I was raised in traditionally folk Buddhist family. I was taught the only thing that matters was reaching enlightenment. In my family we prayed to my deceased Grandma who would carry our prayers to Buddha. We couldn't pray to Buddha on our own, only with a spiritual representative, and you had to give them an offering (sacrifice) for their ability for act physically in the world. Anyway, when I went to high school, the students were majority Christian. They taught me how the Buddhist things were wrong and Jesus was the only way esp with a baptism. I liked how Jesus actually loved every one and there was a happy heaven and a loving God. The Buddhist version of "heaven" - extinguishment - is you without wants, needs, loves, desires. Your family does not matter. You will not be you but only an observer that does not participate. This lasts until the universe ends, it is reborn, and the cycle starts again. Stories about the Buddha did not seem so wholesome anymore. For ex:
1. Buddha abandoned his royal lavish lifestyle on the night his son was born. His crying wife came with the baby to him and begged him to come home. He ignored her and she left crying.
2. Budda's stance was that eating meat is evil. Later on, he eats pork with a high profile person. He is questioned about it and he says since he's the Buddha he can do whatever he wants.
3. After enlightenment mara (satan) convinced him the only thing to do is to die. He agreed with him, until another god came down and convinced him to teach.
Those things bothered me I turned towards studying the bible. I feel closer to God. After I read the whole bible I realized God would not turn his back on the Jews. The purpose of the bible is to explain the Jewish connection with God.
After learning, I am curious how Christianity and Islam can fit themselves in that lineage.
1. Buddha abandoned his royal lavish lifestyle on the night his son was born. His crying wife came with the baby to him and begged him to come home. He ignored her and she left crying.
2. Budda's stance was that eating meat is evil. Later on, he eats pork with a high profile person. He is questioned about it and he says since he's the Buddha he can do whatever he wants.
3. After enlightenment mara (satan) convinced him the only thing to do is to die. He agreed with him, until another god came down and convinced him to teach.
Those things bothered me I turned towards studying the bible. I feel closer to God. After I read the whole bible I realized God would not turn his back on the Jews. The purpose of the bible is to explain the Jewish connection with God.
After learning, I am curious how Christianity and Islam can fit themselves in that lineage.
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