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Joan of Bark · 11-22-2008, 01:04 AM

Do any Gnostic writings reference Buddha? There seems to be a lot of overlap in their basic philosophy ...

Clivedurdle · 11-22-2008, 01:31 PM

Quote:

In 1992, Ashoka was ranked #53 on Michael H. Hart's list of the most influential figures in history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka_the_Great

Clivedurdle · 11-22-2008, 02:45 PM

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He also spread the teachings of the Buddha outside his empire by sending missionaries to both the East and West. According to Donald Mackenzie [3], it was Ashoka's western evangelists who were responsible, directly or indirectly, for establishing Buddhism in pre-Christian Britain. Of course Britain never became Buddhist in the way that Sri Lanka or Burma did. The distances were too great and lines of communication too tenuous. But it seems likely that Celtic Buddhism, as known to the Druids, prepared the way and influenced the development of Celtic Christianity in Britain and Ireland.

Shirley Toulson [4] describes Celtic Christianity as a church which 'neither inflicted suffering nor encouraged bitter theological disputes. It was marked by compassion and moderation in all its dealings.' The Celtic church was suppressed by Rome at the Council of Whitby in 664, which marked the end of tolerance, compassion and moderation in Western Christianity for over a thousand years.

http://www.aboutulverston.co.uk/celts/ashoka.htm

mountainman · 11-22-2008, 03:23 PM

We have in third century Sassanid Persia the brother of Shapur I issuing coins with the image of buddha thereon.

Quote:

p.121.

COINAGE

The brother of Shapur I -- Peroz (Shah)
"the worshipper of Mazdah" featuring
the image of Buddha, bear striking
testimony to a peaceful rapprochement
between the two religions.

--- Cambridge Ancient History
Volume XII
The Imperial Crisis and Recovery (193 to 324 CE)

Chapter 5: SASSANID PERSIA
The Sassanian Empire: Political History

couch_sloth · 11-25-2008, 04:59 AM

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Originally Posted by Ben C Smith

Look at this quote from chapter 52 the Acts of Archelaus:

On arriving there, Terebinthus succeeded in giving currency to a wonderful account of himself, declaring that he was replete with all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and that he was really named now, not Terebinthus, but another Buddas, and that this designation had been put upon him. He asserted further that he was the son of a certain virgin, and that he had been brought up by an angel on the mountains.

It may be that this is the source of the virgin birth of Buddha. It was Terebinthus who claimed to be Buddha (in some way) and also claimed to be virgin born. This may well be the source of the confusion.

Ben.

From what I've read:
The story of the Buddha's conception was possibly first written down in the 2nd or 3rd century C.E. (in the Buddhist scriptures called the Nidanakatha), at least this is the earliest known source.
According to the story, at the moment of his conception the Buddha's mother dreamed that a sacred baby white elephant entered her side. This can be interpreted to mean that a human male was not involved with this. (e.g. She was asleep and having a sacred dream at the time he was conceived)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Maya

Another interesting Buddha-Jesus parallel is that the Buddha's soul was that of a powerful god's (who lived for billions of years prior to passing on its soul to the earthly Buddha. i.e. The god's soul was re-born into the Buddha)

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11-22-2008, 01:04 AM	#11
Joan of Bark Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Pua, in northern Thailand Posts: 2,823	Do any Gnostic writings reference Buddha? There seems to be a lot of overlap in their basic philosophy ...

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