This book helps Christians to understand the Buddhist mind-set and world view, and to see where there are useful points of comparison and contact.
Steve Cioccolanti explains the concerns, fears and stresses that Buddhists experience - Buddhism is not a way of harmony and cosmic unity, as Westerners tend to think - and suggests what Christians truly have to offer. Buddhism is a rapidly rising religion in the West. But few Westerners know what Buddhism is like from the inside. Steve Cioccolanti , who made the journey from Buddhism to Christ, sets himself to compare the two faiths.
The book is studded with stories, parables and illuminating observations. It is remarkably easy to read, and Steve Cioccolanti (Author) is an engaging and original guide.
The insights are Biblically powerful, pragmatic and prophetically eye-opening. A must-read.
Title: FROM BUDDHA TO JESUS
Author: Steve Cioccolanti
"In his well-written and researched book 'From Buddha to Jesus' Steve has placed a valuable witnessing tool in the hands of the local church. I strongly recommend his book and suggest that anyone who comes in contact with Eastern religions should read it and have the information readily available." ~ COL STRINGER
Best-Selling Author & President of ICFM Australia
"This book has many great insights in it... I would use it for our Bible College students." ~DR. WAYNE CORDEIRO Pastor of 10,000+ member church in Hawaii
"Upon reading 'From Buddha to Jesus,'we were challenged, felt better equipped with the right information, and in many ways... corrected. We didn't realize that we had so many misconceptions concerning Buddhism. Nor did we know that there are so many teachings of Buddhism that could actually assist us in presenting to Buddhists their need of Jesus as Savior." ~ TONY & PATSY CAMENETI , Directors of RHEMA Australia, missionaries to Singapore & Italy.
Buddhism is a mystery to most Australians, yet increasing numbers of Australians are investigating it as an option for faith. Steve Cioccolanti has done us all a service by making the essence of Buddhism accessible to all of us. This book will be an increasingly important resource for those desiring to lift up Jesus, The Light, in the understanding of those who find themselves impressed by Buddha, the 'enlightened one'." ~ ALLAN MEYER , Senior Minister of Careforce Church, Mt. Evelyn.
" 'From Buddha to Jesus' is definitely a book worth reading and passing on to other Christians. It has been written with the view of helping Christians to more effectively reach Buddhists with the Gospel by understanding our common ground with them.
"The book has also helped clear misconceptions of Buddhism that are prevalent in the Western society including my own misperceptions of reincarnation. It has given me invaluable insight into Buddhism in ways I had not hitherto attained from other books on world religions. The book is written in a very easy-to-read style with interesting anecdotes to illustrate teaching points. I highly recommend to every Christian both the book and its author." ~ PEGGY ONG ,Church Elder of Full Gospel Assembly Melbourne.
"A truly enlightening and informative book on Buddhism with many references and comparisons to Christianity. This book is a useful tool to reach not only Buddhists with the truth but many others confused in the plethora of religions." ~ TOM INGLIS , Founder of Psalmody, former Music Director of RHEMA South Africa.
"The author not only reveals the true teachings of Buddha, but superbly teaches many Biblical truths which are so vital for victorious Christian living." ~ DAVID PEARCE Missionary to Tibet .
"As well as learning so much, I believe Steve has a beautiful gift of expressing language... his writing is so clear and easy to comprehend it may well become a teaching, training, educational manual in libraries, schools and colleges throughout the world. I am praying for God's favor on this important piece of literature." ~ DAVID BOX, Property & Project Manager of Destiny Church, Melbourne
