A reading: For I am the Receiver and the Lord of every sacrifice…Who follow gods go to their gods; and whoso loveth Me cometh to Me. Whoso shall of­fer Me in faith and love a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water poured forth; that offering I accept, (that is) lovingly made with a pious will. Whate’er thou doest, eating or sacrificing, giving gifts, praying or fasting, let it all be done for Me, as Mine. So shalt thou free thyself from good and evil issue, so shalt (thou) come safe unto Me- when thou art quit of flesh- by faith and abdication joined to Me.

I am alike for all! I know not hate, I know not favour! What is made is Mine! But them that worship Me with love, I love; They are in Me, and I am in them!

This is from the great Indian poem, the “Bhagavad Gita” or “The Song of the Lord” the “Lord” in this case being Krsna. The “Bhagavad Gita” deals mainly with the effect that Krsna has on mankind during a great war between two ruling houses, the Pandus and the Kurus, which, if legend is to believed, took place about 1000 years before the birth of Buddha, that is about 1500 years before Jesus.

Krsna tells his friend, Arjuna, that he should not grieve over all the warriors that are about to die in the battle, no matter what side they are on, because Krsna, as Lord of all, knows that death is an illusion, and that it is only the outer shells of the warriors that will perish, the men themselves will live forever.

A side issue: The Bhagavad Gita is only a small part of that great Indian Epic, “The Mahabharata”, composed between 200 BC and 200 AD, and scholars agree that the events related occurred around 1500 BC. Late in the story both armies involved in the war throw their “terror weapons” to try to end the conflict. Here is what is written. “Two huge spheres of curling white fire were hanging like suns high in the air. Earth beneath began to crackle and burn; small pebbles and stones exploded, and the river steamed.” So here we have a description of nuclear weapons written 2000 years ago!

However the most important thing that Krsna says is that all prayers go to the one God, no matter what mankind calls Him; and that all gifts, when they are presented freely and piously to God will be accepted, resulting in great blessings being showered on the giver.

One God, no matter what we call Him.

One thousand years later, Siddhartha Gautama is born. The only son of a noble house in In­dia. “One”, the wise men said, “who will rule the world, if He would stoop to rule; or save the world.”

Siddhartha grew up into a world of privilege, not knowing what it was to feel hunger or pain; not knowing about sickness, old age, or death until one day he went disguised into the local village. There he was confronted with all those things – he saw a villager sick and deliri­ous with fever; he saw an old woman, grey with age; and finally he saw a funeral pro­cession. In Sir Edwin Arnold’s poem, “The Light of Asia”, Siddhartha’s servant, Channa, tells Siddhartha about death, “This is the end that comes to all. He upon the pyre ate, drank, laughed, loved and lived, and liked life well. And then came – who knows? – and life was over and the man is dead. Here is the common destiny of flesh: The high and low, the good and bad, must die, and then, ‘t is taught, begin anew and live somewhere, somehow.”

This revelation is too much for Siddhartha, for now he knows that he, too, must die, and what is worse so must his beloved wife, Yasõdhara.

Siddhartha, at last, starts to consider the lot that is man’s. To live, to die, and then to be re­born to start the wheel of life turning yet again. He thinks “This is not right. If the Gods will not prevent this eternal round of birth, death and rebirth, then they are not good. And if they cannot prevent it, they are not Gods.”

And so Siddhartha leaves behind his life of luxury, and sets out to try to find the answer to the problem. After some years he does, indeed, find the answer – in the “Four Noble Truths” – that is: Existence is unhappiness. Unhappiness is caused by selfish craving. Selfish craving can be destroyed. It can be destroyed by following the “Eightfold Path”. That “Eightfold Path” is: Right Understanding; Purpose; Speech; Conduct; Vocation; Effort; Alertness; and Medita­tion.

In finding these answers Siddhartha becomes “The Buddha” the “Enlightened One”. It is a simple way of life, and as the Buddha said, one should always intend to walk the path.

