Heavens Family Fund Raising Propaganda... Goodbye Buddha Hello Jesus!

NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMASAMBUDDHASSA
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMASAMBUDDHASSA
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMASAMBUDDHASSA


Translation: May veneration be presented to the enlightened one who is a Buddha and has achieved enlightenment by himself righteously. X3


Heavens Family Fund Raising Propaganda... Goodbye Buddha Hello Jesus!


A Classic Example Of Lying Christian Propaganda

By
Bhikkhu aggacitto


All scripture quoted is from the Pali Canon Tipitaka which is the oldest known extant writing from the oral tradition of what the Venerable Gotama (Buddha) taught his disciples as dhamma (teaching).


Recently I came across the “Heavens Family’’ website .The caption read “Goodbye Buddha, Hello Jesus”, and I was intrigued. Upon reading the article though it seems as if this must be one of those bogus stories fabricated for the purpose of assisting them in their donation and conversion efforts while allowing them a format to take a few very misinformed shots at the Buddhist monastic sangha (community) and at the Buddhist teaching as well.
Note the clandestine feel of this article, which serves to help further their objectives.

Okay, first things first…I doubt that the Buddhist monks for reasons apparent that grace the beginning of this web site article were aware that their image and likeness would be used for a Christian evangelical web site. Not that the “Heavens Family” could care less of course! The only other photographs for this article are of ‘David’ the presumed author and a blurred secret identity styled photo allegedly of the Buddhist monk who is a “secret disciple of Jesus”.

We read in this article about a Burmese Buddhist monk who is a supposed “secret disciple of Jesus” but if any one should look closer this story becomes very suspicious. In the first paragraph it states that they met secretly, where he has lived for the past thirty years and that he only had a limited amount of time to be missing from the monastery.

"We met secretly, in the morning. He had only a limited amount of time to be missing from the monastery where he’s lived for the past thirty years. To be absent too long might arouse suspicion among the sixty other Buddhist monks with whom he resides."

I’m sure that this is written to give the impression that the Buddhist monastery is comparable to some sort of oppressive religious prison where the other monks are always keeping an eye on you, but as a Theravada Buddhist monk myself I assure you all that after living there for the past thirty years he would not have such a concern.

"Our hour together was one of the highlights of my recent three weeks in Myanmar, a Buddhist nation where Heaven’s Family has been working for the past six years. More details of that monk’s fascinating story follow in this update, along with four other encouraging reports .All of them are only a sample of the good that is being accomplished around the world because of your compassion. Thanks for being a part of Heaven’s Family.---David"


"From inside his saffron robe he drew a New Testament. He’s read it six times through so far, and I noted that many verses were underlined .He told me that his favorite one was John 14:6,and then he quoted it: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” He is a Buddhist monk who is a secret disciple of Jesus."


How convenient for their article that this would be his fave Christian scripture!

"Trying to decipher the doctrines of Buddhism has been compared to searching for a black cat in a dark room in which there really is no cat. Not an easy task."

It is interesting here to note that the author acknowledges that he is basically “in the dark” when it comes to the Buddha dhamma (teaching) . This is why no explanation follows this sort of statement.
The author then quotes from the Kalama Sutta of the Auguttara NIkaya 3.65
In this sutta the Venerable Gotama gives a discourse on the value of spiritual inquiry. He does not discuss from what sutta he is actually paraphrasing, after all why would he want someone to know? They might look it up and learn something factual about the Buddhist spiritual path.

"There is however, one of Buddha’s teaching that makes very good sense:
Do not accept anything by mere tradition….Do not accept anything just because it accords wth your scriptures…..Do not accept anything merely because it agrees with your preconceived notions…."

Now lets take a look at what the pertinent part of the Kalama Sutta actually says shall we?

“And this aversive person overcome by aversion, he mind possessed by aversion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person’s wife, tells lies ,and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm and suffering.”

“Yes, lord.”

“Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?”

“For harm, lord.”

“And this deluded person, overcome by delusion, his mind possessed by delusion, kills living beings, takes what s not given, goes after another person’s wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm and suffering.”

“Yes, lord.”

“So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?”

“Unskillful, lord.”

“Blameworthy or blameless?”

“Blameworthy, lord.”

“Criticized by the wise, or praised by the wise?

“Criticized by the wise, lord,”

“When adopted and carried out, do they lead to harm and to suffering, or not?”

“When adopted and carried out, they lead to harm and to suffering. That is how it appears to us.”

"So, as I said , Kalamas: ‘Don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, “This contemplative is our teacher .”When you know for yourselves that,” These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to harm and to suffering”- then you should abandon them,’ Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said."

Perhaps it would be good if the author read more of this particular sutta.

