Is Buddhism profounder than Christianity?

Question

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Have a great day!

The very purpose i place this question in philosophy is to have an answer in a philosophical context.

Answer 1

Hi Third P,

When you are dealing with two large religions it is difficult to restrict comparisons between them to philosophical terms. In a sense attempting to compare depth or profundity between two religions ultimately must exceed philosophy - including the philosophy of religion. The ultimate profundity of a religion can only be measured in religious terms.

However, since there are so many levels to religious experience, your question has some real validity. But I still feel that the two religions should be compared on religious terms; what they offer a religous aspirant, pilgrim, seeker, etc.; not what they offer the philosopher.

One approach to your question can be focused on where the path of each religion leads. Does one offer a more profound path, a more profound journey and a more profound outcome? Does Buddhism offer a more profound form of enlightenment than Christianity?

I was raised a Christian and had to learn about Buddhism gradually once I had divorced myself from my up-bringing. I have been extremely disappointed in the way Christianity has been laid out in the Four Gospels. I find the Gnostic Gospels to be more instructive and to offer a more profound approach to understanding the religious path as well as offering clues for personal transformation.

The goal of Buddhism is ultimate and therefore utterly profound. The implications of this outcome - the attainment of enlightenment and the path to get there - are also profound. The way Buddhism treats compassion is also profound. Buddhist logic is profound. It is more integrated, consistent, holistic, and so its discipline is more accessible.

There is a dangerous confusion in Christianity and in the way it presents itself. This is extremely unfortunate because many aspects of Christanity are sound, deep, important, meaningful. However, Christianity lost its roots around 300 A.D. when it started to make arbitrary decisions which became dogma soon thereafter. The purpose of these decisions was to consolidate power. The result was the inner power of Christianity was taken away from the individual. The reality of the religious path which exalts the human spirit and purifies the human mind and soul, was displaced from the individual as a religous means - and projected onto a mythical construction as if it were a patent or brand name.

This action by the church went to extremes with the notion of a bodily resurrection as the apotheosis of Christianity. No one - even the best minds in the world - have been permitted to contest the veracity and even likelihood of a bodily resurrection. This form of Authoritarianism lacks profundity if at least part of the religious way is to impart understanding.

For this reason Christianity has distorted the true significance and potential reality of the principle of resurrection that necessarily follows the equally important and mysterious principle of "crucifixion": the very event which might have been shared by both Buddhism and Christianity and even modern Freemasonry! Moreover, they have reduced the ultimate goal and principle of ancient Egypt to a fairytale - a fairytale that has alienated many people, from philosophers to scientists to normal citizens who cannot help their inborn need to seek the truth of things. Christianity has also driven a wedge of sorts between Christians and Jews that strikes me as more arbitrary than anything else.

Buddhism promises ultimate resurrection, redemption and enlightenment provided one follow a highly disciplined path which is not all suffering. The Tibetans are famous for their exemplary cheerfulness even when on this straight and narrow path.

Christianity could offer the same outcome. All it would have to do is permit critical reform in critical areas. It has to return the principle of "Christ" to the people, the individual, the natural aspirant who we already know from Proverbs are all children of the one, living creator. The reality of Christ is the ultimate reality - a reality it shares with that of Buddha, the Atman of Hinduism, the One Heart of the Hopi People, etc. This reality in the end - when fully realized - is spiritual, All -Embracing, pure, indescribable. The achievement must be gathered up by the individual, within the individual. Only when the individual has put in the ultimate effort does the final moment of enlightenment then look as if it came from God or was sanctioned by God. The relation between divine sanction and personal effort is mysterious and blurry. Both religions try to deal with it as best they can. But to me Buddhism is a little more profound in the way it guides the individual from the outset. Christianity is too confusing because it has taken too much away from the individual thus making the individual feel bad, evil, worthless. When young, it is very difficult to understand why one is being treated as bad or worthless before one feels one has done anything wrong.

It seems to me that Buddhism has greater insight into the problem of sin and evil and teaches how to transform both. Christianity is too harsh, too violent in its approach to the overcoming and transformation of "Lucifer" or the Egyptian "Seth". In this sense I find it much less profound both philosophically and psychologically than Buddhism.

Christianity could become quite profound if it would reform key principles that currently characterize it. But this would mean it would have to share the Christ principle on a more equal basis. It would have to let go the patent. It would have to acknowledge that the true path leads to spiritual resurrection not bodily resurrection. Most of us will still find spiritual resurrection difficult to both believe in and attain, but at least we would not be forced to choose between believing in bodily resurrrection or not believing in it and being condemend if we choose not to believe in it. This is a dubious, intimidating way to force people to believe in the Almighty and his infinite powers. It is not the body that is resurrected. What is resurrected is spirit and Buddhism offers the aspirant the path to achieve that enlightened resurrection or enlightened state of being, of existence.

