Buddha and Jesus: Two Sermons on Mount

BBC 4 (Jesus Was a Buddhist Monk); Narada Thera (trans), Mangala Sutta: "Blessings" (Khp 5); Light of the Spirit; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

What do Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu have in common? Richard Hooper (patheos.com)

Hinduism calls Krishna, Christ, and the Buddha incarnations (avatars) of Vishnu, the sustainer.

It isn't easy founding a universal Dharma, a doctrine, a world religion, right, Jay? - Yeah, Sid.

.

The Christ's "Sermon on the Mount" is a lot like the Buddha's Mangala Sutta

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

3. Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5. Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

7. Blessed are those who hunger

and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

10. Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

12. Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

14. Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

16. Blessed are those who are persecuted

because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven....

BBC: Jesus was a Buddhist monk (doc)

Jesus in India (Holger Kersten)

(Brian Oblivion) 12/19/11. The interesting bit begins at Minute 38. This BBC 4 documentary examines the question, "Did Jesus die?" It looks at many ideas around this question until Minute 25, when this examination of ideas takes a very logical and grounded turn with surprising conclusions that demonstrate that the Three Wise Men were Tibetan Buddhist monks who sought and found Jesus/Yeshua/Issa (as a tulku) and came back for him about the time of puberty. At that time, they traveled to the Buddhist monastery known as Hemis Gompa in India, traveling with Jewish merchants who regularly crossed between the two regions. After being trained in that Buddhist monastery or lamasery (gompa), Jesus spread the Buddhist philosophy, survived the crucifixion (through bribery and complicity of corrupt Roman guards), and escaped back to Kashmir, Afghanistan, where he died an old man at the age of 80 and was buried at his marked grave. The monastery housed written records of all this, as discovered by Westerner Nicolas Notovitch and made known to a skeptical world. Their presence was verified and corroborated by Swami Abhedananda.

• The Christ of India: The Story of Original Christianity by Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke)

Has anyone read Luke 22:36 or Matthew 10:34?

The Sermon on the Mount is very good as a sutra (spiritual discourse, sermon). It may be understood in Buddhist terms. However, the opening sentence (Line 1) defies comprehension. Who are "the poor in spirit," the followers of Christs/Christians? They are "the poor," but they have spirit (spiritus, Holy Ghost, paraclete).

Line 3 seems to be a blessing he is imparting, assuring followers that he will comfort them later (when they inherit the results of their karma (phala and vipaka) for the good deeds done here.

Line 5's "meek" would seem to be the humble, the awakened (who are free of the delusion of ego and are therefore not proud as arrogant and defiant humans tend to be, the kind and compassionate. But as they "inherit the earth," which is to say are reborn on this lowly human plane rather than one of the lowly celestial/space/heavenly worlds (sagga), the meek would seem to be those did not have heart and the courageousness to stand up for what is right.

Line 7 indicates that those who are courageous and stand up for what is right (righteousness) will find their reward or fortunate outcome as a result of this skillful karma (beneficial deed) because they will see fulfillment of it: Skillful karma (merit) will beget welcome results.

Line 10 is even more clear in teaching the Buddha's message of karma, which elsewhere Jesus explains as "You reap what you sow," which is to say we will harvest what we have planted in terms of karmic seeds. Like begets like. Good begets good.

Matt 10:34 meaning: "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword "
It gets harder and for apologists to rationalize Jesus' words.

Countless worlds in 31 classifications

Line 12 is a clear declaration that those who gain purity of heart as a result are reborn in a heavenly place (and in accordance with some Christian schools as in all Buddhist schools, there are many heavens or levels of heaven (sagga), among the 31 Planes of Existence beings find themselves reborn in). There are countless worlds, but they have been classified into 31 major groupings or planes. For example, we are in the human plane. But that does not mean earth. Earth is but one place humans/humanoids exist throughout a world system (cakkavala).

Line 14 is perhaps the most interesting. The karma of being a "peacemaker" will result in a particularly good outcome, rebirth among the devas (shining ones, light beings, angels, deities, godlings). That is called becoming a devaputra, literally a "son of God," but figuratively refers to being "reborn among devas," which includes females in the Sensual Sphere heavens, at least up to Seventh Heaven. Above that, the brahmas (more radiant devas) do not have sexual dimorphism and therefore are neither male nor female).

Line 16 similarly assures followers/practitioners of Christ's doctrine will be pleased for the hardships endured in the name of what is right. Standing up for what is right is not easy, but that kind of karma (action) comes with very pleasant results (fruit and resultants). These are not literally "rewards" meted out by anyone but natural consequences of the Law of Karma, the regularity in the universe to produce results in accordance with types of intentional-actions. The result of following this advice will be rebirth in a heaven for some duration.

