| What is truth is the question that Pontius Pilate is said | | | | The Dalai Lama is supposedly the 14th reincarnation of |
| to have asked Jesus of Nazareth before handing him | | | | previous Dalai Lamas. Yet, surprisingly, since he |
| over to be crucified. | | | | supposedly possesses centuries of innate knowledge |
| Pontius Pilate may have heard of Buddha's eight-fold | | | | and wisdom, he still had to go to school to learn basic |
| path to the truth. This is kind of like a maze which | | | | knowledge and does not seem to know how to |
| people must work their way through to discover the | | | | resolve his people's struggle. Maybe the suffering of |
| truth about themselves and therein attain | | | | this struggle is the road that leads to truth for him. |
| enlightenment. | | | | Meanwhile his people suffer in their struggle to regain |
| The eight-fold path talks about getting things right. | | | | their homeland. |
| There is: Right Understanding, Right Thoughts, Right | | | | While Buddha taught that the truth was to be found by |
| Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, | | | | escaping the sufferings of this world through attaining a |
| Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. | | | | state of blissful existence known as nirvana, this does |
| This suggests there must also be a wrong | | | | not appear to be the Tibetan Buddhists' lot. This can |
| understanding, wrong thoughts, wrong speech, wrong | | | | raise some doubts about the validity of whether what |
| action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong | | | | Buddha called right actions will lead to truth; and by |
| mindfulness, and wrong concentration, which will not | | | | truth, we are talking about having the power to sustain |
| lead you down the eight-fold path to finding the truth of | | | | oneness with one's universe. |
| enlightenment. | | | | Now the funny thing about Jesus of Nazareth is he |
| This provides a difficulty, because many people believe | | | | claimed that he himself was the truth. Jesus said, "I am |
| that what they decide is right, irrespective of what | | | | the way, the truth and the life." It certainly didn't look like |
| Buddha might believe is right. So who is right? Is | | | | he was going the right way about things when Pontius |
| Buddha right? Or can anyone and everyone be right? | | | | Pilate handed him over to be crucified. Jesus wasn't |
| When talking about truth, Buddha actually talks about | | | | doing too much to avoid suffering at all. But then after |
| four noble truths as being a part of having right | | | | being whipped and scourged and raised to what must |
| understanding. For Buddha a right understanding of life | | | | have been an agonizing death on the cross, the |
| has to do with suffering. The noble truths of Buddha | | | | suffering would certainly have ended. |
| are basically an understanding of what suffering is for | | | | The one thing about Jesus that has always struck me |
| people on earth. Buddha believed people are born to | | | | in enduring what he did, there is no record of him crying |
| suffer, and in understanding this, you and I will realize | | | | out in pain or trying to escape. Furthermore, he would |
| the nature of suffering, what causes suffering, how | | | | have required superhuman strength to endure such |
| suffering can be stopped and, then, what has to be | | | | punishment and remain so calm. I often wonder, was |
| done to bring about the end of suffering within oneself, | | | | Jesus demonstrating to his onlookers that he |
| or within one's life. The result is a life of bliss, happiness | | | | possessed the oneness with his universe (that Buddha |
| and oneness with the surrounding universe. | | | | sought) and felt no pain, even though to the onlookers |
| Not too many people, if any, appear to have found the | | | | he must have endured unbelievable agony. |
| way to enlightenment. Even the most renowned | | | | Anyhow, his Jewish convert, Saul of Tarsus, is said to |
| Buddhist alive today, the Tibetan Dalai Lama, does not | | | | have claimed Jesus endured the agony of the cross |
| appear to have all the answers. Reports of his | | | | because of the joy he possessed in knowing what he |
| displeasure and lack of happiness tend to surface | | | | was to receive by being raised from the dead. Since |
| from time to time. Sadly, he has not been able to find | | | | Jesus is the only person in history of whom it is |
| peace with China and return to his homeland of Tibet | | | | attested that he rose from the dead, maybe he has |
| and lives as a refugee touring the world. | | | | shown us the truth after all; and it is not of this world. |