buddhism apologetics and discernment ministry of calvary chapel aurora

BuddhismBuddhism

Apologetics and Apologetics and Discernment Discernment Ministry of Ministry of

Calvary Chapel AuroraCalvary Chapel Aurora

Buddhism

Buddhism is mans attempt to escape pain and

suffering through self-perfection and meditation.

The goal is to eliminate desires in an attempt to stop the endless cycle of reincarnation and karma

by attaining enlightenment and thus

extinguishing self, desire, and pain; while at the

same time becoming one with the universe.

Buddhism

“Richard Gere makes his admiration for the Dalai

Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader in exile, well known. Gere periodically retreats to

Tibet to brush up on his Buddhism. While there, the actor enjoys a very different

existence than he does in Hollywood. According to

Gere, he has a simple room and has to share a bathroom. There is a limited supply of water and no television, air conditioning or newspapers. Self-prescribed torture? For

Gere, as he explains it, this is his time to relax, to

meditate, to release.” - The College of New Jersey website

Buddhism

Buddhism is a “way of living based on the

teachings of Siddhartha Gautama,

the Buddha. Buddhism focuses on

personal spiritual development.

Buddhists strive for a deep insight into the true nature of life.”

- AMG’s Encyclopedia of World

Religions, Cults & the Occult

Beginnings of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BC) was born into a

wealthy Hindu family in India.

Siddhartha was isolated from the outside world by his over protective father and grew up

knowing little or nothing about sickness, poverty,

suffering or death.

Turned to the “middle path” between asceticism and

sensuality.


Found “enlightenment” under an Indian fig-tree, or

bodhi-tree i.e., “tree of enlightenment.”


Siddhartha’s enlightenment is said to have come in three stages:

1. Remembered his previous reincarnations.

2. Understood the cycles of birth, death and rebirth.

3. Understood The Four Noble Truths.


Siddhartha was now “the Buddha” – the enlightened

one.

• Approximately 390 million Buddhists worldwide.

• That means that approximately 1 out of every 20 people consider themselves a Buddhist.

• China has the largest number of adherents with over 100 million.

• Japan follows second with around 90 million.

• Other countries with large Buddhist populations are Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia and India.

• Thailand has the highest percentage of Buddhists with 95% of the country practicing the belief.

• As of 2004, there were approximately 1.5 to 3 million practicing Buddhists in the United States with as many as 26 million utilizing Buddhist elements in their spiritual lives.

Buddhism Statistics

• The Four Noble Truths

• The Eightfold Path

• The Veneration of Buddha

• Reincarnation and Karma

• Nirvana

• Meditation

Buddhism Beliefs

The Four Noble Truths

#1 The existence of pain and suffering.

“Birth is painful, and death is painful; disease and old age are painful.

Not having what we desire is painful, and

having what we do not desire is also painful.”

- Handbook of Today’s Religions

Biblical Teaching

“Then God saw everything that He had

made, and indeed it was very good.”

- Genesis 1:31

“So God created man in His own image; in the

image of God He created him; male and female He

created them.”- Genesis 1:27

Biblical Teaching

Because of the disobedience of Eve, Gods

pronounces…

“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your

conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

- Genesis 3:16

Biblical Teaching

Because of the disobedience of Adam,

Gods pronounces…

“Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it

shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the

field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till

you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for

dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

- Genesis 3:17


#2 The cause of pain and suffering.

“[Pain is caused by] the craving desire for the

pleasures of the senses, which seeks satisfaction

now here, now there; the craving for happiness and

prosperity in this life and in future lives.”


Biblical Teaching

We can Biblically demonstrate that we have

choices and freewill.

1. We can choose to believe or not (John 3:16; Rmns 10:11)

2. We can choose to be foolish or wise (Matthew 7:26)

3. We can choose to believe or reject the Scriptures (John 20:30, 31)


#3 Ending of pain and suffering.

“To be free of suffering one must give up, get rid of, extinguish this

very craving, so that no passion and no desire

remain.”


Biblical Teaching

In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In the world you will

have tribulation” notice that God said “you will

have tribulation.”

The word tribulation [Greek: thlipsis], literally means

“anguish, burdened, persecution, trouble.”

