Did Jesus practice Bodhicitta

a reply to: toms54

You can be an expert on anything.
With enough study of course.

a reply to: glend

Thank you for a wonderful OP.

TeThe bad wolf is our ego-brain that is controlled by DNA to procreate. Manipulated by cultural beliefs to chase materilistic gains etc. Is selfish and conceited.xt

I just have one question for you? Do you believe the egoic self is controlled by DNA? It may have been created from a DNA pattern but it is we that misunderstand it's use and allow it to become our primary self. I believe the ego has a legitimate use, which is to allow us a perspective of self for the purpose of survival. We have distorted it,allowed to run wild and have too much control. I do believe cultural beliefs help corrupt it as well as giving ultimate value to the material world.

I am currently amazed at how cunning and how many levels there are to the ego. It almost seems hopeless to gain total control over it, thank you for your method of overcoming it.

a reply to: pointessa

I am currently amazed at how cunning and how many levels there are to the ego.

Indeed....the video below describes this cunningness incredibly well.
The problem with thought is that it assumes a self center and it then does everything to protect something with does not actually exist.

originally posted by: glend
a reply to: mysterioustranger

That was beautiful.

Well, thank you! It was a truth I've discovered over the course of my life, and try to follow each day...and I've an additional story that reflects the thread and my point.

I once met a Zen Buddhist monk picking oranges into a bag. Asking him casually if he was looking for the good ones to buy? He smiled at me and said "They are all just oranges...good or bad"!

Becoming friends...sometime later when asked about life's meaning and where we go when we die...he smiled (again)...and said "Watch"!

He threw a clear glass marble at a wall, shattering it into a zillion pieces. "Now, where is the marble now"? "Gone, and shattered"! Again he smiled that smile...

"It hasn't gone anywhere" he said..."it is STILL a marble....only now in a million pieces...yet still a marble never the less"!
I was both feeling stupid and amazed....

I learned the good man and woman...killer and theives...were all identical in creation...some whole, some shattered, some cracked some polished..yet we are all that marble.

We need to understand that we are all the same...some good oranges, some bad..some shattered marbles, some whole. We need to forgive and understand...pass no real judgement, but acceptance...I believe Jesus knew and practiced this...

At least...I hope so...! Peace..M.S.

originally posted by: glend

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: glend

Jesus was God incarnate, so He existed well before Buddha.

Therefore wouldn't it be more apt to ask if Buddha was following Christian practice?

Firstly, If Jesus was GOD incarnate shouldn't Moses have written the New Testament?

Secondly, I was not inferring that Jesus was practising Buddhism. I was inferring that Jesus was teaching a practice that I recognise as Bodhicitta.

Jesus said he was God so he cannot be just a good teacher or a prophet, he's either a liar or a madman.....or........whom He said He was



But we can't call him good teacher

originally posted by: glend
a reply to: toms54

What do you do if you see people following the pied piper over a cliff.

I'm looking at it now. Where is the love in this thread?
Christian Virgin Birth - Why Jews didn't buy it.

You called the mother of Jesus a prostitute and implied Christians had sex with children. You are so full of yourself I doubt you would back down even now.

originally posted by: toms54

I'm looking at it now. Where is the love in this thread?
Christian Virgin Birth - Why Jews didn't buy it.

You called the mother of Jesus a prostitute and implied Christians had sex with children. You are so full of yourself I doubt you would back down even now.

I think you misunderstood what glend was saying. In summary, she was stating that David Berg told his followers that questioning him was the same as questioning the authority of Jesus, and at what point should his followers start questioning that statement? David Berg apparently led his followers to believe that having sex with children was alright since he carried the same level of authority as Jesus and anyone who questioned him was questioning God.

I don't believe that glend was stating that all Christians believe the same way David Berg did, but that we need to have the ability to decipher who are truly Christians and who are those claiming to be Christians in order to carry out their own misdeeds.

