Buddhism FAQ0 >> 23.Relationship with Other Religions
Religions were created to stop evil spiritual practices such as human sacrifice, cannibalism, soul harvesting, harmful spells, sexual practices for spirituality, necromancy, wilful demon possession & to stop worship of evil powers of hell such as Satan worship, Moloch & Baal worship, Sambri magic etc.
Then establish good moral practices beneficial to humanity & to realize God/Nirvanic state i.e. freedom from shackles of sensual slavery & rebirths. Later, unfortunately, unrealized lay followers of different religions & sects started viewing each others' differences as adversity, leading to disagreements & rivalry.
Buddhism FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions About Buddhism)
23. What is the Relationship of Buddhism with Other Religions?[]
What Others Call As God, It is Called Impersonal Eternal Nirvanic State in Buddhism
Ans :[]
Introduction[]
In Buddhism(& in some other religions too) all beings are considered to be trapped in the cycle of rebirths
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebirth_(Buddhism)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation
which is not merely a theory but many many persons have known to remember their past lives especially children and internet is full of such examples and the phenomenon is evidenced by varying behavior of all different people who react as per their character generated by karma-sanskaras(actions of past leading to behavior). Every life ends in painful death. Buddhism is the path of spiritual awakening and of Moksha/Nirvana(Salvation from rebirths) which is considered the highest achievement in religions of south Asia. Everyday a Buddhist need to :
1. Go to refuge of Triratna(3 jewels) i.e. Buddha, who is Bhagwan(Lord), Dhamma(path & also the eternal natural law) & Sangha(order of monks). Also one needs to request all the devas(gods & godesses) for protection.
2. Take 5 moral vows(Sheel) of non-violence, celibacy, non stealing, not consuming intoxicants & of speaking truth.
3. Do meditation as taught by Buddha (Such as Vipassana & Samatha) and then achieve Samadhi(trance, zen, jhana/dhyan, rapture) leading to spiritual awakening , enlightenment & spiritual knowledge.
Relationship With Vedic Dharma or Sanatan Dharma(aka Hinduism)[]
The word Hindu originates from the word Sindhu which is a river as the civilisation that thrived on its banks. In many places in India, letter 'S' becomes 'H' hence Sindhu becomes Hindu.
With Vedas ,Vedic Rishis & Gita[]
The word Vedana (वेदना) means sensation (implying knowledge from experience) is so much related to ancient knowledge that it is the soul of many words i.e. :
Vid (विद) :Meaning knowledgeable person (vid from vedana).
Vidya(विद्या) : Meaning knowledge.
Vidwan(विद्वान) : Meaning a scholar, a teacher, an expert, holding vidya(knowledge).
Ved (वेद) : The ancient spiritual knowledge of rishis (probably gained through vedana/direct experience).
Vidyarthi (विद्यार्थी): A student gaining knowledge.
Buddha's path is the path of gaining knowledge through Vedana वेदना (direct experience) hence It is the core Vedic Dharma वैदिक धर्म / Vedic Religion.
What is a Buddha : The ides in word Buddha when taken to Hinduism becomes Jivanmukt(जीवनमुक्त) in Hindi/Sanskrit. This is considered the highest state of a human being equivalent to God(Bhagwan/Ishwara). Lord Buddha has also called himself as Bhagwan. In Pali he said: Itipo so Bhagwa meaning Thus I am Bhagwan(as God state). However The Buddhas(Jivanmukt) are considered numerous & equivalent, but Buddha like Gautam Buddha are unique as they are called Samyak(self made) Buddha(Jivanmukt) because when the path is forgotten in the world, they again find this path of liberation.
Buddhism : Original name of Buddhism is Dharma or Dhamma meaning law of nature, which applies of all. After meditating in seclusion & upon enlightenment, Buddha found that by focussing attention on emotions related Vedana (वेदना samvedana or sensations in body) & remaining in equanimity(samata/non reaction) with these, is the path of modifying and removing karma-samskaras कर्म संस्कार (habits/behavior) leading to attainment of a new states of life consciousness called samadhi(trance)/Jhana/zen. And continuing the practice for attaining the taintless supernatural state of Moksha/Nirvana.