And so, millions followed his example, and Buddhism spread both east and west with traders along the Silk Road – that great trade route that stretched from Palestine to China – so that in Palestine 500 years later, Jesus must have heard of Buddha’s teachings from those traders.

The teachings of Jesus hit the Jewish community like a thunderbolt. Here was someone who treated Scribes, Tax Collectors, Pharisees, Publicans, Samaritans, Prostitutes, Sadducees and all sorts with equal love and acceptance. He told people to pay Rome the taxes they asked for. He suggested that armed resistance to the Romans was counter productive, and a danger to their souls, and He even went so far as to heal the sick on the Sabbath! This could not continue, of course, and the Sanhedrin, the highest court of justice, and the Supreme Council in ancient Jerusalem soon managed to have Him arrested, and crucified. Very publicly crucified.

If the Sanhedrin thought that this would put a stop to the unrest, they were sadly mis­taken, because Jesus was soon seen again, and so grew a new belief – one that was to outstrip both Krsna and Buddha; because where Krsna had shown us that all prayers go to the One God, and Buddha had shown us that material goods, could be a hindrance to our Spirituality; Jesus had shown us that death was the supreme illusion.

Most of the world’s religions had always said the soul was immortal, but now Jesus’ public death and public reappearance had proved it! This was the real reason for Jesus’ sacrifice – to prove to us that death is merely going from one form of existence to another. He did not die because we are such terrible “sinners”, and believing that He did removes our Personal Responsibility.

I believe that Jesus died because we were all so frightened of death we were afraid to truly live. He removed that fear, and that is why we should thank Him every day, for now we can truly live to our fullest potential; and every day, Spiritualism gives further proof, if any were needed, of the Love, Light, and Fatherhood of God, the Brotherhood of Man, and the continuous existence of the Human Spirit.

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Ever since the day that Adam and Eve Ate from the Tree of Knowledge, man has been able to see right from wrong.  This new knowledge would now bring up the possibility for a man or woman to sin.

Sinning is the INTENTIONAL doing of something wrong while being AWARE of the knowledge of the action being wrong.  Notice that the two words “intentional” and “aware” are all capitolized, putting great emphasis on them both.  No matter how bad the action is, if the person commiting the action is unaware of the negative outcomes or that it is not the right thing to do, or if the person does not intentionally do the action, it is NOT a sin.

Following these guidelines, there are basically only two types of people who are generally excluded from being held responsible for their sins against another man.  These two people share the fact that the sin would never be intentional nor would he/she be aware of what they are really doing and what will come of their action.  The two people would of course be BABIES and the MENTALLY CHALLENGED citizens (only the ones who cannot and will not ever understand right from wrong).

Many people tend to misunderstand the Bible and blame Eve for the creation of sin and the original sin.  However, I have noticed and heard of something in defence of the woman’s side.  God first created Adam before Eve, and he told Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, THEN he created Eve.  Therefore, God never told Eve directly not to eat the fruit.  So if she was not allowed to eat from the Tree of Knowledge either, and God put ADAM in charge of Eve, then it would be just as much of Adam’s fault for allowing Eve to eat the fruit and to be tempted by her and the serpent to eat the fruit also.

Respond to this and leave your personal comments to tell me what you think about these thoughts of mine!  And leave some of yours also!  God Bless!

The Buddha of the Pure Land who took a vow to save all beings who called on his name with perfect faith by causing them to be reborn in his universe. Ones own efforts, ineffective in themselves, were aided by the efforts of Amitabha.

Avalokiteshvara

The bodhisattva of compassion who had vowed to lead suffering beings to the pure land. Known as Guanyin in China, “the one who perceived the sounds (of human prayers)” became one of the greatest objects of devotion in the Chinese mind. Remains one of the most venerated and supplicated figures in the Chinese pantheon.

Benti

The essential nature of things. Important to both Daoists and Buddhists. Includes an attendant depreciation of the visible world of the senses.

