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

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by Bohdiyana

Ah so many Buddhist's do pray. Prayer wheels duh lol I forgot bout those. I was confused because I assumed Buddhism did not believe in a God so why believe in prayer? But then, it turns out Buddha was raised Hindu and according to some web sites did believe in many gods. I also googled it and web says a lot of Buddhist's do believe in God and pray. Many Christians meditate and many Buddhists pray. I think really humans are all the same deep down so that's how I would explain it. Really we are all the same no matter what group we claim to belong to or follow. I would say all the groups or labels are just temporary superficial things from social and cultural conditioning. One life you may be Christian, one life Buddhist, one life something else or even an atheist. Love is the only consistent I would say. Learning to be full of unconditional love for yourself and others. Full of empathy, compassion. Don't really make a difference what religion you follow.

Buddhist in many traditions use a mantra as a means of praying.

A very popular one is om mani padme hum, Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion.

What is really going on is when one chants the mantra one is generating a connection to a Divine being, using the mantra above it would be a connection to Chenrezig. That energetic connection is what is felt as love, or compassion as well as clearing out the obstructions that keep us from realizing that state of being all the time.

The next step to increasing the power of the connection is Yidam Practice...

I would also agree that it doesn't matter what religion you are and what you want to practice or what divine being you want to add to your practice like Jesus.

The problem is, many people within those various traditions do care.... a lot.

Which is one of the reasons why I am not a Buddhist... because I respect what they believe....

[sky]

Originally Posted by Bohdiyana

Ah so many Buddhist's do pray. Prayer wheels duh lol I forgot bout those. I was confused because I assumed Buddhism did not believe in a God so why believe in prayer? But then, it turns out Buddha was raised Hindu and according to some web sites did believe in many gods. I also googled it and web says a lot of Buddhist's do believe in God and pray. Many Christians meditate and many Buddhists pray. I think really humans are all the same deep down so that's how I would explain it. Really we are all the same no matter what group we claim to belong to or follow. I would say all the groups or labels are just temporary superficial things from social and cultural conditioning. One life you may be Christian, one life Buddhist, one life something else or even an atheist. Love is the only consistent I would say. Learning to be full of unconditional love for yourself and others. Full of empathy, compassion. Don't really make a difference what religion you follow.

I know of Roman Catholic Priests who are Buddhist

[Bohdiyana]

Originally Posted by sky123

I know of Roman Catholic Priests who are Buddhist

Seems so weird for humans to claim, I am this... everyone is just a unconditioned consciousness temperately identifying with certain things like everyone else. You are born, get conditioned, die, get unconditioned. When a baby is born, you can pretty much condition them to think of themselves as any religion

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by Bohdiyana

Seems so weird for humans to claim, I am this... everyone is just a unconditioned consciousness temperately identifying with certain things like everyone else. You are born, get conditioned, die, get unconditioned. When a baby is born, you can pretty much condition them to think of themselves as any religion

I think you have mentioned before the power of a lineage...

[Bohdiyana]

There are no Buddhist's or Christians after you leave the conditioned body and it's mind or before you enter one. It is possible to uncondition oneself during an incarnation though. To be nothing and nobody.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by Bohdiyana

There are no Buddhist's or Christians after you leave the conditioned body and it's mind or before you enter one. It is possible to uncondition oneself during an incarnation though. To be nothing and nobody.

Ahh but there is depth and your goal.

You have Christians that believe faith alone leads to immortality. You have some Hindu traditions that are about ending it all, cessation.

You have others like Kashmir Shaivism where one becomes like Siva, a oneness with all things and with the powers of creation.

You have Taoism where the goal for many is to become an immortal.

You have in Buddhism a Buddha that is beyond being one like Siva, beyond being a Taoist Immortal. Some traditions within Buddhism don't believe one can achieve Buddhahood in this life like Theravada, while other traditions like Dzogchen do.

So while a lot of the concepts and beliefs cause issues the lineages and end state is much different depending on the tradition and system of practices.

[Bohdiyana]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

Ahh but there is depth and your goal.

Isn't the goal a product of temporary religious/spiritual conditioning? A Christian will have a different goal than a Native American or a Buddhist or a Atheist or Humanist. But then all humans, regardless of their temporary conditioning, can learn to be compassionate and put others needs before their own.

[Jeremy Bong]

I'm a Christian and I'm a Buddhist but I don't encourage others to worship both at a same time. My case is beyond any belief that's only right and wrong , good or evil. So when you come to religion and believe you better stick on one. I don't try to hold you any right and wrong doing but if you can't concentrate on one religion how can you master that religion essence , the most important part of it. You will find the easiest way out. Then not much things you can learn from your believe.

My case is different I'm a Christian first but after Jesus integrated to my body then not long after that Buddha integrated into my body also. I don't treat them as religions only Gods of righteous who can help me. And I never become "fast cook" on any religion. Nearly forty years slow and steady of their leading me --- I never thought of asking anything from them neither prosperous life nor successful career. And now maybe in the spiritual realm no one is my rival or can match me on dharma.

I never believe then believe and I don't to believe then don't... I always treated religion is only God's work not mine. I never do much but only like to read Bible as my hobby and remaining myself as a purely mind. But I always has a thankful mind to Jesus and Buddha. In my inner self there's a chart that mark the influence of my two mentors ---- Jesus and Buddha .

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by Bohdiyana

Isn't the goal a product of temporary religious/spiritual conditioning? A Christian will have a different goal than a Native American or a Buddhist or a Atheist or Humanist. But then all humans, regardless of their temporary conditioning, can learn to be compassionate and put others needs before their own.

Of course if the goal is just compassion and an open heart.

Now that is no small thing but there is much more to us than that.

[Bohdiyana]

All conditioned people will claim their goal is the "deep one." I would say any self centered goal is not really spiritual by definition. It's about how you treat others not what one "achieve"s in one's belief system. Though there are belief systems that put others before themselves.