ONE FAMILY PLAN
Buddha-Jesus
Truth will set You Free
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)
"One who acts on truth is happy in this world and beyond." (Dhammapada 13.2)
The Pure will see God
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)
"Anyone who withdraws into meditation on compassion can see Brahma with his own eyes, talk to him face to face and consult with him." (Digha Nikaya 19.43)
The thief
"Now one of the hanged malefactors blasphemed Him, saying, 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!' Yet answering, the other one, rebuking him, averred, 'Yet you are not fearing God, seeing that you are in the same judgment! And we, indeed, justly, for we are getting back the deserts of what we commit, yet this One commits nothing amiss.' And he said to Jesus, 'Be reminded of me, Lord, whenever Thou mayest be coming in Thy kingdom.' And Jesus said to him, 'Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise.'" (Luke 23:39-43, CLT)
"The Buddha performed a feat of such supernormal power that the bandit addressed him thus: 'I will indeed renounce evil forever.' So saying, the bandit took his swords and weapons and flung them in a gaping pit. Then the bandit worshipped at his feet and uttered this exclamation, 'Who once did live in negligence and then is negligent no more, he illuminates the world like the moon freed from a cloud.'" (Majjhima Nikaya 86.5-6 & 18)
Out in the bars
"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" (Matthew 9:10-13)
"The bodhisattva made his appearance at the fields of sports and in the casinos, but his aim was always to mature those people who were attached to games and gambling. To train living beings, he would appear at crossroads and on street corners. To demonstrate the evils of desire, he even entered the brothels. To establish drunkards in correct mindfulness, he entered all the taverns."
(Vimalakirtinirdesha Sutra 2)
The PIT
"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." (Psalm 40:2)
"A certain Brahmin said to the Lord: 'Reverend Gautama, it is as if a man were to seize someone by the hair who had stumbled and was falling into a pit, and to set him on the firm ground-just so, I, who was falling into the pit, have been saved by you!'"
(Digha Nikaya 12.78)
Laying aside pleasures
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." (Matthew 13:44)
"If by giving up limited pleasures one sees far-reaching happiness, the wise one leaves aside limited pleasures, looking to far-reaching happiness." (Dhammapada 21.1)
The Crops
"And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." (Mark 4:26-29)
"The yeoman farmer gets his field well ploughed and harrowed. But that farmer has no magic power or authority to say: 'Let my crops spring up today. Tomorrow let them ear. On the following day let them ripen.' No! It is just the due season which makes them do this." (Anguttara Nikaya 3.91)
Faith
"And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:26)
"Those who have sufficient faith in me, sufficient love for me, are all headed for heaven or beyond." (Majjhima Nikaya 22.47)
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20)
"A monk who is skilled in concentration can cut the Himalayas in two." (Anguttara Nikaya 6.24)
(HELL) Wide is the gate...
"Enter through the narrow gate. For 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." (Matthew 7:13-14)
"Just as there are few pleasant parks and lakes, but many dense thickets and inaccessible mountains, so are there few beings who will be reborn among men. More numerous are those who will be reborn in purgatory." (Anguttara Nikaya 1.19)
HELL
"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38) "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16, NIV)
"Just as someone possessed of virtue and wisdom would here and now enjoy final knowledge, so I say that someone not possessing that state of mind and speaking against me will be carried off to hell." (Majjhima Nikaya 12.21)
HELL here and now...
"But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matthew 5:22)
"Here, student, some man is of an angry and irritable character; when criticized even a little, he is offended, becomes angry, hostile, and resentful, and displays anger, hate, and bitterness. Because of performing and undertaking such action, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell." (Majjhima Nikaya 135.9)
In the Realm of Ghosts
"You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit." (Psalm 30:3)
"These worthy beings who were well-conducted in body and mind, after death have reappeared in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world. But those worthy beings who were ill-conducted in body and mind, after death have reappeared in the realm of ghosts." (Majjhima Nikaya 130.2)
False prophets
"...many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold..." (Matthew 24:11-12)
"Monks who are untrained will give guidance to others, and they will not be able to lead them in the way of higher virtue. And those in turn who have not been trained will give guidance to others and will not be able to lead them."
(Anguttara Nikaya 5.79)
Peace, be still
"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39)
"Now at that time a great rain fell and a great flood resulted. Then the Lord made the water recede all round; and he paced up and down in the middle on dust-covered ground."
(Vinaya, Mahavagga 1.20.16)
Walk on the Water
"Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by." (Mark 6:48)
"He walks upon the water without parting it, as if on solid ground." (Anguttara Nikaya 3.60)
Through a wall
"Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace to you!'" (John 20:26)
"He goes unhindered through a wall."
(Anguttara Nikaya 3.60)
Deliverance
"And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." (Luke 7:21-22)
"As soon as the bodhisattva was born, the sick were cured; the hungry and thirsty were no longer oppressed by hunger and thirst. Those maddened by drink lost their obsession. The mad recovered their senses, the blind regained their sight, and the deaf once more could hear. The halt and the lame obtained perfect limbs, the poor gained riches, and prisoners were delivered of their bonds."