Buddhism offers countless practices to achieve this end and to break the wheel of Karma. Incidentally in Egypt that is exactly the goal of Horus. Horus was the direct path that broke the whole Osirian cycle of reincarnation. But the function of Horus in the end was similar to the function of the Buddhist "Bodhisatva". Both were not to spend eternity for themselves alone in a state of ecstatic nirvana. The Bodhisatva is to return to earth to help others along the path - with wisdom - not do the work for them. Horus was to preserve justice everywhere forever. Lofty concepts to be sure! But these principles are also as profound as it gets. In these cases the individual must work and labor and in the end cannot lean on anything other than the divine within themselves. It is a profound concept of spiritual self-reliance that most be continuously renewed and strengthened.

Perhaps Christianity came to believe that all these high attainments were impossible for the average man. But what makes Christianity less profound for me is the way it lowers the expectation and aspiration of the average man by placing the final goal of all religion completely out of reach, as if for all time it were the sole prerogative and privilege of God's "Only Begotten Son" - who was taken back up into heaven in body form. This idea is so entrenched in so many people's minds that most have come to assume that the Egyptians also believed in the bodily resurrrection which they most emphatically did not. Again and again we read in the Pyramid Texts that what ascends, what departs the body is the ka, the spirit-state of the individual. It is stated with perfect clarity that the mummified body remains in its tomb, carefully guarded in places like the Valley of the Kings here below.

To become as profound as Buddhism, Christianity needs to reform some aspects of the Four Gospels. It has driven a wedge between its own adherents and countless self-respecting, reverential, but reasonable-minded individuals who would prefer to learn more about the meaning of spiritual resurrection - the mystical reunion of man and the Divine - than to be intimidated into accepting that the Sole Son of God, born of a virgin - which violates our understanding of the mysteries of biological development (not to mention function), was the only one capable of resurrection following a questionable crucifixion that has only served to confuse that principle as well.

This lacks depth. It lacks understanding. It lacks compassion. And it lacks the method for teaching compassion, not that compassion is easy to learn in any religion.

And I repeat, the way the mysterious crucifixion has been handled has only served to drive a painful wedge between Jews and Christians - another unfortunate leftover from two thousand years ago. But in the meanwhile we also learn very little about the archetype, or principle, or meaning, or significance of the crucifixion which must precede the resurrection if the resurrection is to occur at all. Christianity teaches only the dark, evil side of the crucifixion, when in all religious paths it is known that the crucifixion is an inner phase that brings about both rectification and purification that in turn precedes the famed mystical marriage between male and female. Christianity has turned the crucifixion into an act of barbaric betrayal and ignorant cruelty instead of teaching its true function within the true religious path that leads to an exaltation of spirit.

Buddhism teaches a sacred science that allows an individual to be transformed by these principles all the way to enlightenment - which is to say all the way to mystical illumination and integration.

The New Testament is filled with nuggets of gold, seeds of wisdom. But it uses intimidation and harshness where deep wisdom and gentle understanding would go much further to encourage people to seek a better state of being. I believe that Buddhist compassion envelops that religion like a placenta. And for me this imparts a certain profundity that I find has been expelled from Christianity.

This is the best I can do for now with your profound question Third P. Many more pages would be required to equal the profundity of the question.

Answer 2

I would like to start by saying that Buddhism is not a religion, unlike Christianity, it is a philosophy.

Buddhism is about self improvement. It takes you on a journey of self discovery. It teaches you to be realistic, appreciate the beauty of the world, take only what you need, not what you want and to practice meditation. There is no God, you are not required to worship anyone and you are encouraged to treat everything (including animals and insects) equally.

Christianity is a religion. You are told what to believe and told who to worship. It seems to be very rigid in its teachings. You are told what is right and wrong. You are told that you will go to Hell for 'sinful' behaviour and you will go to Heaven for living a life of goodness and purity. You are not encouraged to question the Bible's teachings, but you are taught to follow them.

For its time, Christianity served its purpose. It has been used for hundreds of years to teach people right from wrong, often using fear to control the masses. Unfortunately, there is no evidence for which Christianity is based upon, i.e. there is no physical being that we can call God. It relies on pure faith. Whereas with Buddhism, it does not require evidence as you are not told to believe in anything. You are given a set of rules and taught to question them, you find out for yourself why they work - I think this demonstrates the strength of Buddhism. The only proof is our own experiences, and this is evident to all of us.

Both religions have similar teachings as the Noble Eight-fold Path and the last 5 Commandments are virtually the same rules, just rephrased. Yet the way in which you are taught them differs dramatically.

Buddhism is a much more personal and enlightening experience and for that reason, I feel that it is more profound.

Answer 3

I think it is terrible to compare religions in this manner. You shouldn't even try to imply one religion is great than the other. Of course if you ask a Buddhist they would say they are more profound and if you asked a Christian they would say the same about their own. I am a Buddhist and I practice it's philosophy but I would never imply that Christianity is less profound. They are equally as profound. Once you start to say things like 'mine is bigger than yours' type of thing you begin to degrade your own. I think it is insulting and patronizing not to mention childish.
I do not mean to admonish you but your question should not be posed in this manner.

MY OPINION.

Thank you for reading

EDIT
You say you are asking in a philosophical context. What is you point in posing this question? Please explain what your mean when you say it is from a philosophical context.
Thank you.