Also Lord Gautam Buddha is the 25th Buddha as stated by him. All previous Buddhas were great rishis of India,
First Buddha Dipankara
Various Other Previous Buddhas,
Buddhavamsa
Buddha was the Agatsya Rishi Akitta-Jātaka,Cariyapitaka text;
He was the charismatic Rishi Matanga according to the Mātaṅga-Jātaka, Jataka 497. Rishi Matanga was a Brahmrishi and the guru of Devi Anjana who gave birth to Hanuman deva, one of the most revered. What it means is that Lord Ram was reborn as Lord Buddha and then attained final moksha/nirvana, never to be reborn again.
There are references according to which Lord Buddha was also Krishnadipayana Rishi Kaṇhadīpāyana-Jātaka.
Gita is considered as very to difficult to understand, however it is seen that by understanding the teachings of Lord Buddha, interpretation of Gita becomes very easy & is very similar to Buddhist teachings because Gita teaches equality, morality & yoga meditation path similar to The path of Buddha. A very strange coincidence relates Gita & Buddhism as Gita has a mention of Rishi Kaldeval in it as one of the greatest beings in the world. When prince Siddharth Gautam(Lord Buddha) was born, Rishi Kaldeval was the saint who was called by the father of prince Siddharth to do forecasting for his life and he declared that he would either become a world renowned saint or world renowned king but surely a saint & shed tears that he would not be able to gain his teachings as he would not live that long.
With Yoga & Meditation[]
Lord Buddha has called his path as Yoga in many places in Pali Tipitaka, the follower as yogi & brahmacari also those who attain the highest as kevali(from Sanskrit word kaivalaya the highest attainment of yoga meditation path).
His path is totally based on meditation with its attainment as awakening or enlightenment. It is similar to awakening of kundalini in samadhi states.
He was Ram Himself & Also Brother of Krishna[]
Also, in one of his previous lives Buddha was the Lord Ram of Ramayana according to Dasaratha-Jātaka , Jataka 461.
Also Lord Krishna was his elder brother according to Ghata-Jātaka2, Jataka 464, and as mentioned there, Krishna was later reborn as the Sariputra, the chief disciple of Lord Buddha and then attained final moksha/nirvana.
With Devas(gods/angels) & Mahadevas(Brahmas/Archangels)[]
In Buddhist texts it is seen that Brahma, Vishnu, Shiv, Shakra(Indra the king of gods/angels) etc most gods were Buddha's disciples and consulted him often on the matters of Dhamma/Dharma.
Indra king of gods/angels (known as Sakka/Shakra) consults Lord Buddha : Sakkapanha Sutta
Shiv consults Lord Buddha : SN1-version2 in sutta 102
Brahma pleads with Lord Buddha to teach the path(Dhamma): Mahavogga 1.5
Vishnu consults Lord Buddha: SN1-version2 in sutta 93
Buddha is not opposed to Devas(gods)[]
An6.9 Subjects of Recollection (Anussatitthana Sutta) - (Lord Buddha says)"Bhikkhus(Monks), there are these six subjects of recollection. What six? Recollection of the Buddha, recollection of the Dhamma, recollection of the Sangha, recollection of virtuous behavior, recollection of generosity, and recollection of the devtas(angels/gods). These are the six subjects of recollection."
Also as taught by Lord Buddha, everyday Buddhist monks do recitation 2 times i.e. morning & evening and in that they seek protection from devtas.
Also it is known in Buddhism that when Lord Buddha sat down to meditate under the Bodhi Tree prior to his enlightenment, he asked the Devas(gods) & Brahmas to protect him and when evil Mara & his forces attacked Lord Buddha, a protective shield of sphere was created so that when arrows & weapons were shot, they became flowers & fell down within it.
