Download or read book The Description of Buddha Nature and Nirvana in the Gospel of Thomas written by Zen Christian and published by . This book was released on 2018-09-12 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The descriptions of Nirvana by Jesus Christ surpass those of the Great Buddha Siddharta Gautama by their level of detail on some points, making the Gospel of Thomas a unique document of inestimable value; yet they are formulated so that only someone who has himself experienced Nirvana, may recognize them as such.Since the Gospel of Thomas fortunately has never been incorporated into the biblical canon and thus survived the millennia unchanged, many scholars legitimately see in it the most authentic of all the Gospels, thus a unique testimony to the original teaching of Jesus Christ, and even one of the most important texts on the "Search for the historical Jesus", although the interpretation of many verses is still completely unclear to them!To remove these uncertainties and thereby resurrect both the historical Jesus and his original teachings is the aim of this book.We will therefore, verse by verse, identify the descriptions of Nirvana in the Gospel of Thomas, show their authenticity with the descriptions of Nirvana in Buddhism, and expound the identity of the New Testament term "Kingdom of God" with the central concept of Zen Buddhism "Tathagatagarbha".Tathagata is Buddha Gautama in his spiritual form as God, and Garbha is both Nirvana as the Kingdom of God in the spiritual sky, and Buddha Nature as the originally enlightened nature of mind in all beings. Both have the divine qualities omniscience, omnipresence, purity, bliss and eternity.If one then reads through the Thomas Gospel, other early Christian writings, or the New Testament with this key to understanding, the Buddhist teachings will particularly stand out wherever the term "Kingdom of God" (or "Kingdom of Heaven") appears, and that is very, very often, because it is, after all, the central concept of Christianity.And then, even in the sparse remains of the original teaching of Jesus Christ in the Bible, it will be seen that in authentic Christianity there was once Nirvana and the Buddha nature in man (kingdom of God), the law of karma (seed and harvest), the doctrine of reincarnation (until 543 CE official church doctrine / John 3, 3 and 3, 7), and a Savior (Jesus Christ) who, as Bodhisattva, lived the central idea of Mahayana Buddhism to the fullest possible extent: the takeover of karma of the whole humanity on his shoulders (purifying their sins through his blood), to lead them collectively to salvation (from the wheel of reincarnations) and to eternal fife in the Kingdom of God (Nirvana).Surprisingly, the Church has never made a teaching decision for the concept of the "Kingdom of God" - the authenticity of the teaching of Jesus Christ with authentic Buddhism would have been too obvious. Accordingly, the interpretations of the term in circulation appear helpless, and no one knows exactly what the Kingdom of God actually is, although it should actually have the highest priority for all Christians.From the discovery of the first fragments of the Gospel of Thomas in 1897 to the present day, no one has yet been able to decipher completely the Gospel of Thomas, and so it is a special privilege for me to take on this supreme of all tasks and therewith contribute to the restoration of the original teaching of Jesus Christ.
Download or read book Jesus in Nirvana written by Cristian Knopke and published by . This book was released on 2019-05-08 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This essay begins with an authentic report of a Nirvana experience. It's the only one that can currently be found in the entire Internet and therefore something very special. En route on this amazing journey to Nirvana, the reader acquires the knowledge necessary to understand the subsequent decryption of the Gospel of Thomas, in which Jesus Christ describes Nirvana. Since the Gospel of Thomas fortunately has never been incorporated into the biblical canon and thus survived the millennia untouched, many scholars legitimately see in it the most authentic of all the Gospels, thus a unique testimony to the original teaching of Jesus Christ, and even one of the most important texts on the ,,Search for the historical Jesus", although the interpretation of many verses is still completely unclear to them. To remove this unclearness and thereby resurrect both the historical Jesus and his original teachings is the aim of this essay. We will therefore identify the descriptions of Nirvana in the Gospel of Thomas, show their authenticity with the descriptions of Nirvana in Buddhism, and expound the identity of the New Testament term ,,Kingdom of God" with the central concept of authentic Mahayana Buddhism ,,Tathagatagarbha". The Tathagatagarbha consists on the one hand of the divine nature in all living beings (Buddha nature) and on the other hand of the Nirvana (cosmic consciousness). Today it is only preserved in Zen Buddhism as the central concept. The coherence of the Gospel, which therewith becomes visible for the first time at all, grants it an imperturbable credibility and therewith a special weight among the Gospels. However, from the discovery of the first fragments of the Gospel of Thomas in 1897 to the present day, surprisingly nobody has yet been able to decipher the Gospel of Thomas, and so it is a special honor for me to take on this responsible task and therewith contribute to the restoration of the authentic teaching of Jesus Christ.