"Thankfully, some of Buddha’s followers heed his advice regarding the traditions, scriptures and preconceived notions of Buddhism, and they’re turning to Jesus. One of them attended Chuck King’s recent pastor’s conference in Myanmar (Burma)."

"For the first forty years of his life he was a Muslim, and he was known as Raja Mohammed Adam. From reading the Koran, he learned about Jesus, respecting Him as a prophet. But Islam did not fulfill Raja’s deepest spiritual yearnings. Most of the citizens of his country were Buddhists, and Raja was quite familiar with their numerous temples that dotted Myanmar’s landscape. Hoping to find what he was searching for, he joined the ranks of the Buddhist monks who roam the streets each morning, barefoot, begging for rice. He moved into a monastery, and his name was changed to -------------.

Buddhist believe that all suffering stems from unfulfilled desire, so Buddhist monks attempt to restrain their desires, following a path of asceticism. But after twenty- seven years of begging, fasting, meditation and celibacy, ------------ still hadn’t found what he was searching for. So he borrowed a Bible. As he read through the four Gospels, he encountered a different Jesus than he had learned about through Islam. Jesus was much more than a prophet. He was the Creator and Master--- in the flesh. As he read, it seemed as if Jesus was saying to him,


“You are just like a Pharisee.”------------ was cut to the heart. He decided to repent and follow Jesus. That was three years ago.

After thirty years of being a monk, and now at age seventy in one of Asia’s poorest nations,--------is afraid to leave his monastery, not knowing how he would survive. But he is looking for an opportunity, and he knows that his fellow monks are very suspicious and watching him closely. He told me he would renounce his robe immediately if he had a way of escape. Please pray for him as we work on a strategy to help him with the exodus for which he longs."

Let us now make a note of a few things:

This Buddhist monk supposedly was a Muslim by the name of Raja Mohammed Adam for the first forty years of his life. This Buddhist monk has been a monk it is claimed for thirty years now. This Buddhist monk is now supposedly a convert to Christianity.

Now let us all sit back and imagine for a moment just what a spiritual jewel this would be for any Christian evangelical organization!

Certainly with expert knowledge of the Qur’an and the Pali Canon Tipitaka!
How devastating a witnessing tool it would be to have someone who was a Muslim for forty years and a Buddhist monk for thirty years to now witness for Jesus as a part of their ministry in Myanmar a largely Buddhist nation, where they have been working for the past six years!

“Buddhist believe that all suffering stems from unfulfilled desire, so Buddhist monks attempt to restrain their desires, following a path of asceticism.”

If this were true then ending suffering would entail the Buddhist fulfilling as many unfulfilled desires as possible! Not following a path of asceticism!

No wonder he can’t find the cat in the dark!

According to Buddhist teaching (dhamma) suffering stems from wrong view. I will refer the “Heavenly Family” to the Pali Canon Tipitaka Sutta Pitaka- Majjhima Nikaya #9, the Sammaditthi Sutta.

"As he read, it seemed as if Jesus was saying to him, “You are just like a Pharisee.”------------was cut to the heart. He decided to repent and follow Jesus."

This should be recognized as fabricated story line material to allow this organization the cheap opportunity to call the Buddhist monastic sangha (community) “---just like a Pharisee”

"He told me he would renounce his robe immediately if he had a way of escape. Please pray for him as we work on a strategy to help him with the exodus for which he longs."

They presumably need a strategy to help him with the exodus for which he longs? Okay so lets get this straight…They will use what we are to believe is his story to assist their Christian evangelical efforts but not him as an outreach worker and a willing convert to Christianity in a nation where they have been working for the past six years, giving him the “exodus for which he longs”?!! Certainly they should be able to find something meaningful for such a jewel of a Christian convert!

One might say… “Well he is afraid of negative repercussions” Really? From whom would such negative repercussions come from? The other Buddhist monks and laity who would wish him well? Or would that be from the ruling military junta who would not mind at all seeing one less Buddhist monk in the world when many of them are busy looking to shoot and otherwise execute us?
Should we believe that this alleged convert to Christianity would rather engage in the fraudulent behavour of pretending to be a sincere Buddhist monk when in fact he is not?

Is that what he has presumably learned for these past several years as a Christian?

If someone wishes to convert to Christianity, that is certainly their choice. What I have an issue with are those who seem to believe that lying and making up fictitious stories to convert people to Christianity while cheap shot slandering and character assassinating another religious belief is acceptable as "the lord's work."

Yes, this story is apparently one of those bogus stories designed to help them in their donation and conversion efforts. The “Heavenly Family” know that if they can convince the people in Myanmar (Burma) that this is true then that might be almost as good as having the real thing.

I wish you all the very best of all things spiritual.

Bhikkhu aggacitto