Comparison between Hinduism & Buddhism
| Item | Hinduism | Buddhism |
|---|---|---|
| Rebirth | Yes | Yes(see Jataka) |
| Avatar(as Savior) | Yes | Yes as Buddha |
| God/Bhagwan | Yes | Yes (purified self as attained By Buddha himself & other Arahatas) |
| Meditation/Dhyan | Yes | Yes (as core practice) |
| Yogic Path | Yes, Ashtang Yoga | Yes, Arya Ashtangic Marg or Eightfold Path |
| Samadhi(Enlightenment) | Yes (7 types) | Yes (9 types leading to Nirvana called Dhyan/Chan/Jhana/Zen) |
| Supernatural Powers/Magic | Yes | Yes (the 10 powers Of Buddhas/Arahatas) |
| Moral Practices | Yes | Yes, called sila or sheel |
| Celibacy | Yes (for Yogis) | Yes (for Monks & Nuns) |
| Renunciation | Yes as Yogi/Sadhu | Yes as Monk/Bhikku |
| Moksha/Liberation from Rebirths | Yes | Yes (Nirvana as the ultimate aim) |
| Heaven | Yes | Yes(See Vimanavatthu) |
| Hell/Ghosts | Yes | Yes(See Hell&Petavatthu) |
| Mention of Asuras(Demons) | Yes | Yes(in past when Gautam Buddha was Indra, he fought with Asuras) |
| Ram | Yes | Yes (Gautam Buddha Was Ram) |
| Sita | Yes | Yes (Wife Yasodara in past life) |
| Krishna | Yes | Yes (Elder brother in past,now Sariputta) |
| Agatsya Rishi | Yes | Yes(Buddha was Agatsya See Akitta-Jātaka & Cariyapitaka) |
| Matanga Rishi | Yes | Yes(Lord Gautam Buddha was the Matanga) |
| Shiv | Yes | Yes (mentioned in Samyutta Nikaya) |
| Vishnu | Yes | Yes (as Venhu in Pali) |
| Saraswati goddess | Yes | Yes in Japan |
| Yamraj | Yes | Yes as Yama |
| Kuber,Gandharv,Virupaksh | Yes | Yes(Atanatiya Sutta) |
| Brahma | Yes-only one | Yes,many in brahmalokas |
| Indra,king of gods | Yes | Yes(as Sakka/Shakra, see Sakkapanha Sutta) |
| Agni,Vayu,Prithvi,Water(Liquid) gods | Yes | Yes,elements controlled by Buddhas with his supernatural powers |
| Kailash Mountain as Sacred | Yes | Yes |
| Orange Robe(for monks) | Yes | Yes |
Differences : These are minor and exist in practice of chanting & meditation only, In Buddhism chanting is done in Pali or Tibetan etc. In Hinduism chanting is done in Sanskrit or its variants. Some Buddhist sect in Tibet/China do chanting & scripture writing in Sanskrit also. Pali language & Sanskrit are very similar sounding , with some differences in vowels etc. But Lord Buddha preferred Pali as it was language of masses at that time.
Relationship With Shintoism of Japan[]
It is said that Shinto religion has originated from Hinduism of India and of course Buddhism also exists there in Japan. In Buddhist scriptures , all Hindu gods find a place in Buddhism too but only as disciples of Lord Buddha as Lord Buddha was their teacher in heaven before rebirth and also during his earthly life . As written for Hinduism, the letter 'S' & 'H' gets replaced in many places in India, so if letter 'S' of Shinto is replaced with 'H' , then it becomes Hinto (or Hindo/Hindu). Many temples of Japan have both i.e. Lord Buddha as well as their deity/god/goddess in same place. Many gods in temples of Japan are directly related to gods of Hinduism in characteristics i.e.
| Hindu god name | Shinto god name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shiv(Maha kal) | Dai Koku Ten | Shown in meditation in both |
| Saraswati goddess | Benzai-Ten | Both shown with a similar musical instrument in sitting position |
| Yamraj | Emma-Ten | Both similar looking |
| Ganesha | Kangiten | Similar looking with elephant snout |
| Kuber | Bishamonten, also known as Tamon-Ten | Similar |
| Brahma | Bonten | Similar looking with 4 heads |
| Indra(Sakka/Shakra) king of gods | Taishakuten | Both riding elephant |
| Lakshmi goddess of wealth | Kisshōten, Kichijōten, Kisshoutennyo or Kudokuten | Both standing on lotus in similar pose |
| Agni (Ka-ten) | Ka-ten | Fire |
| Vayu | Fu-ten | Air or wind |
| Prithvi | Chi-ten | Earth |
| Surya | Nit-ten | Sun god |
| Chandra | Gat-ten | Moon deity |
Another good thing that needs to be appreciated is that in Japan Shintoism & Buddhism both support each other, they do not oppose each other and as a result both thrive.
Relationship With Sikhism[]
Lord Buddha has called his disciples as Sikh(or sekha) which means one who is learning. He used this word in 600 BC. Also he has used the word Akal for being timeless path. In every morning & evening the chanting of Buddhist monks contain these 2 words as in following :
Pananipata veramani sikha padam samadiyami...(5 morals/sheelas).
Suakhyato, Samditthiko, Aupneyiko, Ehipassiko, Akaliko
Also all their Gurus(teachers) were doing meditation in Himalaya caves. That indicates importance of meditation in Sikhism and they should learn it therefore.
Relationship With Jainism[]
Jains are referred as Niganthas in Buddhist Pali texts which is its original name (Sanskrit: Nirgranth). The teachings of Jains are almost similar to Buddhism except that they (Jains) are still awaiting the arrival of their Buddha (the awakened one) as they do not recognize Lord Siddharth Gautham Buddha as their Buddha.
Jains also have their Jain Ramayana book/scripture which details the life of Lord Ram too.
Relationship With Abrahmic Religions[]
The forefather of Abrahamic religions was Abraham. When Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, he was stopped by God, this signifies putting stop to human sacrifices as the start of Abrahamic religions. Buddhism does not practice killing , violence or sacrifice of any creature to please the supernatural because (since it is based on rebirth) any & every creature is related to one another (even animals could be one's blood relatives in past) hence is different than the Abrahmic religions in this regard. Rather it teaches love , compassion & sympathy to all creatures down to even an ant etc. due to the reasons aforementioned.
Relationship With Christianity[]
Many teachings of Jesus Christ on following the path of universal forgiveness,non-violence, celibacy etc. are very similar to Buddhism. Buddhism is known to have gone to middle-east and to Egypt. In Alexandria city their existence is known(in 200BC) & of a similar sect called Theraputae which appears to be similar sounding Theravada sect of Buddhism. Relationship in detail can be read on Wikipedia here :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_Christianity
Family of Jesus Christ had spent several years in Egypt after coming from Israel and in Egypt, Buddhist practices did exist which is confirmed by philosopher Philo of Alexandria of that times, in his writings. It may be possible that they came in contact with Buddhist or Buddhist like monastic practices & meditation. The library of Alexandria(which later burnt down) had maintained records of teachings & practices of many religions from all over the world including that of Buddhism which had reached there due to efforts of Indian Emperor Ashoka the Great.
Life Of Jesus Christ is so similar to Lord Gautam Buddha except the ending, (that Buddha survived many attacks on him). There are many sects in Jewish religion(aka Judaism) and one of their sect is Essene. The Essene sect is said to have assimilated teachings & monastic practices of Buddhism for the purpose of realizing enlightenment(Gnosis). Essene monks had similar life as in Buddhism. Jesus is said to belong to Essene sect as his teacher John the Baptist was also an Essene Jew. Jesus Christ , similar to Buddha , went into celibacy & seclusion and did meditation for many days at the end of which he attained the knowledge of God(enlightenment or Eternal Nirvanic state) and rejected the offer of worldly wealth, riches & of kingdom from the evil which appeared as devil/satan (similar to Buddha to whom it appeared as Mara, the lord of death, lust & wealth). Though he has not specifically mentioned rebirth-theory but he has stated that (his teacher) John the Baptist was previously the Prophet Elijah.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essenes
Many teachings of Jesus Christ are known to exist previously in Buddhism such as the story of Prodigal Son : https://www.comparativereligion.com/prodigal.html,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Prodigal_Son
also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barlaam_and_Josaphat
In life , Jesus Christ is so similar to an enlightened Buddhist monk that it is wondered that he was actually practicing the 3 Buddhist practices i.e. 1. Morality(sheel) 2. Meditation(samadhi) 3. Enlightenment(panna/pragya). Also the word 'Trinity' is so similar to 'Triratna'.
It is written in Bible's New-Testament(Gospels) that Jesus Christ did actually practice intense meditation.
Relationship With Judaism[]
It is also an ancient religion and many of its followers are attracted to Buddhism presently. In ancient times too (since 200BC) Jewish people who were residing in Egypt, Alexandria & were learning Buddhism from the great library there and also from monasteries present.
Judaism also has Essene sect & there is also Hellenistic Judaism with links to Greeks & maybe also links with Buddhism.
The Buddhist meditation involves meditating within the body & mind & search the truth within self which when pursued leads to enlightenment i.e. first experience of spirituality as great power within(especially in spine & brain) and later universal infinity as Nirvanic state(aka God/Yahweh symbolized with 5 pronged star). The 5 pronged star of Jewish religion may mean 5 parts of body such as 2 hands , head & 2 legs & middle body meaning that the great power is within self of every human. Also strikingly the Jewish temples layout also seems to be like human body with its place worship as head (meaning that head is spiritual center) & rest of temple layout like human body with its ends like as in feet. Therefore Cherubim statues (with wings) in the holy of holies are located (in place of head) may also mean that when mind is purified, it is endowed with wings of infinity. Also the skull cap worn on head may also symbolize that head is the place of holy where God is realized.
Relationship With Islam[]
The symbol for Almighty Allah الله when rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise , looks like the Om symbol ॐ (for God/Almighty) common to Indian religions such as in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc. which is a great similarity. However the Om symbol ॐ is actually a natural symbol seen on Om mountain in India:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Parvat
There is a mention of a word of Dimmi people in Arabic world which seems to indicate Dhammi or Dharmic. Buddhism was known by the word Dhamma/Dharma in past and its followers as Dharmic/Dhammi. The word 'but' (बुत, 'u' is pronounced as in 'Put') in islamic world seems to refer to Buddha which is actually pronounced as Buddh(बुद्ध). So, therefore the word 'But Parast' (बुत परस्त) meaning 'idol worshiper' seems to have origin with Buddh(बुद्ध) considering huge statues of Buddha were existing in many places such as in Bamiyaan(in Afghanistan). Also in arabic world there is a mention of word djinn or jinn who can grant any wishes or does magic. Jinn is actually mentioned in Buddhism as an enlightened monk with supreme accomplishment & having achievement of experiencing Arhat/Nirvana state similar to Buddha and so having also magical powers. It is well known that Buddhism had spread to Alexandria in North Egypt in 200BC(as per emperor Ashoka's rock eddicts & as per Philo) so the monks used to cross the Arabic lands & deserts there, it is possible that Arabic people encountered compassion filled monks with great supernatural powers either in body or in spiritual forms who they called djinn/jinn.
The practice of Namaz involves various parts of body which is similar to prostrations of Tibetan Buddhists & may mean that one need to realize truth within. In islam also the skull cap worn on head (& women covering their head) may also symbolize that head is the place of holy where God is realized.
Conclusion[]
Buddhism is so old that it has connections with other religions too.
Also we see Buddhism & other ancient Indian (& other) religions are intertwined and in accordance(Gotama being the 25th Buddha and according to him, all previous Buddhas(Rishis) were born in Jambudvipa(South Asia) and in future also, as stated by Lord Buddha, all Enlightened Buddhas will be born here as a guiding light to the world. Therefore the people anti & pro of of the path should make peace & harmony for growth of all. We see that when this path (of supreme attainment i.e. moksha/nirvana) was glorified, his land, south asia(Jambudipa), prospered and when it was routed out, when labelled as atheism(nastik), the land was met with ill fate, disintegrated and became subjugated to foreigners for more than thousand years (probably as result of karma).
This article is not meant to hurt any persons of any religion, if anyone is hurt by it then it is apologized in advance and any of its contents can be removed if requested.
Buddhism invites and accepts all people of different faiths to follow morality and meditative practices so that everyone can get liberated.
Comparative Table []
What is called as God is called Nirvanic State in Buddhism
Table :
God & Buddhism Comparism
| Religion | Supreme Being/State |
|---|---|
| Buddhism | Nirvanic State;the super state of self |
| Hinduism | Moksha/Ishwara/Aum;the super state of self |
| Jainism | Moksha;the super state of self |
| Christianity | God;Holy Spirit;Jehovah;Yahweh |
| Judaism | Elohim, El-Shaddai, Yahweh, Jehovah and Adonai |
| Islam | Allah |
| Sikhism | Rab,Akal Purakh, Ik Omkar, Satnam, Waheguru, Kirpal |
| Yazidism | Xwedê |
| Zoroastrianism | Ahura Mazda |
| Zulu | Unkulunkulu |
| Yoruba | Olorun/Olodumare |
| Odinani | Chukwu |
| !Kung | Khu, Xu, Xuba, or Huwa |
Teaching of Buddha: Ye ca Dhamma atita ca, ye ca Dhamma anagata, ye ca dhamma pacupanna aham vandami sabbada; Meaning : I revere teachings(Dhamma) taught by all the previous Buddhas(enlightened ones), the present Buddha(if any) & the future Buddhas yet to come.
Come People of All Religions, Learn the Meditation Path Before it Vanishes Because Awakening & Enlightenment is for All. May All Beings be Happy