Buddha and Jesus: Could Solomon Be the Missing Link? (23 page)

To Solomon, a person’s righteousness results in deep and lasting security. Such a person will never be uprooted, and his house, both physically and spiritually, will stand firm. Buddha’s proverb is similar, but more limited in two respects. First, security is provided
against only one type of misfortune (a flood), though, arguably, a flood could symbolize any kind of catastrophe or attack. Second, security is assured by the inevitable, impersonal operation of the Law of Karma.

What is vigilance? It is commonly defined as including watchfulness, alertness, attention, heedfulness, concern, and care. By being vigilant, as well as diligent, self-restrained, and disciplined in subjugating one’s senses, Buddhists aspire to insulate themselves from disaster.

Both proverbs refer to falling, presumably in a spiritual sense. For Solomon, if someone is fundamentally righteous, he or she will be restored seven times. In other words, though the righteous person may experience troubles or setbacks, he or she will recover. Seven, as the number of perfection in the Bible, likely represents an unlimited number of restorations rather than seven per se. Buddha’s proverb conveys the sense that there is some chance the bhikshu could fall back, but it is not likely; there is no mention of the bhikshu, once fallen, being able to recover. However, the closer the bhikshu is to nirvana, the less likely he is to regress spiritually.

“Wandering” is mentioned by each wise man as a key weakness of fools. For Solomon, “integrity” is its opposite, and the man of integrity is guarded by righteousness. According to Buddha, one must control the wandering mind in the “inner cavern”; those who do so liberate themselves from evil.

Note that no protection or liberation is provided for the wicked person. In Solomon, the wicked are overthrown. For Buddha, the shackles of the evil one remain.

For both Solomon and Buddha, keeping “wisdom in view” is an essential activity of the vigilant. For Buddha, it is the “supreme treasure,” as noted below. Why? Because it ensures the protection described above for the righteous, for Solomon, and freedom from evil, for Buddha.

Below, we repeat one of Solomon’s proverbs to show another parallel proverb from Buddha.