Apostolic Faith Youth - The Study - World Religions: Buddhism

Key Person or Founder, Date, Location

Jesus Christ.
Founded about A.D. 30-33, in the Judean Province of Palestine (Israel today), under the Roman Empire.

Buddha (Siddhartha Gautamo). Founded about 525 B.C. in India. Offshoot of Hinduism.

Key Writings

The Bible, written originally in Hebrew and Aramaic (Old Testament), and Greek (New Testament)

The Tripitaka (Three Baskets), which has more than 100 volumes.

Who is God?

The one God is Triune (one God in three Persons, not three gods): Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Often the title "God" designates the first Person, God the Father. He created the universe out of nothing. He is eternal, changeless, holy, loving, and perfect.

Buddhism is mostly atheistic. Many Buddhists do not believe in a God or Supreme Being of any kind. Others speak of the Buddha as a universal enlightened consciousness or as a god.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is God, the second Person of the Trinity. As God the Son, He has always existed and was never created. He is fully God and fully man (the two natures joined, not mixed). As the second Person of the Trinity, He is coequal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. In becoming man, He was begotten through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is the only way to the Father, salvation, and eternal life. He died on a cross according to God's plan, as full sacrifice and payment for our sins. He rose from the dead on the third day, spiritually and physically immortal. For the next 40 days, He was seen by more than 500 eyewitnesses. His wounds were touched and He ate meals. He physically ascended to Heaven. Jesus will come again visibly and physically at the end of the world to establish God's kingdom and judge the world.

Jesus Christ is not a part of this belief. Buddhists in the West generally view Jesus as an enlightened man.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force or energy field. He comforts, grieves, reproves, convicts, guides, teaches, and fills Christians. He is not the Father, not the Son, Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is not part of this belief.

How to Be Saved

Salvation is by God's grace, not by an individual's good works. Salvation must be received by faith. People must believe in their heart that Jesus died for their sins and physically rose again, which is the assurance of forgiveness and resurrection of the body. This is God's loving plan to forgive sinful people.

God of life is nirvana, to eliminate all desires or cravings, and in this way escape suffering. The Eightfold Path is a system to free Buddhists from desiring anything.

What Happens After Death

Believers go to be with Jesus. After death, all people await the final judgment. Both saved and lost people will be resurrected. Those who are saved live with Jesus in Heaven. Those who are lost suffer the torment of eternal separation from God (Hell). Jesus' bodily resurrection guarantees believers that they, too, will be resurrected and receive new immortal bodies.

People do not have a soul or spirit. However, one's desires and feelings may be reincarnated into another person. No heaven or hell.

Other Beliefs or Practices

Group worship, usually in churches. No secret rites. Baptism and Lord's Supper (Communion). Active voluntary missionary efforts. Aid to those in need: the poor, widows, orphans, and downtrodden. Christians believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah promised to Israel in the Old Testament (Tanakh). Jesus said His followers would be known by their love for one another.

Eightfold path recommends right knowledge, intentions, speech, conduct, livelihood, right effort, mindfulness, and meditation. Some buddhist groups talk about an eternal Buddha (life-force). Some Buddhist offshoots include Zen, Nichiren Shoshu, and Tibetan (occultic) Buddhism.