A Christian response to Buddhism
Buddhism began around 600 B.C. and it's main focus is on the escape of Suffering. A man that came to be known as the Buddha taught that in understanding how we create suffering for ourselves we can become free. This raises many questions like, "Do we create suffering for ourselves? Can we escape suffering? Are we supposed to run from our Hard times? etc. The name Buddha means "Enlightened one" and we must remember that Buddha was a man. The life of Guatama Buddha was spent exalting His teachings about suffering and to escape this is true salvation. This week we are going to focus on some aspects of Buddhism and the Christian response to them. Let us begin with suffering.
Read Mathew 16:21-28 What questions do you have after reading this?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Answer the following question:
What did Jesus say he would do in verse 21?
_______________________________________________________________________________
If we follow Jesus do we have to suffer?
_______________________________________________________________________________
How does suffering profit us?
_______________________________________________________________________________
The name Buddha means to enlighten. The webster's dictionary tells us that to enlighten means to make clear, to enable to see more clearly, to instruct. Buddha taught about suffering and the escape of in order that his students might see more clearly, but this suffering that he taught about was the suffering in this world and not of the spirit world. So what Buddha was teaching was how to escape reality and enter into a state of denial. Jesus taught that anyone that desires to follow Him, they must deny themselves and take up their cross. Not to deny that suffering exists and try to escape into unreality but to acknowledge the reality of suffering and see it's value. This is true enlightenment when one come to realize and grasp onto God's reality.
Read Ephesians 1:17-20 What questions do you have after reading this?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Answer the following questions:
Who gives us wisdom?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Why or for what purpose does God give us the spirit of wisdom?
_______________________________________________________________________________
When we are enlightened what have we learned?
_______________________________________________________________________________
About the goal of Buddhist practice, Nirvana is the goal and Nirvana is described as "the egoless state of bliss" The word bliss is defined as the "state of perfect happiness."The word Nirvana means "the extinguishing of a flame from the lack of fuel." This means to end all cravings and passions and to exist by denying the reality of life. This is where you might find the phrase "ignorance is bliss" To act like you don't know or to deny truth doesn't allow us to escape it's realities or the future consequences of it.
Read Romans 1:18-32 What questions do you have after reading this?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Answer the following questions:
Do we have any excuse for not knowing God and who God is?
_______________________________________________________________________________
What happens to those who exchange the truth of God for another so-called happiness?
_______________________________________________________________________________
What happens if we are to worship a carved image of a man instead of God?
_______________________________________________________________________________
True freedom is not freedom from earlthy suffering or from denying the reality of the world as we know it today. True freedom comes from Jesus Christ who tells us "I am the way, the truth, and the life. True deliverance and freedom came to us when Christ died on the cross and led our captivity, captive. Our former captivity is now enslaved because Jesus paid the price for us. No man or an image of a man can give us this freedom. No state of denial can allow us to escape into heaven. There is only one way and that is through Jesus Christ our risen Lord and Savior.
Read Psalm 91:1-16 What questions do you have after reading this?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Answer the following questions:
Who can deliver us from suffering?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Why would He deliver us?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Read Exodus 20:3-17 What questions do you have after reading this?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Can we find many different ways to escape reality and to run from suffering? Name some of the ways that people utilize today to try to achieve thir own state of "Nirvana"
Does Sex, drugs, Acohol, gambling, excessive eating, play a part for some people in escaping reality?
Name some things that Jesus would like you to do instead:
_______________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for participating in week eight "A Christian response to Buddhism." If you have any questions or would like to respond please contact us using the feedback form below.
SFC Feedback Form - Please fill out the form below: