10-27-2021, 11:33 AM
** 26-Oct-2021 World View: End Times in Buddhism, Christianity and Shia Islam
The "End Times" theology is crucially important to
any religion. The reason is simple: A religion can't solve
people's problems today any more than a government can.
A religion can't solve poverty, street crime, marital problems, or
anything else. Just like a government, a religion can only tax
people, line their own pockets, and perhaps spend a little money
to help actual people.
So this means that nobody will actually join a religion voluntarily,
because the religion has nothing to offer. That's where "end times"
comes in. "If you join our religion, we'll screw you just like the
government, we'll get you to fight in our wars and perhaps get killed
(or martyred), and in return we'll promise you a reward in the next
life, when we won't even be around, so we won't even have to listen to
you whine."
The Chinese made a science out of using the afterlife to manipulate
people. Confucianism has been a disaster. The leader has a Mandate
from Heaven until something goes wrong, so when something goes wrong
the leader has to use violence against his oven people to keep them
in line. Buddhism spread in China because it promised an afterlife
in which the leader would be better off than the governing leader.
In my Vietnam book, I wrote brief summaries of the "end times"
in Buddhism, Christianity and Shia Islam:
John Xenakis is author of: "World View: Vietnam, Buddhism, and the Vietnam War:
How Vietnam became an economic powerhouse after the Vietnam War"
(Generational Theory Book Series, Book 4), March 2021
Paperback: 325 pages, over 200 source references, $13.99
http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/w...s.vnbk.htm
https://www.amazon.com/World-View-Buddhi...732738645/
The following are excerpts from my Vietnam book:
**** Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism
The goal of every practitioner of Mahayana Buddhism is to escape the
endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth by becoming enlightened and
achieving Nirvana. However, some people, Bodhisattvas, achieve
enlightenment but choose to delay entering Nirvana by remaining in the
world to ensure the ultimate salvation of all sentient beings.
Compassion is much more than sympathy and extends even to giving one's
own life to save another. A bodhisattva actively helps others, sharing
intuitive wisdom, understanding, and strength with all those who are
seeking enlightenment.
In Sanskrit, the word “bodhisattva” is a compound word formed from
bodhi (spiritual awakening, enlightenment) and sattva (a being,
essence, spirit). The word can then be translated as “A being set
upon enlightenment,” “One whose essence is perfect knowledge,” or “A
being whose essence is enlightenment.”
In early Buddhism, bodhisattva meant “the previous lives of a (or the)
Buddha.” In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhisattva refers to a human being
committed to the attainment of enlightenment for the sake of
others. Becoming a bodhisattva is the goal of Mahayana Buddhism. By
introducing new Bodhisattvas, Mahayana Buddhism vastly increased the
range of objects of devotion for practitioners.
**** The Maitreya in Buddhism
There is a small part of Buddhist theology that is interesting to
Westerners because of its similarity to millennial beliefs in
Christianity and Shia Islam.
The Maitreya is the "future Buddha" in Buddhist theology, who many
Buddhists believe will eventually appear on earth, achieve complete
enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. As such, he will be the
spiritual successor of the historic Buddha, and he is predicted to be
a "world ruler," uniting those over whom he has dominion.
The Maitreya represents the millennial aspirations of the vast
majority of the world's Buddhists, regardless of their particular
doctrinal orientations. It is thought that Maitreya’s coming will
occur after the current Buddha's teachings (the Dharma) are completely
forgotten and the world is left in a moral vacuum. At this time, the
enlightened Maitreya will descend from heaven and be reincarnated as a
human child.
The Maitreya belief in Buddhism is roughly equivalent to the Christian
belief in the second coming of Christ, or the Shia Muslim belief that
the "Hidden Imam" is going to return as the messiah to avenge
injustices to the Shia Muslim people.
Another similarity is that just as Christian cultists have at numerous
times predicted that the "second coming" was imminent, there have also
been Maitreya cultists, but in this case claiming to be the Maitreya
himself. One of the most well-known in modern times was L. Ron
Hubbard (1911 – 1986), founder of Dianetics and Scientology, who
suggested in a 1955 poem that he had the characteristics of the coming
Maitreya.
In China, a number of anti-government rebellions were led by someone
claiming to be the Maitreya. One of the most prominent was the 1351
Red Turban Rebellion (also known as the First White Lotus
Rebellion). Han Shantong, the leader of the White Lotus Society,
rebelled against the Mongol masters of the Yuan Dynasty. Shantong's
anti-Mongol slogan was "The empire is in utter chaos. Maitreya Buddha
has incarnated, and the Manichaean King of Light has appeared in this
world."
