Is it alright for a Buddhist to pray to lord Jesus?

[sky]

Originally Posted by markings

It is best to keep Jesus and Buddha apart.
Jesus was not enlightened.

I think Jesus is one of the greatest enlightened masters, as is Buddha and they should not be kept apart. Although they spoke a different language their teachings are basically the same.

Living Buddha, living Christ written by TNH is a very good book showing the similarities and is well worth reading.

[sky]

Originally Posted by markings

Let's broaden this a little. What if the intention is good, the result bad but it was really none of your business?

If the intention is good..... it's good, regardless of the outcome.

[markings]

Originally Posted by sky123

I think Jesus is one of the greatest enlightened masters, as is Buddha and they should not be kept apart. Although they spoke a different language their teachings are basically the same.

Living Buddha, living Christ written by TNH is a very good book showing the similarities and is well worth reading.

Superficial similarities in terms teaching but not in terms of purpose and the outcome or end goal. I think that final purpose of the teaching determines whether they are similar or not.

[markings]

Originally Posted by sky123

If the intention is good..... it's good, regardless of the outcome.

I don't think so. If it is none of your business, then the intention is inherently flawed, although the person may be under the illusion that they do good.
Does a delusional good intention count as good intention?

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by markings

It is best to keep Jesus and Buddha apart.
Jesus was not enlightened.

Why do you say that?

Does not his teachings fit dharma?

Does not his siddhis fit those of a realized master?

Does not saying that the father and I are one not a realization of oneness?

Seems pretty obvious to me.

Originally Posted by Elohim

Jesus was a Buddha( Enlightenment ) , google Budhha Tissa/Issa , you will know


Mediation is easy and free , no money involved
Just Google ,Pyramid meditation , its focusing on breath energy

I am sorry Elohim I can't agree with what you say.Jesus was not a Buddha. A Buddha after parinirvana/death will never be born again.Anyone enlightened will not born again.They cease the cycle of samsara.Jesus is still alive in heaven.

[markings]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

Why do you say that?

Does not his teachings fit dharma?

Does not his siddhis fit those of a realized master?

Does not saying that the father and I are one not a realization of oneness?

Seems pretty obvious to me.

The Buddha's teachings are based on monism, Jesus stays in dualism. Because of that Jesus' teachings are not equivalent to dharma teachings.

No amount of 'I and the father are one' gets around that. It is like saying a wife, husband and children are one family. They are one on a family level but on an individual level they are, and remain separate. There is no true oneness in that.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by markings

The Buddha's teachings are based on monism, Jesus stays in dualism. Because of that Jesus' teachings are not equivalent to dharma teachings.

No amount of 'I and the father are one' gets around that. It is like saying a wife, husband and children are one family. They are one on a family level but on an individual level they are, and remain separate. There is no true oneness in that.

No the church teaches dualism, read what Jesus himself said.

3. Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father's) kingdom is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."

Again move beyond what the church has taught you. Even Eastern Orthodox Christianity believes in oneness with God.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by FrankieJG

I am sorry Elohim I can't agree with what you say.Jesus was not a Buddha. A Buddha after parinirvana/death will never be born again.Anyone enlightened will not born again.They cease the cycle of samsara.Jesus is still alive in heaven.

Where did Jesus say heaven was?

Also his arising in form is just like a couple of other Buddhas in history.

Are you familiar with the three kayas?

[Bohdiyana]

Originally Posted by FrankieJG

Jesus was not a Buddha.

I think your argument that Jesus is different from Buddha is valid from a religious stand point as Christianity's view of Jesus is vastly different from Buddhism's view of Buddha. Jesus was God in Christianity. Buddhism does not define Buddha as a God. However, I think those who are stating a belief in similarities are ignoring the religious component. They are visualizing Buddha and Jesus outside of the religions that document their teachings and lives which is pretty interesting. Because really, if you are conceptualizing these religious figures outside of their respective religions, how are you deciding what aspects of their lives are true or false since these assertions come from within the religions? It's basically the philosophy of comparative religion which believes all humans are inherently the same regardless of what religion they follow, therefore, looking at things through the discipline of comparative religion, people can come to a conclusion that whatever Buddha realized was what Jesus realized. Or something like Buddhist meditation is the same as Christian contemplation.

Originally Posted by FrankieJG

Anyone enlightened will not be born again.They cease the cycle of samsara.

The Dalia Lamas are said to be born again. I think the Tibetan Buddhist view is "enlightened" beings (or perhaps we mean Bodhisattvas?) can be born again. The difference is a Bodhisattva chooses to be reborn out of compassion while while a normal person reincarnates due to karma. I think in Tibetan Buddhism the point that determines no more lives is not "enlightenment" but perhaps the concepts of full liberation or the attainment of nirvana, or Buddhahood?

Today's living 14th Dalai Lama states:

we need to accept the existence of past and future lives. Sentient beings come to this present life from their previous lives and take rebirth again after death. Generally, Buddhists believe that that once we achieve liberation, we will not be reborn, but most Buddhist philosophical schools do not accept that the mind-stream comes to an end. 14th Dalia Lama

https://www.dalailama.com/the-dalai-.../reincarnation

Personally, I do think there is a point in spiritual development where not only does rebirth in a human physical body no longer take place for the conscious energy, it also cannot take place due to the incompatibility of the current conscious energies state with the energies of this lower and denser physical form or human body. In other words, you reach a point in your spiritual development where you cannot merge with the energies of a human physical body anymore. The nature of your energy would no longer be able to exist in this form.

People who have been hypnotically regressed have stated they have seen "souls" (visual forms of mind stream or conscious energy) in the astral world in violet or ultra violet hues while on earth no soul has ever been seen in any hue above blue. It seems once you move beyond the blue hues, you can no longer incarnate on earth. I assume it's because of the nature of your energy at that point because I figure if it was a choice, you would occasionally see these violets on earth and hypnotists who have done thousands of regressions have never found one here. The "elders' and "guides" that exist in the astral world have simply stopped incarnating on earth or in physical forms. They can assist beings on earth through their minds so no longer have a need or purpose for a physical body or a physical incarnation.