Thoughts on the Bible and Life
In Hinduism all is one. The name of that fundamental oneness is Brahman. Brahman is the impersonal ultimate reality. The human self is called Atman. And here is the deep insight of Hinduism: Atman is Brahman. But Buddhism teaches the opposite. Rather than teaching that the self is divine or one with ultimate reality, Buddhism … Read more
In a previous post, I highlighted a striking similarity between Christianity and Taoism. In this article I will do the same for Zen Buddhism and Christianity. Siddhartha Gautama Buddhism originated with Siddhartha Gautama who was born in India in 560 BC. While meditating under a tree for many days, Gautama attained enlightenment, thus becoming Buddha … Read more
In the previous post, I mentioned that Jesus emphasized the personal nature of God. In particular, Jesus wants us to view God as our loving Father. Therefore, unlike Eastern religions, which view ultimate reality as impersonal, ultimate reality is deeply personal. But there are elements to the Christian view of God that lead us to … Read more
World religions can be placed into two basic categories: 1.) ultimate reality is impersonal, 2.) ultimate reality is personal. Eastern Religions Eastern religions view ultimate reality as impersonal. In Hinduism, all is one. This universal oneness is called Brahman—impersonal, ultimate reality of everything. The great insight of Buddhism, which enables people to gain freedom from … Read more
One of my favorite things about teaching World Religions is the opportunity to compare and contrast each religion with Christianity. When analyzing belief systems I believe it’s important to be as fair as possible. After all, Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. While there are many differences with Taoism and … Read more