Montana Freethinkers

Exploring ideas outside the norm, specifically contemporary Christianity and pure market capitalism.

A parable about Buddha and Jesus:

author unknown

One sunny day, the Buddha and Jesus were walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and they decided to row to the other side. When they reached the middle of the sea, a huge storm suddenly came up. Great waves tossed the boat, and the wind and rain bore down upon them mightily. Jesus stood up and said to the wind and waves "Peace, be still" and the wind and waves ceased. The Buddha turned to Jesus and asked calmly "Why did you do that? The weather pattern you have disturbed here, must of necessity by the law of cause-and-effect, work itself out elsewhere. Many lives will now be lost."

Another day the Buddha and Jesus were walking through the streets of Jerusalem, when a woman came running up to them, her five children with her. Bursting into tears, she begged Jesus to come with her and raise her father from the dead. Remaining silent, the Buddha followed the woman and Jesus to the place where her father's corpse was laid out. "I command you, arise!" Jesus declared, and the man rose from the dead. The woman and her children thanked Jesus profusely, as did the formerly dead man, and then they went away. The Buddha turned to Jesus and said calmly "Now that man must go through the agony of death yet again, and his family must suffer his loss yet again."

On another day the Buddha and Jesus were walking through the streets of Jerusalem, when Jesus was confronted by a group of Pharisees. They argued with Jesus, and a crowd gathered. With a final flourish, Jesus won the debate and the Pharisees went away beaten, embarrassed, and angry. The Buddha remained silent. They walked together until they came upon the Temple, whereupon Jesus drove out the money-changers with great anger and violence. "Well, I have certainly shown them all today!" exclaimed Jesus. "Yes, you have" replied the Buddha "but your negative words and actions will come back upon you."

One dark day the Buddha came upon Jesus hanging on a cross. "What are you doing up there?" asked the Buddha. "I am suffering and dying for the sins of the world" Jesus replied. The Buddha sighed, and calmly told Jesus "All beings must suffer the consequences of their own actions, be they negative or positive. This is the Law of Karma. Furthermore, all things must die, Jesus. This is the Law of the Universe." Jesus struggled for breath and said "I shall come again." "Yes, you shall return, many many times" replied the Buddha. Jesus gasped again, and said "When I return, it shall be in wrath. I shall bring great suffering with me and multitudes will die." Again the Buddha agreed "Yes, each time you return, it shall be in wrath. You shall bring great suffering each time, and multitudes will die."

Then the Buddha turned and walked sadly away.

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The Law of Karma works for all sentient beings, even for all gods and the King of Gods (One such King is known as Sakra Devendra in the Buddhist Sutra) in the Realm of Heaven. There are many Heavens in Buddhism, each headed by a Supreme King. If you read the OT, the King of Heaven in the Middle East refused vegetarian offerings and accepted meat offerings (Abel and Cain), drown every sentient beings on earth with a great flood (how sinful was a panda in China, for instance?), killed all the first born babies in Egypt, ordered all the enemy men to be killed, enemy women to be taken as sex slaves, even enemy animals to be slaughtered (today, such war acts would contravene international law and the King be subject to be hanged as a War Criminal - you cannot open fire if the enemy surrenders and puts down their weapons!).......

No wonder their King of Heavens in the Middle East had to suffer on the Cross.