Not being a Christian herself, glend can only observe other Christians and what they say and do to try and make her own judgements. As we know, truth doesn't come by observing others, but by the power of the Holy Spirit through reading scripture and engaging God through prayer.

I hope that made sense.

a reply to: glend

Well I guess as a father, loving my children, no matter what
It's a glimpse of Gods love

I am His child, that's an amazing feeling knowing my love for my children and I am a broken human/father
My child killed someone, I wouldn't stop loving them

originally posted by: Deetermined

originally posted by: toms54

I'm looking at it now. Where is the love in this thread?
Christian Virgin Birth - Why Jews didn't buy it.

You called the mother of Jesus a prostitute and implied Christians had sex with children. You are so full of yourself I doubt you would back down even now.

I think you misunderstood what glend was saying. In summary, she was stating that David Berg told his followers that questioning him was the same as questioning the authority of Jesus, and at what point should his followers start questioning that statement? David Berg apparently led his followers to believe that having sex with children was alright since he carried the same level of authority as Jesus and anyone who questioned him was questioning God.

I don't believe that glend was stating that all Christians believe the same way David Berg did, but that we need to have the ability to decipher who are truly Christians and who are those claiming to be Christians in order to carry out their own misdeeds.

Not being a Christian herself, glend can only observe other Christians and what they say and do to try and make her own judgements. As we know, truth doesn't come by observing others, but by the power of the Holy Spirit through reading scripture and engaging God through prayer.

I hope that made sense.

No, it doesn't make sense. There wasn't a single Christian sentiment that I saw her make in that entire thread. To be fair, I left off reading early on out of disgust.

Here, in this thread she pretends she is Christian and tries to preach Jesus. At the same time she endorses many statements that are directly opposed to what Jesus taught. For example, she gives the impression there are many ways to heaven. Jesus taught the only way was through him. Whether you agree with that or not, that is what he taught. I could give other examples but I don't want to dissect every comment on all these threads. She is a con man that tries to guide others into non Christian views by complimenting and flattering every statement made that run counter to Christian belief.

I hope that made sense.

originally posted by: toms54
For example, she gives the impression there are many ways to heaven. Jesus taught the only way was through him. Whether you agree with that or not, that is what he taught.

Jesus is the light.
This light that is here now is always present.

Man looks in time so gets lost. The ever present light gets denied.
What is seeing the ever present light?

a reply to: toms54

Here, in this thread she pretends she is Christian and tries to preach Jesus. At the same time she endorses many statements that are directly opposed to what Jesus taught. For example, she gives the impression there are many ways to heaven. Jesus taught the only way was through him. Whether you agree with that or not, that is what he taught. I could give other examples but I don't want to dissect every comment on all these threads. She is a con man that tries to guide others into non Christian views by complimenting and flattering every statement made that run counter to Christian belief.

This is exactly why everyone needs to do their own due diligence instead of falling for every claim being made out there. Unfortunately, people have a history and are drawn to hearing and believing only those things they want to. We can present our views and hope that God gives them the ears to hear what He told us in scripture, but in the end, only God himself can make that happen. This is why it's so important for us to use scripture and just let it stand on it's own to see what happens.

2 Timothy 4:1-5

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

God bless you and your efforts, Tom!

a reply to: mysterioustranger

The psychopath who commits such crimes can only be accounted for in 1 of 2 ways imo. Either the psychopath is a soulless part of God's creation and we have no reason to judge them spiritually or they are broken souls.

We don't know why a soul becomes broken to the point of heinous unforgivable crimes. For this reason we have the law which condemns the flesh, but Grace which releases us from judging the soul.

We can punish sins that go beyond the realm of any rational understanding without proclaiming condemnation to one's soul. Once we understand Jesus, we can see that it is more enlightening to empathize with the broken soul then it is to try play God.