UNDERSTANDING BUDDHISM
Introduction
1. A Story from Behind the Bamboo Curtain
2. The Story of the Eel
3. East Meets West
4. The Thin Buddha, Fat Buddha and Laughing Buddha
5. Who Was Buddha?
6. The Lotus Parable
7. The Teachings of Buddha
8. The Four Noble Truths
9. The Polio Victim
10. How Jesus Made Himself Known
11. The Five Commandments of Buddha
12. What Would Jesus Say to Buddhists?
13. The Korean Buddhist
14. The Ten Karmas
15. Is There a Hell?
16. Reincarnation
17. Women in Buddhism
18. King Asoka and the Python
19. Jesus on Reincarnation
20. The King and the Ungrateful Debtor
21. The Blind Turtle
22. The Last Words of Buddha
23. Which Denomination?
24. The Three Baskets (Tripitaka)
25. The Six Buddhist Councils
26. King Naresuan
27. Summary
28. End Time Predictions of Buddha and Jesus
CHRISTIAN QUESTIONS
29. The Authority of the Bible
30. The Validity of Buddhist Stories
31. The Risk of Syncretism
32. Is Buddha in Heaven?
33. The Last Words of Jesus
34. What Would Buddha Say?
Appendix
FOREWORD BY DR. WAYNE CORDEIRO
You have in your hands a groundbreaking book, one that will challenge you to rethink our faith and how it can reach those whom others have overlooked.
I was raised in Hawaii, a blending of the East and West. My mother was for many years of her life a Buddhist. My father was Catholic, so I grew up confused! I was caught in between the two cultures and the two beliefs of those I loved.
As I came to know Christ in my late teenage years, I developed a heart to reach those of other faiths. I quickly learned that the first step to that goal was not necessarily sharing the Four Spiritual Laws or by giving them a copy of the New Testament. Rather, it was to understand their perspective and loving each one as a person for whom Christ died.
Having read Steve Cioccolanti's courageous work, I was challenged afresh and stirred in my heart to now confidently take the next step in reaching Buddhists with the Gospel. It teaches the reader how with understanding and context, we can build Goodwill, which one day will open a doorway for the Good News!
Steve Cioccolanti is a sincere follower of Christ with an unusual insight into the Buddhist mind. His background and context give him a broad understanding of faith and life. You will hear his compassion as well as his comprehension for those who have been raised within generations of Buddhist traditions and beliefs. He will even challenge you to see the good in it rather than just the bad. You will view the elements that have drawn millions in Asia and beyond to a philosophy of life that has withstood millennia of criticism and wars.
I have recommended this book to our Bible College students as they attempt to reach the Pacific Rim. I recommend it to you as you go forward to reach your world for Christ. ~ DR. WAYNE CORDEIRO ,
President of Pacific Rim Bible College Pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship, Hawaii.
FOREWORD BY REV. ROB ISAACHSEN
In Australia, the 2006 Census tells us that the number of Buddhists has grown by 107% since 1996. However it seems there has been little growth in understanding Buddhism within the Church or by Christians generally.
Some parts of the Church have adopted Buddhist meditation practices. Some see it as a religion of peace, promoting tolerance and self-understanding, not much different from Christianity. The Buddhist concepts of karma and reincarnation are accepted by a surprising number of young people, including many in the Church.
In his excellent book, Steve Cioccolanti provides a very welcome window into Buddhism as someone who has been on the inside. Through Buddhist stories and legends, he opens up the teachings of Buddha that are often more about a search for life than pathways to hope and fulfillment.
He includes a description of the different variations of Buddhism from different countries, and issues such as women in Buddhism and "Is Buddha in Heaven?"
The surprising features of this book are not only the candid information about Buddhism, but also the way Steve intertwines this with the Christian message of hope — comparing Buddhist teachings with the Bible, presenting some of the key Buddhist symbols as doorways to eternal life in Christ, and asking personal questions of the reader about their own beliefs, with prayers they can pray for enlightenment.
This is a book that would be of great value to any Christian seeking information about Eastern religions, especially if wanting to share their faith with a Buddhist. It would also be valuable and readable for a Buddhist person to understand their own faith, and to gain an understanding of Jesus. ~ REV. ROB ISAACHSEN, Founder of Transforming Melbourne.
AUTHOR THANKS TO
JESUS CHRIST. Lord, You have given me everything. I give you my life and this book to glorify You. May You use the little I give and multiply it!
MY WIFE, FE. You were my first reader. You are my encourager. Thanks for believing in me!
