Founder: Siddhartha Gautama Buddha (the 7th Buddha)
The Buddha, or “enlightened one,” was born about 560 B.C. in northeastern India. His family name was Gautama, his given name was Siddhartha. Siddhartha was the son of a rajah, or ruler. There was supposedly a prophecy given at the time of his birth that said that Siddhartha would be a great king if he stayed at home, but if he decided to leave home, he would become a savior for mankind. This bothered his father, because he wanted his son to succeed him as king. So, to keep him at home, his father surrounded him with wealth and pleasures and kept all painful and ugly things out of his sight. At the age of 29 he left his wife and child because he was rebelling against the Hindu religious system and went on a 6 year spiritual journey in which he, according to legend, starved himself by eating one grain of rice per day and his own dung. He reportedly sat under a fig tree for 7 days in deep meditation and reached Nirvana. After that, the fig tree was called the bodhi, or the bo tree, the tree of wisdom.
Christ didn’t have to search for wisdom: 1 Corinthians 1.19-31
Please click on the links below to see the comparison between Christianity and Buddhism and and why Buddhism is detrimental to one’s soul.
The underlying mindset Weapons of Adonai Tzva’ot (Lord of Hosts)
1. What foot prints of Buddhism have been seen in the Body of Christ?
We can see the footprints of Buddhism within the Body of Christ through the exaltation of personal experiences and “relative truth” over the Word of G-D (Deut 13)
Churches have spirit led but not Holy Spirit led services where occult mysticism is being repackaged as a way for man to reach G-D (1Tim 4.1-2)
A departing from sound doctrine to embrace idolatry [Idolatry: making up our own ideas about who G-D is, what G-D will or will not do and what is pleasing and acceptable to Him that directly or indirectly conflicts with His Written Word; placing our thoughts and feelings above the Word; twisting the Word to agree with our wants.] (2Tim 4.1-4)
The preaching of another Jesus and another Gospel (best life now, prosperity gospel, perverted love, I am / little gods /one with G-D teaching (2Tim 3.1-8)
Syncretism with religions that neither love nor serve The Living G-D of The Bible; which actually brings in Division, Deception and Confusion. (Num 25, Gal 3.1-3, 1Tim 6.20-21)
2. How has Buddhism impacted believers? (Perversion or otherwise)
Acceptance of “relativism”, “intellectualism”, “modernism” and the validity of other religions
Faithlessness (must have experiences to believe)
Self-Righteousness (trusting in our own works, efforts such as meditation systems and “goodness”)
Endorsement of Homosexuality and Environmentalism under the guise of social justice (karma), equality (we are all one), and protecting the Earth (everything is god).
Self-centered Christianity where G-D is nothing more than the way to get us what we really want where the focus of our Christian walk is self & our will, improvement & happiness (carnality).
3. What do you recognize as the stronghold or strongman of this cult or religion?
Anti-Christ spirit / Humanism / “The Lie” / Unbelief / Death: Gen 3, 2Thes 2.7-12, Jn 8.31-51
Error: Rom 10.2-4, 1Jn 4.6, Amos 2.4, Jude 1.1-11
Pride: Is 14.11-15, Dan 4.37, Eze 28.1-19, Ex 5.2
Witchcraft: Ex 7.22
Self / Idolatry: 1Cor 10.14 & 20-21, Deut 11.26-28, Eze 8, Jn 5.42-44
Idolatry: 2Kings 5
Tradition (man-made doctrines) / Seducing spirits: Mk 7.6-9, Gal 3, 2Tim 4.1-2, 1Cor 2.1-5 & 12-14, Deut 11.16-17a
4. In recognizing the spiritual warfare, what characteristics of Yeshua should we pray to be released in the Body of Christ and in us?
The Mind of Christ: Rom 12.2-3, 1Cor 2.16, Mt 16.23, Rom 8.5-17, Eph 4.17-32
Christ’s Victory over sin and death: 1Cor 15.54-57, Rom 8.1-2
Yeshua’s Righteousness: Rom 3.24, Rom 5.8-11 & 21, 1Cor 1.30
Love of The Truth: Ps 119.11, 2Thes 2.10-12, Deut 30.20, Jn 14.15, Prov 4, Prov 3.1-8
Servant’s heart / Humility / Obedience: Jn 5.19 & 30, Phil 2.3, Lk 22.42, Jn 6.38, Jn 12.25-26 & 49-50, Mk 10.42-45, Prov 3.7, Gal 6.3-4
Fear of The L-RD / Reverence for G-D: Prov 9.10, Ps 111.10, Prov 8.13, Lk 12.4-5, Ps 25.12-15
Sober / Firm: 2Cor 4.18, 1Peter 5.8, Mt 7.13-27, Ps 57, Rom 12.3, Ps 40.2-4, Eph 5.3-21