Answer 4

If I compare philosophies just from a mechanical perspective one could say that the messages of Jesus and the Buddha are very similar. Peace, love, nonviolence, simplicity, compassion. If I take a closer look at what they ask of you then I would say they are profound in different ways. Christianity asks you to believe what you read in the Bible and follow the message of Jesus without question and fail. Buddhism asks you to follow a different set of truths and precepts but it is a path and the more you question the path the further you walk along the path. There is evolution in Buddhism as a human being. Buddhism is about actions. You can read all the dharma you want but if you do not carry it out into the world then you are not a Buddhist. I believe that a Christian can also grow enormously but they must first be willing to step outside the basics and really dedicate themselves to the message of Jesus. I have met profound Buddhists and profound Christians. These people walk their paths with no ego. It is quite lovely when you meet such people.

Answer 5

Hi Third P.

No, I think that Christianity is far more profound than Buddhism.

Buddhism is a philosophy created by a human being. Granted, the idealogy is very good; there are many positive thoughts that I agree with. Christianity is not a philosophy, but a religion. That is where the difference lies. Christianity comes from God who sent His Son to earth to teach us the proper way to live & to love.

Also, Christianity teaches us that Jesus rose from the dead & ascended into Heaven. Nothing can be more profound than that!

Peace.

Answer 6

The big difference between them philosophically is that Christianity has a more complex model of an unseen world, evoking issues like sinfulness, the Fall, God, incarnation, the Trinity, atonement and so forth, and Christian thinkers seem to have to work quite hard to justify and explain their positions. I think Christianity started off with a less overt philosophical background. It may be influenced by Stoicism, but this isn't acknowledged in Scripture, and i generally get the impression that it has to "twist and turn" a lot to make sense of its world view in philosophical terms, which is what theology traditionally is. It has to do a lot to make what it needs to, intellectually, out of very little. This situation is exacerbated by the concept of canonical scripture, which is particularly firmly defined in Christianity. Even Judaism and Islam have the Talmud and Hadith.

By contrast, Buddhism has less that has to be taken on faith, and it can be more broadly based because the canon is broader owing to the lack of a concept of revealed knowledge. Its origins seem more philosophical than Christianity, and it is more welcoming of reinterpretation than Christianity is.

Answer 7

I'm a Buddhist with a master's degree in Christian theology. To me, this question is rather like asking "Is French profounder than German?"

At its healthy core, even though the languages differ, human spirituality is all about an intimate appreciation of what is most simply true -- and what is most simply true is before language.
.

Answer 8

I think that Buddhism will be more profound for a Buddhist and Christianity will be more profound for a Christian; religious beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I think. I've studied both, along with other religions and denominations, and do feel that a true Buddhist life style is very beautiful though, I'm not a Buddhist but learnt an awful lot about how to treat myself and other people through my research.
You have a great day too!

Answer 9

I think Buddhism is more profound than Christianity because a Buddhist has to find his or her own way to enlightenment. It is a struggle for self-growth and improvement, rather blind obedience to a doctrine.
Moreover, Buddhists believe God lives in all natural things. Most of all, God lives inside of each and every one of us, so if we want to love God, we need to love ourselves. By loving ourselves we become overall more loving and compassionate and connect to life and all the wonders in it.
No guilt, no penance, no 10 Hail Mary's to erase a "sin".
Buddhism works on so many levels; Christianity had some good ideas as a philosophy but they quickly changed or erased by the Church which felt threatened by them.

Answer 10

in accordance to the edicts of A?oka,interior the 0.33 century BC emissaries have been despatched to varied worldwide places west of India with a view to unfold Buddhism (Dharma), extremely in jap provinces of the neighboring Seleucid Empire, or maybe farther to Hellenistic kingdoms of the Mediterranean. This led, a century later, to the emergence of Greek-conversing Buddhist monarchs interior the Indo-Greek Kingdom, and to the form of the Greco-Buddhist paintings of Gandh?ra. in this era Buddhism replaced into uncovered to one in each and every of those impacts, from Persian and Greek civilization, and from changing developments in non-Buddhist Indian religions – themselves inspired by way of Buddhism. this is an argument of war of words between pupils no remember if or no longer those emissaries have been observed by way of Buddhist missionaries. on a similar time as this makes it available, this is unbelievable. as Yeshua (Jesus) replaced right into a Jew and an observantt Jew would not positioned yet another god earlier his God. besides Yeshua replaced into unfavorable. no longer something interior the bible helps him having a suitable training in Galileee. If Buddhism could have been taught it could have been in Jerusalem and Yeshua did no longer bypass to college that a techniques from his abode..The donkey journey could take days.

Answer 11

Some sects of Buddhism also have escapist aspects or rely heavily on secret words and are heavy on ceremony to substitute for thought. Saying Buddhism is like saying department of philosophy. Take your pick.
The sect I follow is based on recognizing universal aspects of life with a minimum of ceremony and no priesthood to get in the way and feel serenely superior to lay followers.
In the happy, and theoretical, situation of freedom of choice and wide distribution of knowledge, people will settle on a practice that suits their psychological needs.