MY MOTHER, SYA. Thanks for praying for my soul. I owe you so much more than I can say.
ACHARN BAB & GORDON LIM. God used you to first explain Christianity to me. Your style of evangelism has changed my life!
KHUN KIM. Thanks for the countless hours we spent talking about Buddhism, poring over Buddhist texts and translating them!
SOMI KIM. God sent you at the right time, every time! You are talented and generous. Thanks for helping us put this book together!
KIKO ARAKAWA. You always seem to know how to make every project for God look better! Thanks for turning imagination into reality!
DISCOVER CHURCH. Without your love and support, where would I be? Family and friends like you are a gift from God. I love each of you.
THE MILLIONS OF BUDDHISTS whom I love and pray for... You are the reason people are reading this book all over the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My roots are in the East. I was born in Thailand and born again in Thailand. Like most Thais, I was taken to Buddhist festivals and temples from an early age. I did not discover the unique claims of Christ until I was twenty. Despite having been educated in Australia, America, France, Canada, Spain and England, I never heard any Christian tell me about Christ in those countries. Finally, I returned to Thailand for a job with an international magazine, and that was where three Thai and three Singaporean Buddhists tried to tell me about Jesus.
Because I grew up with Buddhists, Catholics, Methodists and Muslims in my immediate family, I had embraced the popular belief that "all religions are equally good." I expressed it by wearing a Buddha and a Cross on the same necklace. I believed it was open-minded to learn different religions and narrow-minded to think only one way might be right. Yet my own personal life was spiralling down a path of self-absorbed pursuits and sins. My philosophy sounded good but it wasn't producing much good in my own life.
These former Buddhists had found Christ as the answer to their problems. They were honest about their flaws, contrite about their sins, and gentle in everything they said and did. They were, in a word, different. My skepticism soon gave way to repentance and faith as I heard the Gospel clearly explained to me for the first time. Their message was confirmed by the evidence that I saw- they had something I did not have.
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and God called me into the ministry. I surrendered my plans to be a lawyer and graduated from Bible school. I now entrust to the Lord the remainder of my life, to use in whatever way He deems fit.
Again and again, He brings Buddhists across my path. It seems Buddhists are attracted to me and Ihave the constant privilege of telling Buddhists what set me free from a life of sin and suffering:
My teaching schedule takes me to many nations, but God keeps bringing me back to Buddhist nations to teach the story of God. I don't know why Buddhists like me. I have to give the credit and glory to God. I love everyone, but I can see that Jesus has put His special love for Buddhists in my heart.
I have literally ministered to and prayed for thousands of Buddhists. I have seen God do powerful miracles in their lives. I have seen teenagers return home, marriages restored, sicknesses healed, drug addicts delivered, business debt cancelled, finances increase in tough economic times. I have visited Buddhists in their homes, schools, hospitals and held some of their hands while they were dying:
Out of these real-life encounters and experiences, God impressed upon me to write this book. It was not my idea, but I've learned that it is good to trust Him. I pray God's blessing on you as you discover Buddhism the way it's lived, not the way textbooks or Hollywood present it. ~ STEVE CIOCCOLANTI
PREFACE ABOUT LANGUAGE
It is inevitable that you will learn a few new words as you find out more about Buddhism. For instance, the word Buddha is not an English word. It is a Sanskrit word ( बुध् ) from the root budh which means to awaken. Hence Buddha means the "awakened one" or the "enlightened one". There are many other foreign words you would have to learn if you want to study Buddhism, which creates a language barrier for the average person (even Buddhists!).
If you want to study deeply about Buddhism (and I'm not assuming you do), you will need to learn two foreign and ancient languages, Pali and Sanskrit. Muslims will understand this as they have a similar belief. If you want to become a serious Muslim, you are supposed to read the Koran in Arabic. Many Muslims who do not speak Arabic just recite the Arabic sounds without knowing the meaning: Buddhists do the same thing by chanting in the ancient languages of India which they do not understand.