• NOTE: Consulting a Protestant Christian to explain some words and passages, we were made aware of a book on Vedanta (Hinduism's "Best of the Vedas") that goes line by line, agreeing with Christ: The Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta by Swami Prabhavananda.

Sermon on Mount According to Vedanta

In Buddhist terms this is relatively good but not worthy of pursuing. It is far better to pursue the end of rebirth and therefore the end of all suffering (nirvana). But most beings are not interested in that. They far prefer exhaustible rewards. Reborn in a heaven, one experiences the pleasant fruits of one's actions. But the unskillful deeds have not been exhausted, excused, expunged, extirpated or anything else. They are still there to be experienced. So one falls from that lofty height onto this or lower planes and experiences much suffering on account of the. The idea that "sin is forgiven" in the sense of eliminated is completely mistaken.

Indeed, a God may look the other way on bad deeds of the past while recognizing and approving of good deeds. But both sets of deeds have not gone away. They cannot be made to go away by magic. Only by awakening/enlightenment do deeds cease to control us for long. While we linger on in this world or another, they certainly will keep affecting us for good and ill, for a pleasant and unpleasant abiding. But be that as it may -- with Christianity being quite like Hinduism in its promise of "eternal" rewards in heaven -- what Jesus has here is an excellent message, not the "liberal talking points" Evangelical Christians are accusing the American Protestant Church of promoting for the sake of a temporal leader named Trump.

Blessings: The Buddha's Sermon on the Mount (Mangala Sutra)

Jesus Christ (Saint Issa) was a Buddhist monk, claims the BBC. He traveled to India

.

The Buddha in earliest Gandhara/Afghan art

Thus have I heard [1]. On one occasion the Buddha was dwelling at the multimillionaire's monastery, in Jeta's Grove [2], near Savatthi [3].

Now when the night was far spent, a certain deity [deva, light being, angel, lit. a "shining one"] whose surpassing splendor illuminated the entire grove, came into the presence of the Buddha.

Drawing near, the deity saluted him and stood respectfully to one side. Standing there, he addressed the Buddha in verse:

"Many deities and humans, yearning after the good, have pondered blessings [4]. Tell me, what are the greatest blessings?"

[The Buddha replied:] "To not associate with the foolish [5] but to associate with the wise; to honor those worthy of honor — this is the greatest blessing.

"To reside in a suitable location [6], to have done meritorious deeds [skillful karma, profitable actions] in the past and to set oneself on the right course [7] — this is the greatest blessing.

"To have acquired much learning, to be skillful in some craft [8], well-trained in discipline [9], and to be of good speech [10] — this is the greatest blessing.

"To support mother and father, to cherish spouse and children, and to be engaged in a peaceful occupation* — this is the greatest blessing.

• *Peaceful occupation: "Right livelihood" (sammā-ājīva): abstaining from a means of self-support that brings harm to others, such as the weapons trade, dealing in living beings (trafficking, slavery, exploitation), intoxicating drinks, poisons; slaughtering animals, fishing, soldiering, deceit, treachery, soothsaying, trickery, usury, and so on.

"To be generous in giving, to be righteous in conduct [11], to assist one's relatives, and to be blameless in deeds — this is the greatest blessing.

"To loathe the doing of harm and to abstain from it, to refrain from intoxicants [12], and to be steadfast in virtue — this is the greatest blessing.

"To be respectful [13], humble, contented, and grateful; to listen to the Dhamma [Teaching] on suitable occasions [14] — this is the greatest blessing.

"To be patient and trainable, to associate with monastics, and to have spiritual discussions on suitable occasions — this is the greatest blessing.

"Self-restraint [15] a pure and chaste life, the perception of the Ennobling Truths and the realization of nirvana — this is the greatest blessing.

"A mind unruffled by the vagaries of fortune [16], from sorrow freed, from defilements cleansed, from fear liberated [17] — this is the greatest blessing.

• *Eight vicissitudes of life, otherwise known as the Eight Worldly Winds or Conditions: (1) loss and (2) gain, (3) fame and (4) shame, (5) praise and (6) blame, (7) misery and (8) happiness (the attha loka dhamma that oppose sweet contentment).

"Those who thus abide ever remain invincible, in happiness established. These are the greatest blessings" [18]. 

NOTES (derived mainly from the ancient Buddhist Commentaries)

On second thought, get a sword.

1. This sutra appears in the Sutta Nipata (v.258ff) and in the Khuddakapatha. See Maha-mangala Jataka (No. 453). For a detailed explanation, see Life's Highest Blessing by Dr. R. L. Soni, Wheel No. 254/256 (bps.lk).

