Lesson 9: Buddhism

Yeo grew up in a Buddhist family in the Philippines. He remembers times when it was not safe to go to the marketplace because Muslims were killing Buddhists for their religion. Yeo sometimes went with his mother to the Buddhist temple to burn incense. One day his sister was sick and dying. A doctor was there but could not help. Yeo’s mother prayed frantically for Buddha to help her.

► Read Genesis 3 aloud together. Each student should write a paragraph that summarizes this scripture passage. What does this passage tell us about God, man, sin, and the world? Each student should write a list of statements. As a group, discuss what you have written.

Origin of Buddhism

Buddhism was developed by Siddhartha Gautama. Nothing was written about the life of Siddhartha Gautama until 400 years after his death, so details about his life are not certain.

Gautama was born at around 563 B.C. He was the son of a king of a small part of India. As a young man he escaped his keepers to get out and see the world. He saw people in poverty and disease, and concluded that life is essentially sorrow and suffering.

Gautama had an experience which he said enlightened him about the nature of reality. The word Buddha means “enlightened.” Gautama is often called “the Buddha.”

The Bible tells us not to trust a message from a spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus Christ, see 1 John 4:3. The enlightenment that Gautama received was false.

[1]Present Influence

Today there are many different sects of Buddhism. They are not united in a worldwide organization.

Writings considered holy scriptures by Buddhists would fill thousands of volumes. Therefore, each sect focuses on certain ones, rather than trying to study them all.

► How does a Christian view the Bible differently from the way a Buddhist views his scriptures?

The number of professing Buddhists in the world who purposely follow Buddhist teachings is at least 350 million. More than a billion people would call themselves Buddhists just because they have been taught Buddhism, and they are not loyal to a different religion.

Many people call themselves Buddhists because they follow some of the advice of Buddhist writings. They may not understand the foundational doctrines of Buddhism nor participate in organized groups.

Beliefs about Deity and Time

Buddhists do not believe in a supreme God who is a person. Instead, they believe in an ultimate reality that is the total of everything that exists. Therefore, Buddhists meditate, but they do not pray, because they do not believe that there is a God who speaks and listens. Buddhists have writings that are called prayers, but they do not address anyone. No gods of any kind are important in Buddhism.

It is a great privilege for Christians to pray in confidence that God hears, see Matthew 6:6-8 and 1 John 5:14-15.

Buddhists believe in endless cycles of time, with no beginning, no ending, and no events that change things permanently.

The Bible says there are key events, and that time will not always continue as it is now, see 2 Peter 3:10.

Reincarnation and Nirvana

Gautama and most of the people of his culture already believed in reincarnation before he developed his new religion. Reincarnation means that after a person dies he is born again as another person or a creature such as an animal or insect. By reincarnation a person lives many lives.

[2]Buddhists believe that if a person’s good deeds (good karma) exceed his bad deeds (bad karma), he can be born into a better life the next time.

The Bible says that our works do not earn acceptance with God or pay for our sins, see Romans 3:20.

According to Gautama, a person’s conscious self is not reborn. Only some of the material that he was made of is used to make a new creature. That means death in one life is really the end of a personality.

Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe on him, see John 10:27-28.

Sometimes people like the concept of reincarnation, but because life is so miserable, Gautama felt that living many lives is not a good thing. He believed that a person should have the goal of escaping the cycle of reincarnation.

A serious Buddhist follows the Buddhist way of life in order to rid himself of all desires. If he succeeds, he will not desire or enjoy anything or any human relationship.

For the Christian, human relationships are very important and bring joy, see 1 Thessalonians 3:12.

[3]A Buddhist believes that when he dies, he will enter nirvana instead of being born as another living thing. This is the ultimate goal of a committed Buddhist. Sometimes people assume that nirvana is like the Christian concept of heaven. But nirvana means nothingness, the end of self, like the blowing out of a candle. If a person reaches nirvana, he no longer exists as a thinking being.

In original Buddhism, a person did not have the possibility of reaching nirvana at the end of his present life unless he was a Buddhist monk. A woman did not have the possibility of reaching nirvana until being born again as a man and becoming a monk.

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

The beliefs that Gautama taught after his enlightenment are summarized in the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.

1. Life is full of sorrow and suffering with no real happiness.

2. Suffering is the result of desires, because nothing we desire is permanent.

3. Detachment from all desires is the way to escape suffering.

4. The eight principles of Buddhist ethics for life take a person toward detachment from all desires and to nirvana.

► Is there anything in the four noble truths that a Christian can agree with?

According to Gautama, all suffering comes because of desires. If a person could desire nothing, he would not suffer. To be a committed Buddhist, one must learn to take pleasure in nothing.

The story is told of a Buddhist monk named Sangamaji. He became a monk and left his family to spend all of his time wandering and meditating. Once his wife found him, laid their child in front of him, and begged him to help support them. Sangamaji sat without answering until she left. Gautama said that this man had reached the goal of Buddhism because he felt no joy when the wife came or sorrow when she left.