Christianity in Europe used to have a similar problem when the Bible was written only in Latin.¹ However, the Protestant Reformation² led to the translation of the Bible into native languages.³ Catholics did not permit the use of the vernacular but continued to conduct masses in Latin up until 1965!⁴
Till today, Buddhists do not translate every Buddhist word into their native language. For instance, the word karma comes directly from Pali-Sanskrit.⁵ Other words such as "the cycle of reincarnation" are nearly always translated, because few people would recognize the word in its original Pali-Sanskrit form, which is samsara.
If you need time to absorb the new words, don't be surprised! Almost no one speaks Pali-Sanskrit today; they are ancient languages like Latin or classical Greek. Ancient Buddhist words will be repeated in their modern English and Thai forms, since 60 million Buddhists currently speak Thai. In Thai, the word karma is pronounced gumma or simply truncated in everyday speech to gum (rhymes with "hum"). You can pronounce any Buddhist word in English, in Thai or in Pali-Sanskrit. Throughout this book, you will find key words in their alternative forms because it's a bit of education that will help you in cross-cultural understanding and communication.
To appreciate the influence of Pali-Sanskrit language on Buddhist culture, a Westerner need only compare it to the impact of Greco-Roman language on Western civilization. Imagine a university student trying to successfully qualify as a doctor, lawyer, biologist, chemist or astronomer without learning any new Greek or Latin words! She need not speak Latin or Greek, but she needs to be comfortable with the terms of her trade. Similarly, to be Buddhist or understand Buddhism, you need to learn some of these ancient words.
Words are free, and more importantly, words build bridges, so please enjoy learning a few new words!
Notes:
¹ The Latin Bible is called the Vulgate and was the official Bible of the Catholic Church until 1979.
² The Protestant Reformation officially started in 1517 when Martin Luther protested against the Catholic ideas that the Pope was infallible, the church could sell salvation (called 'indulgences'), and no one but the clergy could understand the Bible. Protestants emphasize that the Bible is the only infallible source of truth, salvation is by faith in Christ alone, and everyone in the world who wants to understand the Bible can. Interestingly, one of the most common questions Buddhists ask is, "What's the difference between Catholic and Protestant?"
³ The Bible continues to be the most translated book in the world. The Bible exists in over 2300 languages out of the 6000+ known languages, and can now be accessed in many hotels, over the Internet and even by cellular phones! http://www.biblesociety.org/latestnews/latest232-slr2002stats.html
⁴ Pope John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council decided to permit the use of the vernacular in masses (or Catholic services). Prior to that, the commoner did not understand what was said in services.
⁵ Asians refer to Pali-Sanskrit the way Westerners refer to Greco-Roman. Although they are two different and separate influences, yet throughout history, they have become inextricably intertwined.
INTRODUCTION
I will not assume you know Buddhism. I will walk you through the basics. My main aim is to help Christians understand Buddhism the way it's actually lived, not the way it's taught in textbooks. When Christians talk to Buddhists, you should not feel as if they are against Christ or they are "closed" to the Gospel. Not necessarily. That's what I would like to help you understand. While there are some differences, there are also many striking similarities
So why should we be interested in Buddhism?
Buddhism is the state religion or majority religion of twelve countries: Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam. Buddhism is also very important culturally in several other regions of the world such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hawaii.⁶
(⁶ Hawaii contains a large population of Chinese,Japanese and Korean immigrants, most of whom are some type of Buddhist.)
Today at least 350 million people are born Buddhists. That's equivalent in size to the entire population of the United States or half of all Europeans alive today! While most Buddhists were born into Buddhist families, some Westerners are studying and/ or converting to Buddhism. Besides that, many people in the world are taking up an interest in martial arts, and 90% of all Oriental martial arts is heavily influenced by Buddhism.
So it is relevant for us - Christians, Buddhists, and others - to talk about Buddhism.
As for me, there are many reasons why I love Buddhists.
I grew up in a Buddhist country, I received Buddhist teachings, and I have Buddhists in my family. When I used to call myself a deist, I wore around my neck a white Buddha and a Jerusalem cross. Interestingly, while I was in my native Buddhist country, several Buddhist-background believers persuaded me to consider more personally about Christianity. Therefore I look at Christianity from Eastern eyes, and I have come to embrace Christ for myself.