Bodhidharma

Indian monk whose influence led to the Chan school becoming a major force in Chinese Buddhist thought. Went to kingdom of Wei, where he sat outside the walls meditating for 9 years, only agreeing to teach when his disciple Shenguang cut off his own arm in
evidence of his dedication to his teachings. Established a lineage of teachers that continued to propagate his teachings on meditation. Emphasized the doctrine of inner enlightenment and false perceptions of duality, and denied the value of scripture, at least as a source of true insight.

Caodung School

School of Chan Buddhism which advocated simple sitting meditation and quiet introspection along with verbal instruction and discussion. Could be seen as a partial return, or new guise, of the gradual enlightenment doctrine of the defunct northern school of Chan.

Chajang

Silla Buddhist monk who had a profound influence in the creation of Korean Buddhism. Traveled to China where he claimed to have a vision of the Buddhist bodhisattva Manjushri. When he returned, he was given the title of supreme cleric, the highest title bestowed to Buddhist Monks. After receiving another vision in the mountains, Chajang returned to the capital and reformed the institutional structure of Silla Buddhism. Intensified study of scripture, held mandatory seminars for monks, consolidated ordination, and established a governing department which oversaw the maintenance of temples and images. Also created disciplinary school of Korean Buddhism, which held that monasticism was the only true path to enlightenment.

Chongt’o Pulgyo

The Buddhism of the pure land. The teaching of Wonhyo he used in his efforts to unify Buddhism and preach to laypeople.

T’ong Pulgyo

Unified Buddhism. Wonhyo’s effort to unify Buddhism into a single entity.

Dharmadhatu

The realm of the Dharmas which served as the theory of causation for the Huayan Buddhist school. Belief that the universe was self creating and that all phenomena arose simultaneously. All phenomena were identical and interacted and inter-penetrated one another.

Different Buddhist Schools

Confucianism and Buddhism

Dunhuang

A strategic point on the silk road within what were then the borders of China. Flourishing community of Buddhist monks. Served as a “safe house” for fleeing Buddhists during political dislocation. Massive amounts of murals and texts were found here, which serve to provide us with examples of Chinese Buddhist literature and a valuable record of the development of early Chinese art.

Emperor Wuzong

Emperor of the Tang Dynasty who began a mass persecution of Buddhism which resulted in the dissolution of Buddhist estates and return of a quarter of a million monks and nuns
to private life. Buddhist images were melted down for coins and weapons. Monastic Buddhism never recovered.

Essay on the Golden Lion

Huayan Teacher Fazang’s attempt to explain Huayan philosophy. A gold lion statue: The gold represents the essence of things, or li. The shape of the parts is the form that conditions impose on the essence, or shi. The various parts of the statue could not exist without gold, but the gold was not the statue per se. Thus phenomena were simultaneously the same and different.

Fanben

The realization and embrace of the essential nature. It was to have reverted to the original and to be one with reality. Buddhists saw this as Nirvana, while Daoists saw this as merging with the Dao. In both cases, one was free from the pains and disappointments of the physical world.

Faxian

Pilgrim monk who left China to travel to India. Made a detailed description of his journey, which was meant to visit the sites of Buddha’s early life and recover texts more pure than those available in China. First to go to India, study and return. On his travels, which lasted 16 years, he collected texts from India, Java and Sri Lanka.

Gongan

A linji school practice of Chan Buddhism where a pithy saying was designed to knock the mind out of its usual patterns of thought and thus allowing it to perceive its own nature clearly without the residue of conceptual thought that usually obscured this nature. Juxtaposing of disparate ideas.

Guanyin

Also known as Avalokiteshvara. “the one who perceived the sounds (of human prayers)” became one of the greatest objects of devotion in the Chinese mind. Remains one of the most venerated and supplicated figures in the Chinese pantheon. Pure Land Buddhism.