The "End Times" theology is crucially important to
any religion. The reason is simple: A religion can't solve
people's problems today any more than a government can.
A religion can't solve poverty, street crime, marital problems, or
anything else. Just like a government, a religion can only tax
people, line their own pockets, and perhaps spend a little money
to help actual people.
So this means that nobody will actually join a religion voluntarily,
because the religion has nothing to offer. That's where "end times"
comes in. "If you join our religion, we'll screw you just like the
government, we'll get you to fight in our wars and perhaps get killed
(or martyred), and in return we'll promise you a reward in the next
life, when we won't even be around, so we won't even have to listen to
you whine."
The Chinese made a science out of using the afterlife to manipulate
people. Confucianism has been a disaster. The leader has a Mandate
from Heaven until something goes wrong, so when something goes wrong
the leader has to use violence against his oven people to keep them
in line. Buddhism spread in China because it promised an afterlife
in which the leader would be better off than the governing leader.
In my Vietnam book, I wrote brief summaries of the "end times"
in Buddhism, Christianity and Shia Islam:
John Xenakis is author of: "World View: Vietnam, Buddhism, and the Vietnam War:
How Vietnam became an economic powerhouse after the Vietnam War"
(Generational Theory Book Series, Book 4), March 2021
Paperback: 325 pages, over 200 source references, $13.99
http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/w...s.vnbk.htm
https://www.amazon.com/World-View-Buddhi...732738645/
The following are excerpts from my Vietnam book:
**** Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism
The goal of every practitioner of Mahayana Buddhism is to escape the
endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth by becoming enlightened and
achieving Nirvana. However, some people, Bodhisattvas, achieve
enlightenment but choose to delay entering Nirvana by remaining in the
world to ensure the ultimate salvation of all sentient beings.
Compassion is much more than sympathy and extends even to giving one's
own life to save another. A bodhisattva actively helps others, sharing
intuitive wisdom, understanding, and strength with all those who are
seeking enlightenment.
In Sanskrit, the word “bodhisattva” is a compound word formed from
bodhi (spiritual awakening, enlightenment) and sattva (a being,
essence, spirit). The word can then be translated as “A being set
upon enlightenment,” “One whose essence is perfect knowledge,” or “A
being whose essence is enlightenment.”
In early Buddhism, bodhisattva meant “the previous lives of a (or the)
Buddha.” In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhisattva refers to a human being
committed to the attainment of enlightenment for the sake of
others. Becoming a bodhisattva is the goal of Mahayana Buddhism. By
introducing new Bodhisattvas, Mahayana Buddhism vastly increased the
range of objects of devotion for practitioners.
**** The Maitreya in Buddhism
There is a small part of Buddhist theology that is interesting to
Westerners because of its similarity to millennial beliefs in
Christianity and Shia Islam.
The Maitreya is the "future Buddha" in Buddhist theology, who many
Buddhists believe will eventually appear on earth, achieve complete
enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. As such, he will be the
spiritual successor of the historic Buddha, and he is predicted to be
a "world ruler," uniting those over whom he has dominion.
The Maitreya represents the millennial aspirations of the vast
majority of the world's Buddhists, regardless of their particular
doctrinal orientations. It is thought that Maitreya’s coming will
occur after the current Buddha's teachings (the Dharma) are completely
forgotten and the world is left in a moral vacuum. At this time, the
enlightened Maitreya will descend from heaven and be reincarnated as a
human child.
The Maitreya belief in Buddhism is roughly equivalent to the Christian
belief in the second coming of Christ, or the Shia Muslim belief that
the "Hidden Imam" is going to return as the messiah to avenge
injustices to the Shia Muslim people.
Another similarity is that just as Christian cultists have at numerous
times predicted that the "second coming" was imminent, there have also
been Maitreya cultists, but in this case claiming to be the Maitreya
himself. One of the most well-known in modern times was L. Ron
Hubbard (1911 – 1986), founder of Dianetics and Scientology, who
suggested in a 1955 poem that he had the characteristics of the coming
Maitreya.
In China, a number of anti-government rebellions were led by someone
claiming to be the Maitreya. One of the most prominent was the 1351
Red Turban Rebellion (also known as the First White Lotus
Rebellion). Han Shantong, the leader of the White Lotus Society,
rebelled against the Mongol masters of the Yuan Dynasty. Shantong's
anti-Mongol slogan was "The empire is in utter chaos. Maitreya Buddha
has incarnated, and the Manichaean King of Light has appeared in this
world."
