatever), your family will get problems, you come to late for work or to the bus, you will die, your food will be burned, the beetle attacks you.

2. If you analyze your mind, you will find that all these sufferings (the emotions themselves) are created in your own mind, and have reasons that come before the things you blame, like unrealistic expectations, mistaken views about the world, lack of contentment, egoism, and so on.

3. If you understand the suffering and unsatisfaction has reasons inside yourself, you will also understand you can counter them inside your own mind. If you have a peaceful, contented, openminded, loving and compassionte mind, you will already be free from most of these everyday nuisances, just because your reactions to them will be totally different.

4. The so called eight-fold path is a training program to attain just these changes in your mind that makes you stop being exeriencing this unfounded suffering and unsatisfaction. It helps you develop inner peace and contenment through working with your view and intentions, your ethical conduct, and your mental discipline.

I would say, so far this is just observations anyone could try and confirm, and they are in no way contradictions to Christian teachings, scientific findings or common sense.

In more advanced Buddhist practices there are certainly some things that contradict Christian teachings (mainly about the existence of an almighty creator god and about your own ability to attain liberation fully through your own work, not through the help of an outer saviour god). But the basic Buddhist practices are fully applicable and useful inside the context of any other religion or without any religion at all.

Answer 2

It sounds like she wants a special formula as simple as GODDIDIT.

All unhappy is caused by ignorance which is that unhappy is caused by desire for different circumstances.
So if you can lower or eliminate expectations you'll never be disappointed or unhappy.
That's about as simple as Buddhist philosophy can get.

[edit]
Xianity by comparison is sentimental pap completely lacking in any manner or philosophy - simple concepts for simple folks.
.

Answer 3

There is nothing in Buddhism that would insult Christianity. It's only the narrow-mindedness of some Christians (like the several who have posted before me) who would feign insult where there is none....

Answer 4

You need to explain it without her religion in mind at all. Trying to cushion her from it will just insult her or worse, make her think you are trying to convert her.

Answer 5

Explain it from the heart with respect to both beliefs..

Answer 6

Try reading the greatest noble truths in the Gospels that are so far above those of the buddhist thought as the Heavens are above the Earth,a Christian knows nothing that is greater than this.

Answer 7

your friend won't understand untill she/he is ready to wake up to the truth.

Answer 8

You don't - it's nonsense - change the subject.

Answer 9

You need to do the reading. The Bible.

Answer 10

we already know them....in the ten commands and the gospels..no thanks..