He Chong

Chinese statesman that promoted Buddhism in the royal court. Spent vast sums of public funds to construct Buddhist monasteries. Monk’s benign influence was a safeguard for the state. Believed that Buddhist monks following their moral principles reinforced Confucian values.

Huahu

Chinese school of thought. “The Conversion of the Barbarians.” Believes that Buddhism is Daoism. Believed that Laozi went to India and became Buddha. Therefore, Buddhism was no more than degenerate Daoism, with some qualities which could be incorporated into “real” Daoism.

Huayan (Period)

One of Zhiyi’s five periods of Buddhist thought. Flower Garland period. The earliest period which represented the highest level of Buddhist teaching. It was too complex to be grasped by the average person, so the Buddha modified his message so that it could be understood by the laity. Encompassed the abrupt and sudden method, and was referred to as the twofold period since it was special and perfect.

Huayan (school)

Buddhist school that based its teachings on the Flower Garland Sutra period. Believed that the universe was self creating and that all phenomena, although devoid of intrinsic self, arose simultaneously. Divided Buddhist teachings into various levels of profundity. World view is exemplified in Fanzang’s Essay on the Golden Lion. During 620 to 840, Huayan Buddhism was the premier philosophical system of China.

Ilsung Pulgyo

Buddhism of the single vehicle. Wonhyo’s effort to unify Buddhism into a single entity.

Koucheng Nianfo

Pure land Buddhist mantra popularized by Tanluan. The recital of a phrase or word that could be chanted anywhere at any time. This concept liberated Buddhism from a small group of specialists and presented it to society at large.

Mudang

Primary religious functionaries in Korean and Japanese Shamanism who were women. Common feature in Paleo-Siberian society, whereas Neo-Siberian society has mostly male practitioners.

O’gyo

The five orthodox Buddhist schools established in Korea. Early part of development.

Paksu

Korean Shamanic traditions male functionaries. Their role in modern tradition is limited, with women forming the majority.

Sanjie Jiao

Chinese Buddhism’s school of the three stages of XinXing. Based on texts such as the lotus sutra and the avatamsaka sutra. First to display a unique set of Chinese Buddhist values. Lived in secular surroundings and mixed freely with laypersons. Had little respect for images and scriptures, believing they were artificial expressions with little or no salvic value in themselves. Believed that all of existence was permeated by the Buddha nature. Advocated alms giving. Believed there was chaos and disorder in the world and that no government could return society to true religion. This belief led to its downfall, as it was declared heretical and led to its final extinction during the Buddhist persecution of 845.

Shenhui

Chan monk who caused the rupture in the Chan School over whether the path to enlightenment was immediate or gradual. Put forth the belief that the passing down of patriarch status within the Chan school was wrong, in favor of another monk that was not mentioned, Huineng who believed that the enlightenment was instantaneous and not gradual. This led to Huineng becoming patriarch and his disciples who lived in south China. Led to be considered the premier school of the Chan.

Shenling

Early Chinese Buddhist belief that in some ways purported the existence of a permanent and eternally existing soul. Doctrine created to appease Chinese beliefs in the permanent soul and ancestor veneration. In this way, it was easier for Buddhists to explain the cycle of birth and rebirth and the karma associated with it.

Sodos

Sacred Precincts for ritual which evolved in southern Korea. Groves of trees marked by a bell and drum suspended on a pole, symbolizing the presence of divine beings within the precincts. As families began to dominate regions, these sodos became associated with their founding ancestors.

Sukhavativyuha Sutra

Teachings which the Pure land school based their doctrine. Spoke of a “pure land,” a universe where a Buddha still lived and where it was possible to achieve enlightenment. Translated into Chinese some 10 times and expanded considerably in the process. Appealed greatly to the lower classes.

Sun Zhuo

Chinese Layperson who made a significant contribution to Chinese Buddhism. Made some of the first attempts to reconcile Buddhism and Confucianism. Difference was mainly of emphasis. Buddhists explicate the inner nature of things, while Confucians show these inner principles are to be manifested in the everyday world. So the difference was more a matter of circumstance than essence.