Download or read book Zen and the Gospel of Thomas written by Joanne P. Miller and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-08-14 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Zen and the Gospel of Thomas illuminates sacred, mysterious wisdom from two traditions, revealing how these profound teachings apply to our everyday life and spiritual practice. Imagine that the Buddha asked Jesus to write a text for a Zen audience that would explain his take on the mysteries of his Kingdom. Imagine also that Jesus chose to present it in a set of short koanlike sayings similar to the classic koan collections of the Zen tradition. This is, in essence, the gnostic Gospel of Thomas. A Zen reading of Thomas allows us to access the living Jesus through Buddhist eyes so we can add to and refine our own practice with his wisdom. Likewise, Thomas can be a gateway for Christians to make use of Zen. Like the Buddha, this Jesus of Thomas wishes us to realize, individually and personally, the truth of the eternal. He offers teachings for the whole of our lives, dealing with such topics as: the proper use of money; how to foster wisdom and insight; the nature of awakening and non-attachment; love and judgment; how to rest in the essential; and the nature of what it means to be an enlightened person. Like koans, the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas ask each of us to discover the same secrets of mystery that Jesus himself discovered and to live out that knowledge in our own unique way.
Download or read book The Gospel for Buddhists and the Dharma for Christians written by Donovan Roebert and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2009-01-02 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book Donovan Roebert provides a path for Christians and Buddhists who wish to better understand the essential, living tenets of their own faith while exploring how these two great religious paths can provide insights of real benefit to adherents of either. Without lapsing into syncretism or demanding a departure from orthodoxy, this book provides a sound and thorough basis on which Christians and Buddhists Â- and all those seeking greater insight into faiths other than their own - can explore the rich possibilities for learning from one another. Beyond describing in detail the doctrines and practices of Christianity and Buddhism, this book describes the authentic human path of religious development with a strong focus on the problem of 'self' or 'ego' in spiritual growth, discussing obstacles to growth and exploring their remedies. Brief histories of both religions are provided, enabling the reader to understand how diversity is an inevitable consequence of historical development and, rather than standing as a problem in religious dialogue, is always a means to spiritual enrichment. The Gospel for Buddhists and the Dharma for Christians is the fruit of a personal spiritual journey of thirty years. It demonstrates that the search for religious freedom becomes richer and more rewarding when a spacious mind engages with, rather then flees from, religious paths outside of its own tradition. Finally, it is a plea for sincere friendship across factitious religious divides.
Download or read book The Buddha s Gospel written by Lindsay Falvey and published by lindsay falvey. This book was released on 2002 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Described as ‘unique and a great service to understanding’, this book is intended for three groups; Western Buddhists, that bulk of the West that have no religious affiliation yet know there is something more to life, and Buddhists in Asia who follow the encounter of the dharma with the West. It highlights the pervasive similarities in the teachings of Jesus and the Buddha as they were probably originally presented. In its six chapters and appendix, it compares the two great teachers, the Buddha and Jesus, briefly charts the process by which experts have produced words readily attributed to Jesus and presents a Buddhist ‘imitation’ of these words based on the hypothetical ‘Sayings of Jesus’. It then considers congruence between the Buddha’s and Jesus’ teachings before offering both Buddhist and Christian interpretations. An appendix re-presents the Buddhist imitation of Jesus’ words as a continuous text. Dr. Falvey introduces his work ... ‘Jesus speaking the Buddha’s words’ exudes audacity and ignorance, yet this work essentially wrote itself as a product of my socialization, a modicum of Christian theological study and its explication through three decades of casual association with Thai Buddhism. Differences between the two traditions – such as Christianity relying on a God while Buddhism denies the existence of a God proved themselves facile upon consideration of the metaphorical intent of teachings of both traditions.