Biblical Teaching“Consider it all joy, my

brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing

of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its

perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in

nothing…Blessed is the man who perseveres

under trial; for once he has been approved, he

will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who

love Him” - James 1:2-4, 12


#4 Eliminating pain and suffering by following The

Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path are not steps that must be taken in the sequential order in which they are

listed but are considered wisdom,

conduct and a mental discipline that are to be

developed simultaneously with

each other.

Biblical Teaching“a thorn in the flesh was given me…concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My

grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’ …

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in

reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in

distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am

weak, then I am strong.”

- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path

#1 Right Understanding – In other words, you must accept the Four Noble

Truths and the Eightfold Path.

The Dharma wheel representing the “Noble eightfold Path”

Biblical Teaching

Jesus said that He is “the way, the truth, and the

life” (John 14:6) and that there is no “salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven

given among men by which we must be saved.”

(Acts 4:12)

The Eightfold Path

#2 Right Thought – You must harbor no ill will

toward people.


Biblical Teaching

Arguments, fights, and discontentment come

from selfish and wrong motives and desires

(James 4:1-3) while right desires and motives honor

and glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31).

The Eightfold Path

#3 Right Speech – Do not lie, slander, gossip or indulge in idol talk.


Biblical Teaching

One day, God will hold men accountable, “for every

idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”

(Matthew 12:36)

The Eightfold Path

#4 Right Action/Conduct – Don’t kill a living

creature, take only what is given to you and don’t commit unlawful sexual

acts.


Biblical Teaching

The ones who belong to Jesus will keep His

commandments and obey Him (John 14:21), and those who live by His wisdom will produce “good fruits, without partiality and without

hypocrisy.” (James 3:17)

The Eightfold Path

#5 Right Livelihood – Your occupation must not

harm anyone.


Biblical Teaching

God will take care of those who are His and put Him

above all things (Matthew 6:31-33), and we should be “diligent to present ourselves approved to

God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word

of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

The Eightfold Path

#6 Right Effort – Resolve to abandon any qualities in

you that are evil and strive to acquire only

those qualities that are good and perfect.


Biblical Teaching

We should “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before

us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1,

2).

The Eightfold Path

#7 Right Awareness – Be aware and alert and be free of any desires or

sorrows.


Biblical Teaching

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God”

(Romans 8:7), we should have the “mind” of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:5) and we should meditate on “things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous

and praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8).

The Eightfold Path

#8 Right Meditation – When you have removed all

pleasures, both sorrow and joy and all evil

qualities, then you can enter the four degrees of

meditation which is produced by

concentration.


Biblical Teaching

There is only one way to have inner joy and peace and that is to follow Jesus

for “He Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), and in Him “we have our peace” (John 16:33), and when we meditate on the things of God, the “peace of God will be with [us]”

(Philippians 3:9).

The Veneration of Buddha


Throughout the Philippines and

Southeast Asia, it’s not uncommon to see thousands of Buddha idols and “people bowing

before dead statutes. For many

of these people Buddha has become

their god.”


“Ever since the four canine teeth of the

Buddha after cremation came to

be in the possession of

devas, nagas and men, these were

preciously guarded and received

special veneration and worship.”

- Temple of the Tooth website

“Every day of the year, people parade up the winding steps of this 600-foot monument to place thin pieces of gold on the shrine, light candles and incense, and

pray for their dead ancestors before these wood, stone, and metal statutes.”

- Ron Carlson and Ed Decker, Fast Facts on False Teaching

Shwedagon Pagoda or Golden Pagoda in Rangoon, Burma

Biblical Teaching

“And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out

of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods

before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved

image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven

above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the

water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the

Lord your God, am a jealous God’”

- Exodus 20:1-5

Biblical Teaching

“But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He

pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of

men's hands. They have mouths, but they do not

speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear;

noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter

through their throat. Those who make them are like

them; so is everyone who trusts in them.”

- Psalm 115: 3-8

Biblical Teaching“‘You are my witnesses,’

says the LORD… ‘Before Me no God was formed. Nor

shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and

besides Me there in no Savior.’”- Isaiah 43:10, 11

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel…‘I am the First

and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.’”

- Isaiah 44:6

“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall

worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall

worship.’”- Matthew 4:10

Reincarnation and Karma

Reincarnation and Karma

Reincarnation or samsara literally means “in the

flesh” or “to come again in the flesh” and refers to

the cyclical wheel of man’s soul as it passes into another body after

death.