Tanluan

Zu, or patriarch of the Pure land school whose leadership led to the emergence of Pure Land Buddhism as a formal Chinese Buddhist school. Met a Buddhist monk who converted him, leading him to spend the remainder of his life popularizing the new school. Also popularized the koucheng nianfo.

Tiantai

Chinese Buddhist school that was founded by Zhiyi. Believed in a fourfold division within the teachings of Buddhism. The systemization they undertook serves as an example of the order required by the Chinese mind. Believed that all phenomena were empty and without intrinsic existence. It existed simply due to their interdependence on one another. Yinian Sanquin was their worldview. The absolute mind was the underlying framework of the universe. Has two natures, pure and impure. Buddha is the
pure, while the phenomena of day-to-day existence is impure.

Wonhyo

Silla Buddhist monk who had a profound influence in the creation of Korean Buddhism. On his way to China, he and his companion stopped to rest in a cave during a rainstorm. Thirsty, Wonhyo searched in the dark and found a vessel filled with rainwater. The next day, to his horror he found the vessel was actually a skull, and they had spent the night in a grave opened by robbers. Wonhyo then realized the relativity and temporary nature of all things, and thus achieved enlightenment. He felt then that going to china was irrelevant and returned to Silla. When he returned, he attempted to unite the divergent schools of Buddhism that were developing. Did not believe in the effectiveness of scripture, meditation or monastic discipline. Balanced approach to practice and learning was most effective. His movement became known as the Ilsung Pulgyo, Buddhism of the Single vehicle, or T’ong Pulgyo, Unified Buddhism. Believed in a life of wandering, Preached wherever he could find a crowd. Taught Chongt’o Pulgyo, the Buddhism of the pure land.

Xinxing

Concept supported by the Sanjie Jiao school which argued that the propagation of Buddha followed a three stage pattern. First, the teachings of Buddha were properly understood and rigorously followed, embodied in the teachings of the Buddha as exemplified in the Pali Buddhist’s canonical literature. Second, innovations and false doctrines crept into the religion and inauthentic expressions of Buddhism became the norm, represented by the development of different schools of thought, such as theravada and mahayana. Third, the true teachings of the Buddha disappeared altogether, and it was necessary for a new Buddha to manifest himself in order for the cycle to repeat itself, Xinxing believed this to be his own time, only his own teachings represented the authentic message of Buddhism. The third phase included asceticism and strict adherence to monastic discipline.

Yinian Sanqian

“One thought equals three thousand worlds.” The sum of the Tantai world view. The world was composed of vast vistas of interactive phenomena. Such a view sacralizes the physical world so that the average Buddhist or layperson becomes as real and important as the Buddha.

Zhanran

Later Tiantai leader who argued that even inanimate objects such as mountains and rivers possessed the Buddha nature. Rose from the concept of the universal mind in which all things, in their essential core, are the same thing.

Zhi Dun

Chinese monk who was representative of the melding of Buddhist and Daoist thought. One of his best known works was a Buddhist commentary on the Zhuangzi. Rejected fatalist view in favor of karmic freedom to change one’s nature. Endowed the term li with metaphysical meaning similar to that of Neo-Confucianism. Li came to symbolize the absolute nature of the universe, in contradistinction to shi, the manifestations of the phenomenal world of the senses. Shi was similar to qi in Neo-Confucianism.

Zhiyi

Monk whose history is shrouded in miracles and wonders. Took the lotus sutra as his primary text, which by that time had been amended greatly in the Chinese environment. Tried to find the authoritative text of Buddhism. Solved this by coming up with banjiao, a division of the literature into a series of historical periods and metaphysical profundity. His basic principles for interpretation of Buddhist texts became normative in all later schools of Chinese Buddhism. Stated that there were five periods of Buddhist thought and eight teachings.