2. Anathapindika: an epithet that literally means "One who gives alms to the helpless." His name was Sudatta, a very rich and prominent merchant/banker from Savatthi. After he became a Buddhist and attained the first stage of enlightenment as a layperson, he purchased a grove belonging to Prince Jeta to establish a Buddhist monastery (vihara) on the land, which was subsequently called Jetavana ("Jeta's Grove"). It was in this monastery that the Buddha observed most of his Rains Retreat (Vas) periods (the annual three months' period of not wandering but remaining in one monastery, beginning on the full moon of July). Many are the sutras delivered and many the incidents connected with the Buddha's life at Jeta's Grove. He ministered to a sick monk who was neglected by his companions, advising them: "Whoever, monks, would wait upon me, let him wait upon the sick." It was here that the Buddha poignantly taught that all things are radically impermanent, by asking a grief-stricken young mother named Kisagotami who carried around her dead child, to fetch some mustard seed from a home where no one had ever died.

3. Identified with modern Sahet-Mahet, near Balrampur.

4. According to the Commentary, mangala means that which is conducive to happiness and prosperity. 5. This refers not only to the stupid and uncultured, but also includes the wicked in thought, word, or deed.

6. Any place where monks, nuns, and lay men and women continually reside, where the pious are bent on the performance of the ten meritorious deeds, and where the Dharma exists as a living practice.

7. Making the right resolve (intention) for abandoning immorality for virtue, doubt for faith, and selfish self-interest for sharing and generosity.

8. The harmless crafts or occupations of a householder are those by which no living being is injured and nothing unrighteous done; this includes the crafts of left-home monastics, such as stitching robes, etc.

9. Vinaya is the Monastic Code of Discipline in thought, word, and deed. The Commentary speaks of two kinds of discipline, that of householders, which is abstaining from the ten unskillful actions (akusala-kammapatha) and that of monastics, which refers to the non-transgression of the offences enumerated in the Patimokkha (the Code of Monastic Rules) or the "fourfold moral purity" (catu-parisuddhi-sila).

10. Good speech that is opportune, truthful, friendly, profitable, and spoken with thoughts of loving-kindness.

11. Righteous conduct is the observance of the ten skillful actions (kusala-kammapatha) in thought, word, and deed: freeing the mind of greed (lust), hatred (aversion), and delusion (wrong views); avoiding speech that is untruthful, slanderous, abusive, or frivolous; and abstaining from all acts of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct (defined as celibacy for monastics and avoiding the ten forbidden partners for laypeople).

12. Total abstinence from alcohol and intoxicating drugs that occasion heedlessness.

13. Towards monastics (and also other religieux), teachers, parents, elders, superiors, etc.

14. For instance, when one is harassed by unskillful/unwholesome thoughts.

15. Self-restraint (tapo): the suppression of lust and hate by the guarding of the senses; the suppression of laziness by rousing energy.

16. Loka-dhamma, i.e., conditions necessarily connected with the world; there are eight of them: gain and loss, honor and dishonor, praise and blame, pain and joy.

17. Each of these three expressions refers to the mind of a full enlightened person (arahant): asoka (sorrowless), viraja (stainless), i.e., free of passion (lust), aversion (hatred), and ignorance (delusion), khema (security from the bonds of sense desires or kama, rebirth (bhava), wrong views (ditthi), and ignorance (avijja).

18. The above-mentioned 38 blessings.

Background to the Mangala Sutta (sutra)

What leads to blessing/great benefit?

Why did the Buddha call these things "blessings" in his "Sermon on (Great) Blessings"?

According to Western Buddhist monk Ven. Nyanatiloka, these 37 or 38 mangalāni ("blessings" or "beneficial things"), include avoiding fools, associating with the wise, honoring those worthy of honor, and so on (Khp.pp.2f). They are actions that lead to welcome results.

The Commentary (KhpA.vii.; SNA.i.300) explains that at the time this discourse was preached, there was a discussion across the whole of this world (Jambudīpa) trying to decide what was and wasn't a mangala.

The devas ("angels") heard this discussion and debated among themselves until the matter spread to the highest brahma world.

Then Sakka, King of the Devas (Buddhism's Archangel Michael figure) suggested that a devaputta ("one reborn among the devas") should visit the Buddha on earth and ask him about the matter.

In the Sutta Nipāta (SN., pp. 46f) this discourse is called Mahāmangala ("Great Blessings"). It is one of the sutras at the preaching of which countless devas were present and countless beings realized the Truth (SNA.i.174; BuA.243; AA.i.57,320).