Jesus said that he was not here to judge the world. And he died proclaiming Grace even on the cross. "Forgive them father for they know not what they do". He empathised with their ignorance. He did not condemn even those who condemned him to the cross. We should follow this teaching.

a reply to: glend

Originally posted by
I am not trying to bash Christianity. I am trying to bash dogma for the sake of those that are believing that dogma is good for them,

I have no arguments against Christians like Joecroft or Raggedyman. But a great many Christians believe they have a free ticket to Heaven,

What made you think I was a Christian…? lol

I believe Jesus was teaching a universal truth, about the Father being within us…

I don’t belong to any religion…I belong to God…


- JC

a reply to: pointessa

The brain is programmed by DNA to give greater priority to procreation etc so will weigh traits like beauty, strength, intelligence, wealth as highly desirable to ensure genes are successfully passed on to future generations. So the egoic self will delude itself into false love, hatred, jealousy, rage, self importance to try to accomplish those aims.

We have distorted it,allowed to run wild and have too much control.

Yes. An old saying, the mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master, speaks volumes.

It almost seems hopeless to gain total control over it

Yes that's my feeling as well. When Jesus walked the desert to fight Satan that was his fight against his egoic mind. Stories about Buddha fight against his egoic mind tells of an epic battle under the bodhi tree. Meditation is useful in stilling the noise from the egoic brain so we can hear the more subtle messages from the white wolf underneath.

a reply to: Joecroft

You seem to have amazing handle on the scriptures so just assumed your were.

I believe Jesus was teaching a universal truth, about the Father being within us… I don’t belong to any religion…I belong to God

That's my feeling as well.

a reply to: glend

I believe you are confusing Absolute bodhichitta and Relative bodhichitta.

Only the enlightened can achieve absolute bodhichitta.

And it's merits can only be discussed within the context of The Bodhisattva Way, where in an aspirant vows, once fully enlightened to return again and again to Samsara until ALL BEINGS are enlightened.

This is the Mahayana way...

The focus on individual enlightenment is the Hinayana.

However, as in most things, these two 'focuses' interrelate and support one another in practice.

a reply to: glend

Love is not a goal in Buddhism - the lessening of suffering is the goal in Buddhism.

Compassion yes.

Love, is so mixed up in the Western mind, as to be a useless concept. Yes - you can modify the word (agape, or physical, or brotherly...) but the age-old connotations of possession and coersion still apply.

I hear the granddaughter of the founder of a christian church - Hillsboro Baptist, I believe, say that they truly believed that hurting others (who didn't believe as they did) was a kindness - that calling dead soldiers was for others good - so that they would believe. I believe the Catholic church said that burning witches or other 'heritics' was for the saving of their souls. It was all done out of Christian Love.

originally posted by: toms54

originally posted by: glend
a reply to: toms54

I don't remember claiming I was an expert on Christianity. Nor have I read anywhere that someone must be ordained an expert to have an opinion. FYI I was baptised under church of england but see so many similarities in religions that I don't belong to any one club.

Don't tell people they are lost. You are not God my friend. That is Gods decision.

You should have your own forum for bashing Christians. You have been posting an anti christian thread almost every week. Call the forum Undermining Christianity.

You claim to be baptized but no Christian would post the way you do.

Excellent example of the "No True Scotsman" fallacy. Well Done.

a reply to: toms54

"she gives the impression there are many ways to heaven. Jesus taught the only way was through him."

1. He.

2.

John 14:6. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Its obvious what John 14:6 mean's to you. Yet Jesus is screaming to you that you cannot just believe in his words. You must live and breath Jesus as a path to enter heaven.

So if we read his words with egoism in our hearts. Of cause we will feel superior whilst beating our tribal drums. We are better them. We know, they don't. I am superior, they aren't. But that is not Jesus path.

His path is unselfish love for all.

So no. the Father does not turn his back on people that have no access to Christian teachings.
So no, Christianity is not the only path to heaven.
But yes. Jesus path, unselfish love for all, is the only path to heaven.

Jesus spent 40 days and forty nights in the wilderness doing god knows what, like wrestling lions and becoming one with their people. And yet this was when he was being tempted.

It's one thing to lend a hand, but it's another when it's a arm instead.