According to the Bible, Jesus defended adulterers, fishers, lepers, tax collectors, and the poor.
Yet the rich elite only know the Billy Graham version of Jesus who promises immortal life in exchange for money made through the hard work and suffering of all walks of life, be it the poor in Africa, the middle class West or their upper class fans.
However, God only offers life eternal (John 17:3), which has nothing to do with immortality.
The verse in question is:
"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
Knowing the only true God, and especially Jesus is the one God has sent, is the knowledge that lives eternally in the heart of Christians. This verse is presents eternal life as metaphor for knowing God and Jesus is the savior of Christians who believe in him.
Thus eternal life has nothing to do with a living soul that is granted immortality.
What might the purpose of pushing the propaganda about immortality accomplish in Christianity? Quite possibly, it may attract superstitious people who believe in miracles and especially in immortality.
However, the concept of an immortal soul is a pagan concept borrowed from Plato. In the early church, neo-Platonian philosophy was introduced to better understand God, Jesus and man's relationship to them.
Most Christians will reject the concept of an immortal soul, and refrain from using the quote I gave above out of context.
As well, church doctrine fails to mention immortality because knowing God and that Jesus is his messenger are the sole tenets on which to base the faith of Christians.
If I know this as a Buddhist, then I wonder why a few Christians cling to the nonsense that eternal life implies "immortality of the soul".
Showing posts with label immortality is a fallacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immortality is a fallacy. Show all posts
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The Guideline of Reason Proves Immortality is A Fallacy
This is the reasoning and understanding of human logic. For example, we may reflect: All realms are created from the mind. If there is a world such as ours, where good karma and bad karma are about equal, there must exist other worlds such as the three Evil Paths, with a preponderance of evil karma, as well as celestial realms, where good karma prevails. It therefore stands to reason that the Western Pure Land exists, as a result of the pure, good Vows of Amida Buddha as well as the virtues of the Bodhisattvas and other morally superior beings. — from pages 162-163, Buddhism of Wisdom & Faith by Thich Thien Tâm
In context of this text, "realms" refers to reality consisting of worlds and multiverses. Since our reality exists, it follows that the reality where the Three Evil Paths prevail also exists as well as celestial realms (e.g Tusita Heaven and other heavens). Therefore Amida Buddha's Pure Land of Bliss also exists due to the 48 Vows of Amida Buddha and the virtues of Bodhisattvas and other morally superior beings (including all sentient beings who have heard the Buddha's teachings about the Pure Land).
Thus, the mind is only empty of these realities, worlds and multiverses when disbelief prevails and faith in the Primal Vow is lacking. Such a mind is possessed by people who only believe that this reality is the only reality. Due to disbelief and lack of faith, such people are deluded. At best, they are limited in their belief and faith to one reality.
By clinging to this reality, their mind is closed to the possibility of the other realms, due to ignorance.
However, the believers of the Pure Land and other realms should not dismiss them because of their ignorance since ignorance, being the root of their delusion, is thus the source of their suffering.
Instead Pure Land followers are best to sympathize with them but not let their sympathy cause them disbelief and loss of faith due to the vain arguments of the unbelievers who lack faith in the Primal Vow.
For their delusion has blinded them to Truth, and their limited view of Truth is dependent on their belief in one reality only.
Even so, quantum theory has proven the existence of many realities. Therefore it also follows that belief in one reality only assumes disbelief in quantum theory. Thus the belief in only one reality" is based on classical physics and its related cosmology, and affirms Einstein's belief that the spooky physics of quantum theory is beyond his understanding. As well, Einstein's genius is limited.
Given that Einstein's genius is limited, belief that there are many realities is based on the Genius of the Buddha, which is just as infinite as those realities are.
However, within the context of the non-self principle that all these realities must be consistent with a finite existence, each of these realities too have a finite existence. Yet an infinite number of realities does not violate the non-self principle because an infinite number of realities does not assume infinite existence.
Likewise, Buddha Nature is limitless because even though it is of finite existence, the theory of karma suggests that its finite existence is boundless. Thus, boundless does not mean infinite. Both boundless life and boundless light are therefore of a long but finite existence.
Also, the consciousness stream (mind stream) is of a finite existence that is boundless. Thus finite is not empty of boundless, which merely means long.
Therefore boundless light means long-lasting light; and boundless life, long life.
Finally, a long life is empty of immortality and thus does not imply an immortal life.
In context of this text, "realms" refers to reality consisting of worlds and multiverses. Since our reality exists, it follows that the reality where the Three Evil Paths prevail also exists as well as celestial realms (e.g Tusita Heaven and other heavens). Therefore Amida Buddha's Pure Land of Bliss also exists due to the 48 Vows of Amida Buddha and the virtues of Bodhisattvas and other morally superior beings (including all sentient beings who have heard the Buddha's teachings about the Pure Land).
Thus, the mind is only empty of these realities, worlds and multiverses when disbelief prevails and faith in the Primal Vow is lacking. Such a mind is possessed by people who only believe that this reality is the only reality. Due to disbelief and lack of faith, such people are deluded. At best, they are limited in their belief and faith to one reality.
By clinging to this reality, their mind is closed to the possibility of the other realms, due to ignorance.
However, the believers of the Pure Land and other realms should not dismiss them because of their ignorance since ignorance, being the root of their delusion, is thus the source of their suffering.
Instead Pure Land followers are best to sympathize with them but not let their sympathy cause them disbelief and loss of faith due to the vain arguments of the unbelievers who lack faith in the Primal Vow.
For their delusion has blinded them to Truth, and their limited view of Truth is dependent on their belief in one reality only.
Even so, quantum theory has proven the existence of many realities. Therefore it also follows that belief in one reality only assumes disbelief in quantum theory. Thus the belief in only one reality" is based on classical physics and its related cosmology, and affirms Einstein's belief that the spooky physics of quantum theory is beyond his understanding. As well, Einstein's genius is limited.
Given that Einstein's genius is limited, belief that there are many realities is based on the Genius of the Buddha, which is just as infinite as those realities are.
However, within the context of the non-self principle that all these realities must be consistent with a finite existence, each of these realities too have a finite existence. Yet an infinite number of realities does not violate the non-self principle because an infinite number of realities does not assume infinite existence.
Likewise, Buddha Nature is limitless because even though it is of finite existence, the theory of karma suggests that its finite existence is boundless. Thus, boundless does not mean infinite. Both boundless life and boundless light are therefore of a long but finite existence.
Also, the consciousness stream (mind stream) is of a finite existence that is boundless. Thus finite is not empty of boundless, which merely means long.
Therefore boundless light means long-lasting light; and boundless life, long life.
Finally, a long life is empty of immortality and thus does not imply an immortal life.
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