Gnosticism and Buddhism

Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Hindu = Christian = Muslim = Mahayana Buddhist

Gnosticism and Buddhism? The Gnostic tradition is not limited to Christianity.

It also shows up in the Catholic-like Mahayana ("Great Vehicle") school of Buddhism, which represents 90% of Buddhists and teaches things the historical Buddha never said, much like modifications of Bible stories in Christianity.

It contains elements that are essentially the same as Mithraism (Rome and England's pre-Christian mass appeal religion), universalism in Christianity (Catholicism), and devotional Hinduism.

The central figure, for example, is an ahistorical buddha (really a celestial God) named Amitabha in a heavenly Western Paradise, who is overshadowed in popularity by a female divinity -- Kwan Yin (the Goddess of Compassion), an idolized "Mary" figure.

Even Islam teaches reliance on some "future savior" -- a Messiah (Christian), Maitreya (Buddhism), or Madhi (Islam) -- and other universalism basics.

• Marianism: Worship of Mary in the Catholic Church