Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Papal Notes - Gospel of Buddha

"The Feast of Vesakh is the most solemn religious festival
celebrated by Buddhists and Hindus worldwide.
On this day participants celebrate the birth, the enlightenment, the death and the reincarnation of Buddha. These solemn events in the life of Buddha are commemorated when the worshipers sing, pray, meditate and ask for forgiveness.

On April 2, 2020, Rome gave their blessings to Buddhists worldwide as they prepare to celebrate the Feast of Vesakh this year in 2020. The Vatican’s pantheistic greeting was similar to the pagan eastern philosophies that teach us that everything is connected together – God, man and nature:
“On behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, we extend our heartfelt greetings and good
wishes to you and to all Buddhist communities around the world as you celebrate the feast of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri
“Thus, in consequence, we may more freely devote ourselves to fostering a culture of compassion and fraternity for the alleviation of human and ecological suffering. Everything is related. Interdependence brings us back to the theme of compassion and fraternity.
As we, Buddhists and Christians, learn from one another how to become ever more mindful and compassionate, may we continue to look for ways to work together to make our interconnectedness a source of blessing for all sentient beings and for the planet, our common home.”
---This is a mixture of ecumenism (interdependency) and reverence for nature (pantheism).
---This is an attempt to mingle Buddhist meditation with Christianity.
---They are promoting the idea that we are all spiritually connected to the universe.
 
According to the Vatican, this so-called nature-based  interdependency between Buddhism and Christianity is the foundation for environmental activism. Because we are all “one” we must protect nature through
activism,
legislation and
religion.
 
The Vatican did not hesitate to compare Buddha to the Catholic Saint, Francis of Assisi:
“The Feast of Vesakh/ Hanamatsuri prompts us to recall
that Prince Siddhartha (Siddhartha Gautama is another name for Buddha) set out in search of wisdom by shaving his head and renouncing his princely status. He traded his garments of Benares silk for the simple robe of a monk. His noble gesture reminds us of Saint Francis of Assisi: he cut his hair and traded his fine clothes for the simple robe of a mendicant.”
 This comparison between Buddha and Saint Francis of Assisi is very significant. The Vatican is trying to demonstrate that these two religions are similar. This is ecumenism in action.
 
Spiritualism is becoming the new foundation for the coming, religious new world order. Nature will be the new truth. These will bring the churches into unity with each other and with the universe. It won’t matter who you worship – Buddha, Jehovah, Mother Earth, the universe or some other god – in Rome’s new world order everyone is interdependent with each other."
AdventMessenger
 
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:...but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:6,7