Christians commit to marriage as a relationship that brings joy, see Ephesians 5:28.

► How is the Buddhist concept of a perfect life different from the Christian concept?

The Lifestyle of Buddhism

Buddhism emphasizes a life of virtue. Buddhists believe that an action is virtuous if it benefits yourself and others, and does not harm anyone. A person’s intentions are considered more important that the actual results of his action.

The mental and spiritual exercises Buddhists practice are designed to help a person move from self-centeredness. Buddhists believe that all anxiety comes from caring too much about self. They want to forget self and love all conscious creatures (creatures that have minds). The problem is that without relationship with God, there is not a basis for selflessness and love.[4]

► Why can a person not be truly selfless and loving without a relationship with God?

Many people who call themselves Buddhists have grown up in a culture of Buddhism and have never seriously considered anything else. The assumptions of the religion seem to them the only reality. The rituals are part of their daily lives.

Typically, people who convert to Buddhism from another religion are attracted by the religion’s philosophy of life. They do not join because they want to seek nirvana. They join because Buddhism seems to offer a life that is free from anxiety and conflict. Many people feel that in Buddhism they find freedom from stress and that their life is more orderly than before.

► Now go back and read the bold and italicized text and each scripture.

Because Buddhists do not profess to be Christians and do not recognize the Bible as the final authority, it is not enough just to show them that their beliefs are not consistent with the Bible. They already know that the Bible supports a religion different from their own.

It is still important and effective to share the gospel. When you are in a conversation with a Buddhist, tell him you would like to explain the foundation of your beliefs. Share the gospel simply. Even though the Buddhist does not claim to believe the Bible, God’s truth has power because of the work of the Holy Spirit.

You should also share your testimony. Tell how the gospel brought you into relationship with God, brought you forgiveness and deliverance from sin, and gave meaning to your life.

Beyond the basics of the gospel presentation and personal testimony, you can speak to the special needs of the Buddhist with the truth of the gospel. Buddhism struggles to explain the suffering and sorrow of life. It fails to explain the reality of good things and the joy that exists. The teachings of Buddhism deny the importance of everything that seems important in life, including human relationships. It is a religion without a personal God who has relationship with his worshippers. It provides neither eternal life nor significant individual destiny.

Suffering

The Buddhist believes that suffering is meaningless and unreal. This is an unsatisfying explanation.

Christianity explains the condition of suffering in the world. The world was created perfect by God, but man sinned and brought a curse on the world. This explains why there is aging, sickness, and death. Sin is also demonstrated in the continued evil actions of people.

Happiness

The Buddhist believes that there is no real happiness in life, and we should therefore desire nothing. This contradicts the experiences of joy and pleasure people have, especially in personal relationships.

The fact that the world was created by God explains why there is still much joy and pleasure in life, even though the world is not perfect like God originally designed it.

Like Buddhists, Christians realize that earthly things are not permanent. We should not live as if we will keep what we have here forever. However, a Christian can enjoy life because he knows he will live forever with God. Though things are not permanent, they are real, and our choices have eternal results. This gives purpose and significance to human life.

Relationships with Others

If fully lived out, the teachings of Buddhism would lead one away from relationships because relationships are considered meaningless. But human nature has a deep need for committed relationships.

God has created us for relationships with other human beings. We desire to be valued by others. We desire to make commitments to others. Relationships are especially significant because we know that all people are specially created as eternal beings with eternal destinies.

Relationship with God

Buddhism is a religion without a God. But each of us has a deep need to know God and worship him.

God designed us to live in relationship with him. A person is never fulfilled and satisfied until he is in a personal relationship with God. The relationship with our Creator will be eternal, and heaven is the place where we will live with God.

Forgiveness for Sins

Buddhism has no concept of forgiveness for sins. There is no one to hold man accountable for doing wrong, and there is nothing that can atone for wrongs done. Because of these things, Buddhists have no assurance of forgiveness.

The Bible shows us that every person is guilty and needs to be forgiven of sin. Because Jesus made atonement for us, we are assured that we can be forgiven.

Use the following sections from the Handbook of Doctrine to share with a Buddhist:

(9) Salvation is only by the atonement of Christ.

(11) We receive salvation by faith.

(12) We can have personal assurance of salvation.

Yeo’s mother prayed desperately for Buddha to heal her dying daughter, but it seemed that there was no help. Then she remembered a Christian missionary named Wong who was preaching nearby. She sent Yeo to bring him. When Wong arrived, he said, “Don’t pray to Buddha; pray to Jesus.” Wong began to pray, and the girl was healed. Yeo’s mother became a Christian that day, and Yeo became a Christian later.

► Now read Genesis 3 again. Each student should write a paragraph explaining the message this passage has for a Buddhist. Several students can share what they wrote.

Remember to find an opportunity to present the gospel to someone from this religious group. Prepare to share with your classmates about the conversation you have had. Write your 2-page written report and turn it in to your class leader.