Download or read book The Noble Eightfold Path of Christ written by Thomas Ragland and published by Trafford Publishing. This book was released on 2003 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ancient Theravada Buddhist canonical suttas, the beloved Mahayana Buddhist sutras, and the Tao Te Ching have been lovingly mined for concepts and realizations. These ideas resonate with the heart of the teachings of Jesus the Nazarene as preserved in the Christian gospels. Presented in the arrangement and context of Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, "the truths presented are timeless and universal as a complete religion in themselves," says the author. The author describes the book as serving as the message of Jesus to the world in the context of Christian of Eastern thought, and points out that it is not really a Christian work. This is foremost a Buddhist writing, devoted to the same Dharma that Buddha so loved and taught 2500 years ago. It is presented through the teachings of the One who is called the Christ in the Western world. Then again, this is not really a Buddhist work as the linkage the author has made between the concepts of Christ and Buddha create a synthesis that transcends Christianity and Buddhism. The heart of this Dharma cannot really be defined of confined by a system of thought. It lives on the immediacy of the expression of those who take it to heart.
Download or read book The Creed of Buddha written by Edmond Holmes and published by Jazzybee Verlag. This book was released on 2012 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the extended and annotated edition including * an extensive annotation of more than 10.000 words about the history and basics of Buddhism, written by Thomas William Rhys Davids * an interactive table-of-contents * perfect formatting for electronic reading devices The author of " The Creed of Buddha " can safely say that no better exposition of Buddhism has ever been given to the world. It is sympathetic, it is scholarly, and it is complete. Between east and west, says the author, a gulf has been fixed, a gulf created by basic ideas, hollowed out by the erosive action of speculative thought. The Western mind takes for granted the reality of outward things. The Eastern mind attributes the only reality to the soul. All else is maya, illusion. And there are very few that can bridge thatgulf.In the East, where the soul is the supreme and fundamental reality, the identification of God with the world-soul, or soul of universal Mature, is the outcome of a movement of thought which is at once natural and logical. This divine soul is the only real existence: by comparison with it all outward things are shadows, and all inward things, so far as they hold aloof from the all-embracing consciousness, are dreams. The worship of the supernatural, such as is to be found in Christianity, often ends in the despiritualization of Nature. which becomes merely the world without and therefore opposed to the Supernatural, which becomes the dwelling place of God .
Download or read book Why I Am Not a Buddhist written by Evan Thompson and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2020-01-28 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A provocative essay challenging the idea of Buddhist exceptionalism, from one of the world's most widely respected philosophers and writers on Buddhism and science. Buddhism has become a uniquely favored religion in our modern age. A burgeoning number of books extol the scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness for everything ranging from business to romance. There are conferences, courses, and celebrities promoting the notion that Buddhism is spirituality for the rational; compatible with cutting-edge science; indeed, "a science of the mind." In this provocative book, Evan Thompson argues that this representation of Buddhism is false. In lucid and entertaining prose, Thompson dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different. Efforts to seek their unification are wrongheaded and promote mistaken ideas of both. He suggests cosmopolitanism instead, a worldview with deep roots in both Eastern and Western traditions. Smart, sympathetic, and intellectually ambitious, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism's place in our world today."--Provided by publisher.
Download or read book The Gospel of Buddha written by and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Is A New Release Of The Original 1915 Edition.
Download or read book The Gospel of Buddha According to Old Records written by Paul Carus and published by Open Court Publishing. This book was released on 2004 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Gospel of Buddha, the classic text on Buddhism that first introduced many Westerners to Buddha and his teachings, was first published in 1894 and immediately became a worldwide bestseller. Author Paul Carus (1852-1919) collected many accounts of Buddha's life, teachings, and death, and fashioned a coherent and gripping narrative. It was easily understood and popular with Americans because it resembled a Christian gospel. Martin Verhoeven's detailed introduction describes the circumstances surrounding Carus's achievement, and the book's relation to other strands of Buddhist teaching. This edition also includes 25 newly rediscovered paintings by the renowned Buddhist artist Yamada.
