Question 9: THE CONCEPT THAT HUMANS ARE BOTH PRODUCTS OF GOD AND INDEPENDENT OF GOD IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. COULD YOU EXPLAIN FURTHER?

Answer: Let’s consider the relationship between parents and children – it’s pretty similar. Parents give birth to, raise, and teach their children, making it seem like children are entirely products of their parents. But in reality, that's not the case. As children grow up, they demonstrate their independence from their parents. Observing this, we can say that 'children are both biological products of their parents (and products of their upbringing) and independent of them.' This duality – being both this and that—reflects a fundamental characteristic of truth in this universe. We should become accustomed to thisto understand many other things, as one-sided understanding will prevent us from grasping the essence of truth.When children grow older and their independence becomes more apparent, some may exploit this independence to disregard their parents, behaving without moral consideration. However, independence does not mean abandoning one’s roots. Even as independent individuals, children should still honor their origins, respect, show gratitude, love, and care for their parents. These are the qualities of a moral person, making them worthy of being part of the civilized human community.#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery,

Question 8: MANY PEOPLE SEEM NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'RE GIVEN ANOTHER HUMAN LIFE TO CULTIVATE THEMSELVES. WHY DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR SELF-CULTIVATION?

Answer: This question touches upon the core of truth: humans are God's creations and independent of God.If humans were solely products of God, human will would be meaningless as God would arrange everything. If humans were completely independent of God, they would forever remaindistant from God, unable to transform towardsGod’s absolute nature.Truth is not one-sided; it is complex, requiring a tranquil and clear mind to grasp fully. The concept that "humans are both products of God and independent of God" is profound, encouraging people to put effort into self-cultivation rather than relying on God for everything.Why do we pray and seek divine help? We are independent of the Divine. If we were solely products of a Divine Being, He would be responsible for all our happiness or suffering. But we bear responsibility for our lives, demonstrating our independence from the Divine.Because we are independent of God, we must cultivate ourselves diligently to align our minds with God’s. Those who refuse to grow morally and spiritually essentially fail their test,and after death, they may end up in a place of great suffering.#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery,

Question 7: IF WE HAVE NOT ACHIEVED THE QUALITIES OF GOD BY THE TIME WE DIE, HOW CAN WE BE WITH GOD?Answer: God is both compassionate and strict. If our minds haven’t developed qualities similar to God’s by death, we certainly can’t be with God (strictness). However, God grants us further opportunities to continue our cultivation (compassion), allowing us to return as human beings and keep progressing on this noble path.When we hear the idea of “returning as human beings,” we might think of the concept ofrebirth in Buddhism, and rightly so. Indeed, through this concept, we understand God’s compassion. Rebirth is God’s mercy, giving us another opportunity to refine our minds to resemble God’s so that with each lifetime, we come closer to God.#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery,

Question 6: HOW CAN WE TRANSFORM OUR MIND TO ALIGN WITH GOD’S MIND?
Answer: If we believe that God’s mind has certain qualities, we must gradually strive to transform our minds to reflect these qualities. Here are the qualities of God that we believe in:
· Boundless love for all beings
· Profound wisdom that comprehends everything
· Unrestricted by space, yet encompassing all space
· Unrestricted by time, yet encompassing all time
· Absolute tranquility yet fully active
· Absolute purity is being free from trivial human traits like selfishness, anger, arrogance, hatred, stubbornness, greed,
resentment, jealousy, favoritism, ambition, cruelty, and pettiness.
· Filled with virtues such as altruism, tolerance, justice, kindness, forgiveness, flexibility, generosity, peace, calm, and serenity
Attaining these qualities requires long-term self-cultivation; achieving them may take more than one lifetime.
#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery,

Question 5: DOES THIS MEAN THAT GOD’S MIND IS THE SAME AS THE ENLIGHTENED MIND IN BUDDHISM?Answer: If we conclude this outright, many might object, insisting that religions must maintain distinct identities. Still, we cannot deny that if God is absolute, God’s mind must also be absolute. This absolute mind aligns closely with Buddhism’s ultimate goal.Most religious followers wish to dwell with God after death. Yet, one might wonder whether those with different minds can coexist in such harmony. Would God welcome those whose minds are vastly different from His own?The answer is that only those whose minds align with God’s can dwell with God. Thus, the path to God transforms one’s mind to resemble God’s.#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery,

