Read Buddha and Jesus: Could Solomon Be the Missing Link? Online
Authors: R. E. Sherman
Buddha and Jesus: Could Solomon Be the Missing Link? (16 page)
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has
redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine.
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Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.
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Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way. Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat.
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Right Effort
“The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness.
Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavors that rank in ascending order of perfection:
1. to
prevent
the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, 2. to
abandon
unwholesome states that have already arisen, 3. to
arouse
wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and 4. to
maintain
and perfect wholesome states already arisen.”
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Buddhism emphasizes four aspects of Right Effort, as mentioned in the definition above. One of the clearest examples of each of these four types appears in five consecutive verses in Solomon’s Proverbs, as detailed in the following table:
Words of Solomon Proverbs 4:23–27, NKJV | Types of Buddhist Moral Endeavor |
| |
23. Above all else, keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. | Prevent & Maintain |
24. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. | Abandon |
25. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. | Prevent, Arouse & Maintain |
26a. Ponder the path of your feet, | Mindfulness |
26b. And let all your ways be established. | Arouse & Maintain |
27a. Do not turn to the right or the left; | Prevent |
27b. Remove your foot from evil. | Abandon |
If Buddha had sought to rewrite the above verses in his own words, the result could well have been the following proverb:
He who controls his hand, he who controls his feet, he who controls his speech, he who is well controlled, he who delights inwardly, who is collected, who is solitary and content, him they call Bhikshu.
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There are clear parallels between all parts of these two sets of proverbs, as is evident in the following chart. Imagery involving feet and speech are common to both as well.
Words of Solomon | Words of Buddha |
Proverbs 4:23–27, NKJV | Dhammapada 362 |
| |
23. Above all else, keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. | He . . . who is well controlled, he who delights inwardly, who is collected, who is . . . content . . . |
24. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. | . . . he who controls his speech . . . |
25. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. | He . . . who is well controlled, . . . who is collected . . . |
26a. Ponder the path of your feet, | He . . . who controls his feet . . . |
26b. And let all your ways be established. | . . . him they call Bhikshu. |
27a. Do not turn to the right or the left; | He who controls his hand, he who controls his feet . . . |
27b. Remove your foot from evil. | He . . . who controls his feet . . . |
One of Buddha’s proverbs provides a fairly compact presentation of each type of moral effort. To put it in chart form:
Words of Buddha | Types of Buddhist |
Dhammapada 293 | Moral Endeavor |
| |
But they whose whole watchfulness is always directed to their body, | Prevent |
who do not follow what ought not to be done, | Abandon |
who steadfastly do what ought to be done, | Arouse |
watchful and wise people, | Maintain (via Mindfulness) |
the desires of such watchful and wise people will come to an end. | Maintain |