Download or read book Buddhist Christian Gospels written by Albert Joseph Edmunds and published by . This book was released on 1902 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Buddha and the Christ written by Burnett Hillman Streeter and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Gospel of Buddha written by Paul Caurs and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2016-06-09 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This vintage book contains Paul Carus's 1894 work, "The Gospel of Buddha". Modelled on the New Testament, it recounts Buddha's life and teachings in the form of parables. It was an instrumental tool used by many Asian sects to introduce Buddhism to the west in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Contents include: "The Disciple Speaks", "Samsara And Nirvana", "Truth, The Savior", "The Enlightenment", "The Ties Of Life", "The Three Woes", "The Bodhisattvas Renunciation", "King Bimbisara", "The Bodhisattva's Search", "Uruvela, Place Of Mortification", "Mara, The Evil One", "Enlightenment", et cetera. Many vinatge books such as this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction.
Download or read book The Flower Ornament Scripture written by Thomas Cleary and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 1993-10-12 with total page 2759 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A masterful translation of one of the most influential Buddhist sutras—the Avatamsaka Sutra—by one of the greatest translators of Buddhist texts of our time Known in Chinese as Hua-yen and in Japanese as Kegon-kyo, the Avatamsaka Sutra, or Flower Ornament Scripture, is held in the highest regard and studied by Buddhists of all traditions. Through its structure and symbolism, as well as through its concisely stated principles, it conveys a vast range of Buddhist teachings. This one-volume edition contains Thomas Cleary’s definitive translation of all thirty-nine books of the sutra, along with an introduction, a glossary, and Cleary’s translation of Li Tongxuan’s seventh-century guide to the final book, the Gandavyuha, “Entry into the Realm of Reality.”
Download or read book The Buddha Christ as the Lord of the True Self written by Fritz Buri and published by Mercer University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This translation of a 1982 volume published in Bern (Paul Haupt Verlag) by a Swiss theologian with a longstanding interest in dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity features an examination of the Kyoto school of Japanese philosophers who attempted to engage with both Christianity and secular Wes
Download or read book Christianity and Buddhism written by Thomas Sterling Berry and published by . This book was released on 1891 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Miracles of Book and Body written by Charlotte Eubanks and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is an exciting exploration of the world of Buddhist attitudes towards religious texts, from Indian scriptures to Japanese medieval tales. Its emphasis on discursive strategies—how Buddhist texts function and what they expect of their readers/users (especially, the connection between books, their content, and their readers' bodies)—is a welcome new perspective."—Fabio Rambelli, author of Buddhist Materiality "Miracles of Book and Body is fluidly written and engaging. This book brings the reader to an awareness of the range and foci of medieval 'popular' readings of sutra literature, and Eubanks provides an important perspective to interpreting these narratives that is original and stimulating."—Thomas W. Hare, author of Zeami: Performance Notes "Charlotte Eubanks' sophisticated, insightful and readable study of the physicalities of sutra texts and sutra recitation makes sense of some of the strangest phenomena in medieval Japan. By disentangling the literal and metaphorical meanings in Buddhist setsuwa, Eubanks explains such things as how memorizing a text is an embodiment thereof, how texts can become sentient beings, and why the scroll is an appropriate format for recording dharma. Her work is both important and engaging."—Margaret H. Childs, University of Kansas "Drawing on an impressive range of Mahayana scriptures and medieval Japanese didactic tales, Eubanks unpacks recurrent tropes correlating text and flesh to reveal surprising connections among the literary, material, and ritual dimensions of Buddhist textual culture. Elegantly written and theoretically astute, this volume will be welcomed not only by specialists in Buddhist literature but also by readers interested in broader issues of text-based religious practice."—Jacqueline Stone, author of Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism
