Buddhist Teaching on Salvation
Conservative Buddhists follow the "Eightfold Path"
This is a way of life consisting of 8 steps in which one disciplines himself till all earthly desires are eliminated. The idea is to avoid two extremes: avoid indulging in luxury and pleasures, but also avoid self-torture or depriving oneself of necessities.
The eight steps are: right views, aspirations, speech, conduct, mode of livelihood, effort, awareness, and concentration. Great self-control is needed to develop these to necessary perfection. [Note: concentration is essentially equivalent to Hindu meditation].
Many lifetimes are required to reach perfection. One must pass through 4 stages in which 10 hindrances are overcome. Each stage may take many lives. Gautama took at least 550 lives to achieve perfection.
Later stages require one to be a monk, abandoning family life. Buddhists who are not monks have not yet advanced to later stages, but must do so in some future lifetime to obtain salvation.
This process depends entirely on human effort without divine aid (remember, conservative Buddhism has nothing to do with God).
Liberal Buddhists teach that there are many different methods of salvation.
The leading concept of salvation among liberal Buddhists involve Bodhisattvas. These are people who earn perfection (as above), but postpone Nirvana in order to provide salvation for others. Other Buddhists, at lower stages of perfection, can obtain Nirvana by appealing to their favorite Bodishattva - honoring, praying, repeating his name. Thus his merit is transferred to them.
This is much easier than the conservative view, for not all must earn perfection.
Zen Buddhism is equivalent to Transcendental Meditation in many major aspects
B. Bible teaching
Man cannot save himself without God.
Buddhism says all or some men must earn salvation. The Bible says God must provide the means of deliverance. No man can earn salvation.
Ephesians 2:8,9 - This passage is misused by some to teach that man does not need to do anything to be saved. But the real point is that salvation comes by faith in God, not by earning salvation (and so being able to boast).
Romans 6:23 - What our lives earn is death, the WAGES of sin. Once we earn that wage, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves without God's forgiveness. [Romans 11:6; 4:1-8; Titus 3:4,5]
Jesus is the Savior.
Liberal Buddhism says some men can save other men. The Bible says no man can save himself, nor can anyone else save him except Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:11-13 - Some men were honoring preachers. Paul asked if the preachers died for anyone. Jesus is the one who died to save us from sin. [Hebrews 9:28]
Romans 3:23 - All men have sinned. How can another man who sinned die to pay the penalty for my sins? He deserves to die for his own sins. Jesus was the Divine Son of God who died for our sins though He was sinless (1 Peter 2:21-24).
Acts 4:12 - There is salvation in none other. There is no other name given among men in whom we must be saved.
God is no respecter of persons. Each individual is responsible to meet the conditions for forgiveness, and those conditions are the same for all people.
It is not true that some must be perfect to be saved but others can be saved on lesser conditions. All must be saved by accepting the same conditions.
Acts 10:34,35 - God is no respecter of persons; in every nation, he who fears God and works righteousness will be acceptable.
Acts 2:38,39 - God promised forgiveness to those who repent and are baptized, and this promise is for all. [Romans 2:6-11].
2 Corinthians 5:10 - Salvation is a matter of individual responsibility. Each person will be rewarded or condemned based on his own personal conduct. No one else can meet the conditions for you.
Buddhism worships either no god or else false gods. It teaches that man must save himself over a period of many lives by human effort.
The gospel provides the only true way to worship the only true God.
Conservative Buddhists follow the "Eightfold Path"
This is a way of life consisting of 8 steps in which one disciplines himself till all earthly desires are eliminated. The idea is to avoid two extremes: avoid indulging in luxury and pleasures, but also avoid self-torture or depriving oneself of necessities.
The eight steps are: right views, aspirations, speech, conduct, mode of livelihood, effort, awareness, and concentration. Great self-control is needed to develop these to necessary perfection. [Note: concentration is essentially equivalent to Hindu meditation].
Many lifetimes are required to reach perfection. One must pass through 4 stages in which 10 hindrances are overcome. Each stage may take many lives. Gautama took at least 550 lives to achieve perfection.
Later stages require one to be a monk, abandoning family life. Buddhists who are not monks have not yet advanced to later stages, but must do so in some future lifetime to obtain salvation.
This process depends entirely on human effort without divine aid (remember, conservative Buddhism has nothing to do with God).
Liberal Buddhists teach that there are many different methods of salvation.
The leading concept of salvation among liberal Buddhists involve Bodhisattvas. These are people who earn perfection (as above), but postpone Nirvana in order to provide salvation for others. Other Buddhists, at lower stages of perfection, can obtain Nirvana by appealing to their favorite Bodishattva - honoring, praying, repeating his name. Thus his merit is transferred to them.
This is much easier than the conservative view, for not all must earn perfection.
Zen Buddhism is equivalent to Transcendental Meditation in many major aspects
B. Bible teaching
Man cannot save himself without God.
Buddhism says all or some men must earn salvation. The Bible says God must provide the means of deliverance. No man can earn salvation.
Ephesians 2:8,9 - This passage is misused by some to teach that man does not need to do anything to be saved. But the real point is that salvation comes by faith in God, not by earning salvation (and so being able to boast).
Romans 6:23 - What our lives earn is death, the WAGES of sin. Once we earn that wage, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves without God's forgiveness. [Romans 11:6; 4:1-8; Titus 3:4,5]
Jesus is the Savior.
Liberal Buddhism says some men can save other men. The Bible says no man can save himself, nor can anyone else save him except Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:11-13 - Some men were honoring preachers. Paul asked if the preachers died for anyone. Jesus is the one who died to save us from sin. [Hebrews 9:28]
Romans 3:23 - All men have sinned. How can another man who sinned die to pay the penalty for my sins? He deserves to die for his own sins. Jesus was the Divine Son of God who died for our sins though He was sinless (1 Peter 2:21-24).
Acts 4:12 - There is salvation in none other. There is no other name given among men in whom we must be saved.
God is no respecter of persons. Each individual is responsible to meet the conditions for forgiveness, and those conditions are the same for all people.
It is not true that some must be perfect to be saved but others can be saved on lesser conditions. All must be saved by accepting the same conditions.
Acts 10:34,35 - God is no respecter of persons; in every nation, he who fears God and works righteousness will be acceptable.
Acts 2:38,39 - God promised forgiveness to those who repent and are baptized, and this promise is for all. [Romans 2:6-11].
2 Corinthians 5:10 - Salvation is a matter of individual responsibility. Each person will be rewarded or condemned based on his own personal conduct. No one else can meet the conditions for you.
Buddhism worships either no god or else false gods. It teaches that man must save himself over a period of many lives by human effort.
The gospel provides the only true way to worship the only true God.
Control the Mind
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