{"id":198,"date":"2023-06-15T05:45:40","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T10:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/formedbyaflame\/?p=198"},"modified":"2023-06-15T00:13:49","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T05:13:49","slug":"buddha-versus-jesus-comparing-4-truths-in-socrates-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/formedbyaflame\/2023\/06\/buddha-versus-jesus-comparing-4-truths-in-socrates-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Buddha versus Jesus: Comparing 4 Truths in Socrates’ Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\r\n

Socrates\u2019 Children: Vol 1 \u2013 By Dr. Peter Kreeft<\/a> (Photo by A. Laflamme)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<\/p>

Growing up, I never learned about Buddha, Buddhism<\/a>, or the daily life of Buddhists beyond basic knowledge and seeing the occasional statue in a gift shop. One high school class on \u201cIndia and Southeast Asia\u201d covered the topic for a week or so, but I have never had a desire to truly investigate Eastern philosophies outside of basic awareness. I don\u2019t think I shied away from Buddha out of fear of being swayed. Rather, I didn\u2019t feel a need for Buddha. I had Jesus. But what if it\u2019s not strictly Buddha versus Jesus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Comparing Buddha versus Jesus<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \ In Peter Kreeft\u2019s first volume of Socrates\u2019 Children<\/em>, there is a brief overview of Buddha beginning with the fact that Buddha is not a name. Gotama would be the name, and Buddha would be the title. Gotama was called Buddha, meaning \u201cawakened\u201d, the way Jesus is called \u201cChrist\u201d, or \u201cannointed\u201d.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Four Truths<\/h3>\r\n \ After an introduction to the person, Kreeft also lays out Buddha\u2019s Four Nobel Truths:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nTo live is to suffer<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSuffering is caused by desire<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe way to end suffering, is to end desire<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTo remove desire, follow the Nobel Eightfold Path<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n* ** *Compare these four truths, Buddha vs. Jesus. Jesus\u2019 truths have a similar structure:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nThe symptom is Death<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDeath is caused by sin<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe way to end death, is to have Eternal Life<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nEternal Life is possible by divine grace\r\n\r\n(Romans 6:23)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n* ** The structure here is similar in logic, but the biggest difference I see is the ending. Look at the two fourth truths: follow the eightfold path vs. divine grace. Buddha\u2019s plan relies on our action, following the path. Sure, it also takes our participation to be open to God\u2019s divine grace, but in the end we are reliant on God to do the heavy lifting.<\/p>\r\n ** *\u201cFollowing the Path\u201d sounds similar to \u201cPick up your cross and follow me<\/strong><\/em>.\u201d Yet, the key difference is that there is a person and relationship involved in the latter \u2013 \u201cthe Path\u201d vs. \u201cMe\u201d.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The Path<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n*** ** That Buddhist fourth truth states to follow an Eightfold path. What is this Eightfold path? It is striving to be \u201cright\u201d in understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n ** ***My first thought is that these almost sound like something out of the sermon on the mount! But what would Jesus say? Jesus tells us the greatest commandment: to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Then secondly, to love your neighbor as yourself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n "Jesus replied: \u201c\u2018Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.\u2019 This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: \u2018Love your neighbor as yourself.\u2019 Matthew 22:37-39<\/cite><\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n***** ** Will \u201cright\u201d in understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration help us to love God and neighbor? I would say that they can, but only if we have the proper understanding of \u201cright\u201d.<\/p>\r\n ** *****In a secular or relativistic culture with many definitions of \u201cright\u201d, one could be led in any direction. However, rooted in the Tradition and teachings of the Church, we can learn what is \u201cright\u201d and pursue that life.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The Goal<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I\u2019d like to look back to our \u201c4 truths\u201d. The stated goal of the Buddhist philosophy<\/a> is to end suffering. The goal of Christianity is rather different, to end death.<\/p>\r\n For comparison, it\u2019s stated in a similar format as the Buddhist, \u201cto end<\/em> death<\/strong>\u201c. Yet, I would argue it is more so about the positive, \u201cto gain<\/em> eternal life<\/strong>\u201d which is actually possible through suffering and death.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Jesus even tells us in the Beatitudes \u201cBlessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness\u2019 sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.\u201d (Matthew 5:10<\/a>), or \u201cIf any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.\u201d (Matthew 16:24<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Suffering for the Christian, is not the disease. Christians embrace suffering as a way of uniting our lived experience with Jesus. We \u201ccarry our cross\u201d and even appreciate it as a means of growing closer in relationship with God who gives the divine grace.<\/p>\r\n Not \u201cWhat\u201d is the Goal, but \u201cWho\u201d?<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n******* ** *******The end goal is the major difference for Buddha versus Jesus. Buddha did not claim to be God or have a God. Instead he told of nirvana, a state of no more desires. Thus, no more suffering. For Jesus, he preached of a Kingdom, and a relationship with God in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Learning From Buddha to Know Jesus<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n********* ** I think in the end, we can learn from Buddha. We can use some of his insights, while remaining rooted in the Church, to grow closer to our end goal, Jesus.<\/p>\r\n ** Coincidentally, my brother recently gifted me a copy of The Mindful Catholic<\/em> by Dr. Gregory Bottaro with a forward by Peter Kreeft. In the forward, Kreeft says \u201cBy the way, this is not a Buddhist book. It is a Christian and Catholic book. It does not lead you into nothingness or emptiness but into everything \u2013 especially into God.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n ** I am very aware that my brain is all over the place. So I look forward to diving into this book and learning what I can from this practice with the peace of being rooted in Catholic Tradition! Stay tuned for how that goes.<\/p>\r\n ** *********\r\n Read more\u00a0Formed by a Flame<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0Subscribe to the\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/em>Newsletter<\/i><\/b><\/a>!<\/p>\r\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Growing up, I never learned about Buddha, Buddhism, or the daily life of Buddhists beyond basic knowledge and seeing the occasional statue in a gift shop. One high school class on \u201cIndia and Southeast Asia\u201d covered the topic for a week or so, but I have never had a desire to truly investigate Eastern philosophies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5058,"featured_media":201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[54,57,12,110,51,60],"class_list":["post-198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-books","tag-buddha","tag-catholic","tag-jesus","tag-philosophy","tag-suffering"],"yoast_head":"\nBuddha versus Jesus: Comparing 4 Truths in Socrates' Children<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A very brief look at Buddha versus Jesus as philosophers using Peter Kreeft's Socrates' Children, Volume 1. 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