This document provides an overview of Buddhism by comparing it to Christianity as competing worldviews. It discusses the origins and key figures of Buddhism, such as Siddhartha Gautama, the four noble truths and eightfold path. The document also outlines major Buddhist concepts, practices, scriptures, and sects including Mahayana, Zen and Vajrayana. It poses questions for evaluating and engaging with Buddhism from an apologetic Christian perspective.

1. Competing Religious Worldviews:Competing Religious Worldviews:
BuddhismBuddhism
APOL 6543APOL 6543

2. Jesus Christ: “I came to testify to the truth.”
Pontius Pilate: “What is truth?”
Context firstContext first
Why Compare religions?Why Compare religions?

3. One Point of View:
“Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that
leads to life, and only a few find it.” -Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew
7:13-14)
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me. Jesus of Nazareth (John 14:6)

4. God
Islam
Buddhis
m
Mysticism
Ba’hai
Another Point
of View:
Different
Paths to the
Same Goal?

5. Are All religions on the sAmeAre All religions on the sAme
pAth?pAth?
• There is some similarity between most or all religions
• But…. On the most basic level of theology, all other
religions (except Judaism?) are incommensurate with
Christianity
• If Buddhism is right, then Jesus Christ is a deceiver and
an enemy of truth.

6. CompAring worldviewsCompAring worldviews
• James Sire in The Universe Next Door (1997) defines a
worldview as “a set of presuppositions which we hold about
the basic makeup of our world”
• A “Good” worldview
A) It is true (how do we determine that again?)
B) It answers satisfactorily questions we need answers
(What types of questions again?)
C) It causes believers to be better than they would
otherwise be
• Now, let’s explore our next competing world religion

7. Competing worldview #2Competing worldview #2
BuddhismBuddhism
• Principle religion of Korea, Japan, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Burma, Sri Lanka, and perhaps China
• About 400 million adherents
• A reaction against rigid priestly system of
Hinduism
• Pantheistic (arguably non-theistic) philosophy

8. siddhArthA gAutAmAsiddhArthA gAutAmA
(BuddhA)(BuddhA)
• Born into wealth family in N India c. 550 BC
• Renounced his birthright
• Sought nirvana through asceticism
• Decided on a middle path between asceticism
and sensuality
• Created the 8-fold path to enlightenment
(nirvana)

9. The Spread of BuddhiSmThe Spread of BuddhiSm

10. 4 noBle TruThS of SiddharTha4 noBle TruThS of SiddharTha
• Suffering is not getting what one wants
• The cause of suffering is desire which leads to
rebirth
• The way to end suffering is to end desire
• The way to the end of desire and of suffering is
the 8-fold path

11. The 8-fold paTh To nirvanaThe 8-fold paTh To nirvana
• Right viewpoint (4 noble truths)
• Right values
• Right speech
• Right actions
• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right mindfulness
• Right meditation

12. BuddhiST TerminologyBuddhiST Terminology
• Nirvana
• Bodhi
• Bodhisattva
• Dharma
• Sangha
• Maitreya
• Awakened state – lack of suffering
• Awakenment/enlightenment
• An awakened being
• The Buddha’s teachings
• Buddhist monks/nuns
• Second coming of Buddha
prophesied

13. SectS of BuddhiSmSectS of BuddhiSm
Mahayana
• Stresses the divine nature
of the Buddha
• Many mini-buddhas
(bodhisattvas)
• China, Korea, Japan
Zen
• An offshoot of Mahayana
that emphasized
meditation to achieve
nirvana
Vajrayna
• Stresses tantric practices,
rituals, initiations, mystical
powers
• Similar to Gnosticism

14. BuddhiSt PracticeS & ScriPtureBuddhiSt PracticeS & ScriPture
Practices
• Many monks/nuns who
live ascetic lives
• “Lay” Buddhists follow
the 5 precepts
– Do not kill, steal, have sex,
lie, or get drunk
• Meditation is a big part of
many Buddhist traditions
Scriptures
• Tripitaka
– 3 baskets/sets of supposedly
original sayings, teachings,
philosophy of Buddha (oral
for ~400 yrs)
• Disputes over the content
of the Tripitaka led to
varied sects
• Jatakas
– Mahayana stories of previous
incarnations of Buddha

15. other itemS on BuddhiSmother itemS on BuddhiSm
• Endless cycle of time (cosmic wheel)
• Higher and lower planes of existence (higher are
more blissful, lower are more like hell)
• Buddhism is a striving through many lives to
come to a bodhisattva state

16. engaging with BuddhiStS inengaging with BuddhiStS in
aPologeticS…aPologeticS…
• Buddhist cosmology – can eastern ideas be taken
seriously in context of modern science
(responses)
• Is this worldview a good one?
• Class discussion