But since I have spent some time in the West, namely Australia, different states in America and different nations in Europe, I also have a perspective on Western thinking. I believe that Western intellectuals currently do not understand Buddhism. They explain it in terms of tolerance, harmony and cosmic unity, which I think sells well to the Western public, but if I ever heard any of those terms used by a Buddhist while I was growing up, I cannot recall one instance!
To many Western intellectuals, I suspect, Buddhism may serve as a reaction against something they dislike, namely Christianity. The truth is, Buddhism is not a reaction against Christianity. Christianity didn't even exist at the time Buddha (circa 450 BCE) was around!
When a person comes from that paradigm - in which they are reacting to the Christian traditions they dislike and they adopt Buddhism - they really do not understand what it's about. That is actually part of the appeal to Westerners. It is probably the main appeal amongst scholars, students, and New Agers. The appeal of Buddhism is the mystery of what they don't understand.
In this book, I am going to explain to you aspects of Buddhism in a way that native Buddhists would easily understand, but in a way that you are not likely to ever hear in a Western classroom. You will also learn about the similarities between Christianity and Buddhism that may be unexpected, and read about many real-life stories. The lives of modern Buddhists comprise one of the great untold stories of spiritual literature.
I am aware that there are hundreds of books on Buddhism, and similar resources on Christianity. Where my efforts come in is not to repeat or replace their works, but to fill in the gaps and to emphasize certain things that have long been neglected in the available literature. No doubt many authors (both native and foreign) have attempted to shed light on these great faiths separately. The gap which remains, it seems to me, is that no insider has attempted to bring understanding to both faiths simultaneously. I have been a Buddhist and now I am a Christian. I have lived with Buddhists and Christians. What I will share will not be theoretical, but real facts and true stories from an insider's perspective.
There are a lot of reasons to study these two Great Religions of the World - Buddhism and Christianity, and to study them together! After reading this book, its facts, its never-before-translated parables, and its real-life stories of Buddhists and Christians, you will no longer have to wonder about these two great faiths! At least you should be more open to converse with the next Buddhist (or Christian) you meet.
A STORY FROM BEHIND THE BAMBOO CURTAIN
The term "iron curtain" referred to an invisible, ideological wall that separated Eastern (communist) Europe from Western Europe. For nearly fifty years, people inside the communist bloc did not fully know or understand what was happening in the rest of the world. They perceived the West as their enemy. Through much prayer this wall came down, as symbolized by the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, Germany, in 1989.
A similar invisible wall separates Christians from Buddhists, which I will call the "bamboo curtain". Non-Buddhists don't really understand what's going on inside Buddhist cultures, Buddhist families and Buddhist lives. And most Buddhists also don't really know what Christianity or the Bible is all about. They sometimes perceive each other as enemies, which is simply not the case.
There are many stories I wish I could tell you, but time and space limits us. We will begin with one. More will come later in this book. The Story of the Eel will give you a peek into what it is really like to be born in a Buddhist country and to live as a Buddhist.
Chapter 2: THE STORY OF THE EEL
This story is not intended for children. It's an adult story, so I will try to word it delicately so the adults will understand. In this account I will show you how the doctrine of karma works in real life.
I travel regularly to Thailand for public speaking and on one of my trips I sat down with a Buddhist friend. This is what she told me.
Since the age of twelve, I could not say the word "eel".⁷ I could not even stand to hear the word eel. I would literally go into shock. My father once tried to fry some eel and that was the last time. My entire family could not eat eel⁸ any more.
My husband of eight years had the job of holding the remote control in his hands while watching TV, just in case the word eel was ever spoken. When we went to the market together, he had to hold my arm just in case we saw an eel in the marketplace. What happened to me?
Notes:
⁷ Thai: pla lai. ปลาไหล
8 Some Westerners may be quite happy to never eat eel, but many Asians love it. The Japanese grill it with Teriyaki sauce and it is quite nice
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