(Lalitavistara Sutra 7)
"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick..." (Matthew 8:16)
"The venerable Kassapa was sick and afflicted, stricken with a sore disease. The Buddha spoke to him and Kassapa was delighted. Then and there he rose up from his sickness and abandoned it."
(Samyutta Nikaya 46.14)
Caught Away
"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." (Acts 1:9)
"The venerable Dabba rose from his seat, saluted the Exalted One with his right side, rose into the air and, sitting cross-legged in the sky, attained the sphere of heat, and rising from it passed finally away." (Udana 8.9)
White as snow
"And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them." (Mark 9:2-3)
"Ananda, having arranged one set of the golden robes on the body of the Lord, observed that against the Lord's body it appeared dulled. And he said: 'It is wonderful, Lord, it is marvelous how clear and bright the Lord's skin appears! It looks even brighter than the golden robes in which it is clothed.'"
(Digha Nikaya 16.4.37)
Blind leading the blind
"And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master." (Luke 6:39-40)
"When these Brahmins teach a path that they do not know or see, saying, 'This is the only straight path,' this cannot possibly be right. Just as a file of blind men go on, clinging to each other, and the first one sees nothing, the middle one sees nothing, and the last one sees nothing-so it is with the talk of these Brahmins."
(Digha Nikaya 13.15)
Never Look Back
"And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-62)
"He who, having cast off human attachment, has left behind the attraction of the gods, he who is free from all attachment, he, I declare, is a Brahmin." (Udanavarga 33.52)
Spirit and the Letter
"The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." (2 Corinthians 3:6)
"Teach the dharma which is lovely at the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely at the end. Explain with the spirit and the letter in the fashion of Brahma. In this way you will be completely fulfilled and wholly pure." (Vinaya, Mahavagga 1.11.1)
True Sons, heirs
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)
"You are my own true sons, born of dharma, created by dharma, my spiritual heirs, not carnal heirs." (Itivuttaka 4.1)
It is good not to Marry
"His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given." (Matthew 19:10-11)
"The wise man should avoid promiscuity as if it were a burning charcoal pit. If he is unable to lead a celibate life fully, let him not transgress with another's wife."
(Sutta Nipata 396)
The Light
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
"When a Bodhisattva descends from heaven, there appears in this world an immeasurable, splendid light surpassing the glory of the most powerful glow. And whatever dark spaces lie beyond the world's end will be illuminated by this light."
(Digha Nikaya 14.1.17)
Christ description
"His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." (Revelation 1:14-16)
"The prince is endowed with the marks of a Great Man. On the soles of his feet are wheels with a thousand spokes. His complexion is bright, the color of gold. He has a Brahma-like voice, like that of a bird. His eyes are deep blue. The hair between his eyebrows is white, and soft like cotton-down. His head is like a royal turban."
(Digha Nikaya 14.1.32)
The Veil
"But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (2 Corinthians 3:15-16)
"This prince is endowed with the marks of a Great Man. To such, only two courses are open. If he goes forth into the world, then he will become a fully enlightened Buddha, one who draws back the veil from the world." (Digha Nikaya 14.1.31)
A King
"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:37)
"I am a supreme king. So let your doubts about me cease. I am the holy one beyond compare. I rejoice free from fear."
(Majjhima Nikaya 92.17 & 19)
Virgin Birth
"'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'" (Matthew 1:23)
"When the Bodhisattva had descended into his mother's womb, no sensual thought arose in her concerning men, and she was inaccessible to any man having a lustful mind."
(Majjhima Nikaya 123.10)
The Star
"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." (Matthew 2:1-2)
"For what reasons are these signs revealed? Is it that a god of great merit has been born? Or is it that a buddha has emerged in the world? Never before have we seen such signs! We must trace them together, crossing a myriad of lands, seeking the glow and investigating it together." (Sadharmapundarika Sutra 7)
As a boy
"And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers." (Luke 2:45-47)
"Meanwhile, the King, having noticed that the Bodhisattva was missing, inquired concerning his absence, asking: 'Where has the young prince gone? I do not see him anywhere.' So a great crowd of people spread out in all directions to look for the prince. Shortly, one of the King's advisors caught sight of the Bodhisattva in the shade of the jambu tree, seated with his legs crossed, deep in meditation." (Lalitavistara Sutra 11)
The Earth
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Mark 13:31)
"This great earth will be burnt up, will utterly perish and be no more." (Anguttara Nikaya 7.62)
THE END
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14)
"I will not experience final nirvana until I have disciples who are knowers of the dharma and who will pass on what they have gained from their Teacher, declare it and teach the dharma of wondrous effect." (Digha Nikaya 16.3.7)
"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also." (John 14:19)
"And the Lord said: 'It may be that you will think: 'The Teacher's instruction has ceased, now we will have no teacher!' It should not be seen like this, for what I have taught and explained to you will, at my passing, be your teacher.'"
(Digha Nikaya 16.6.1)
The Passing...
"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent..." (Matthew 27:50-51)
"At the Blessed Lord's final passing there was a great earthquake, terrible and hair-raising, accompanied by thunder."
(Digha Nikaya 16.6.10)