Karma is the belief that every action that this life causes, a reaction in this

or the next life is inextricably woven into

the “rebirth” or “successive lives on

earth.”

Biblical Teaching

The Bible teaches that human beings live once

and die once.

“And it is appointed for men to die once, but after

this the judgment.”

- Hebrews 9:27

Biblical Teaching

While here on earth, people decide their

eternal destiny in one single lifetime.

“And these will go away into everlasting

punishment, but the righteous into eternal

life.”

- Matthew 25:46

Biblical Teaching

Other passages that can be used to refute the

false teaching of re-birth or reincarnation

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and

to be present with the Lord.”

- 2 Corinthians 5:8

Nirvana

Nirvana

Nirvana literally means “extinction”,

“extinguished” or “blown out.” This is the ultimate

goal of Buddhists, characterized by the

extinction of craving, the cessation of suffering and

the separation of ego.

Nirvana

“Buddhism…says that we have no soul. There is no “you.” We have only karmic energy that is transferred to us from our past life and is no longer generated when we are enlightened. Thus,

the journey ends with the extinction of any sense of our

personal identity. Our energy is united with, or dissipated into, all other energy. We no longer exist. For the Buddhist, this is

nirvana.”

- Christianity and World Religions

Biblical Teaching

Instead of seeking “enlightenment” we

should seek Jesus since He claimed to be the light

of the world

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me

shall not walk in darkness, but have the

light of life.”

- Jesus (John 8:12)

Biblical Teaching

“To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst

of the Paradise of God.”

- Revelation 2:7

The word paradise [Greek: paradeisos] means “a park,

an Eden (place of future happiness).”

The word “paradise” literally means “garden of pleasure”

or “garden of delight.”

Meditation

Meditation

There are many different forms of Buddhist meditation with the purpose of basically “shutting down” the mind.

This can be achieved several ways by using techniques such as fasting, posture

positions, breathing exercises and repetitive

mantras.

Meditation“some people have found

Transcendental Meditation to be harmful. Altered states of

consciousness led to contact with spirits. Moreover, some

deep mediators have developed increased anxiety, confusion,

and depression. Too much deep meditation can hinder logical

thought processes. One researcher found that “as a person enters or is in an ASC

[altered state of consciousness], he often experiences fear of losing his grip on reality, and

losing his self control.””

- Handbook on Cults & New Religions

Biblical Teaching

Biblical meditation needs to be understood since the

words “meditate” or “meditation” is used twenty

times in the Bible.

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he

meditates day and night.”

- Psalm 1:2

Biblical Teaching

The word meditate [Hebrew: hagah] means to “ponder by

talking to oneself, speak, study or talk.”

It does not mean to “empty oneself” or for your mind to become a “void” and “shut

down.”

Jesus Christ or

Buddha?

Jesus Christ or Buddha?

“Buddhas do but point the way; work out your salvation

with diligence.” -Buddha

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

- Jesus

“Let, therefore, no man love anything; loss of the beloved

is evil. Those who love nothing and hate nothing,

have no fetters.”- Dhammapada 211

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control.”- Galatians 5:22, 23


The Eightfold Path is the way for you to better yourselves

so that salvation will be attainable.

Reincarnation and karma is the means to reach this

ultimate goal. - Buddhism

“And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides

Me. Look to Me and be saved.”

- God


Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was a mere man who

died, was cremated, buried and never rose again.

Jesus Christ foretold of His death, burial and

resurrection after three days to demonstrate that He is

God Incarnate.


“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this body and

in three days I will raise it up.’…But He was speaking of

the temple of His body.”- John 2:19-21


So, who is the better Christ? Buddha who is still in the

grave or Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of God in heaven (Psalm 110:1; Heb. 1:13), interceding on behalf of believers (1 Timothy 2:5)?


Conclusion

Just like all other attempts of man to reach up to God by our own works, we will fail. The Bible makes it clear that nothing we can do in the way of works, no good act can merit us salvation based

on what we’ve done.

• Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

• Isaiah 64:6 “And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.”

Not only is Jesus the only way to the Father (John 14:6), but He offers more hope than Buddha. Jesus extends salvation to the entire world (John 3:16) and He is the Christ, the Messiah, the

“Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)

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buddhism apologetics and discernment ministry of calvary chapel aurora

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