Question 4: IT MAY BE EASIER FOR RELIGIONS THAT WORSHIP GOD TO FIND HARMONY, BUT HOW CAN BUDDHISM, WHICH DOES NOT WORSHIP GOD, FIND COMMON GROUND WITH OTHER RELIGIONS?
Answer: It is not entirely accurate to say that Buddhism does not revere God. Buddhism seeks the essence—the mind—of God rather than focusing on a particular name for God. While we worship God, do we ever contemplate God’s mind?
We pray to God, asking for blessings, salvation, and mercy because we believe that

God hears our prayers (Infinite Wisdom) and has boundless compassion (Infinite Love). For example, two opposing teams may pray to God for victory before a match, yet God's mind transcends divisions; God does not intervene but observes impartially, leaving the outcome to the players' skills; the better team will win. God does not cater to every personal desire.
Likewise, we believe that those who do good will be rewarded with happiness, and those who do evil will be punished with suffering; it reflects God's sense of fairness. Yet, despite being impartial, God leaves room for repentance rather than adhering to rigid retribution.
Buddhism speaks of absolute Enlightenment, a perfectly transcendent state of mind. This can serve as an excellent way to understand God's mind.
#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery,

Question 3: ARE DIFFERENCES IN RELIGIOUS DOCTRINES THE GREATEST BARRIER TO HARMONY AMONG RELIGIONS?Answer: There is always a way forward if we genuinely seek harmony. The only obstacle is stubbornness; if we cling to differences to criticize one another, all doors to harmony close.For example, most religions venerate God, yet due to regional variations in naming God, they may struggle to accept one another. This does not make sense, as a single name cannot fullyconvey God's greatness. Different names shouldn't matter if they carry the same meaning. To initiate harmony, we hope religions will not place undue emphasis on the names used for God but focus instead on its shared meaning and the common belief in God.

#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery.

Question 2: WITH SO MANY DIFFERENCES, HOW CAN RELIGIONS ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER TO FOSTER UNITY FOR HUMANITY?
Answer: For religions to accept one another, we must gradually learn to respect the founders of other faiths, recognizing that religious founders with sacred missions brought goodness to humanity in their respective regions and times. Each founder’s teachings may vary according to unique historical contexts, languages, cultures, and pre-existing belief systems of their times. However, all teachings rooted in goodness naturally share common values that transcend
barriers. Understandably, people tend to hold their religious founders in higher regard than those of
other religions. However, respecting different religious founders is a significant step forward,
much better than holding onto hostile thoughts.
#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma.

Question 1: WHAT MAKES RELIGIONS DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER?
Answer: Religions differ in the following aspects:
• Founders who initially established the religions
• Deities or Divine figures worshipped by followers
• Scriptures and doctrines that guide followers' spiritual path and practice
• Religious rituals and languages used in prayers and chants
• Internal precepts and codes specific to each religion
• Architectural styles of places of worship
• Clerical clothing and attire
Today, as the world progresses towards globalization, nations increasingly adopt various aspects of each other's cultures and lifestyles, becoming more alike in clothing, music, cuisine, architecture, law, and technology. We hope that religions, too, will embrace each other with tolerance and respect, contributing to a more peaceful and friendly world.
#Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma.

PREFACE

People cherish peace and unity as the

world becomes increasingly civilized and

advanced. One significant challenge in achieving

world peace is to minimize the differences

between religions and foster understanding and

acceptance among them. In the past, concepts

such as "religious outsiders," "other religions," or

"heresy" were often viewed with aversion as

something to shun or discard. However, today,

we should adopt a different perspective –

differences between religions can complement

each other rather than negate each other.

This book, Dialogue between Buddhism

and Other Religions, aims to contribute to human

connection on a religious level. It helps those who

follow theistic religions understand Buddhism

better and recognize that Buddhism can serve as

a valuable complement to their theology.

5Dialogue between Buddhism and Other Religions Janna

Throughout this document, we have

avoided directly naming specific theistic religions

and instead focused on general theological

concepts. We have also refrained from speaking

from a purely Buddhist standpoint, as this would

perpetuate the existing divisions. Instead, we

have embraced theological language to present

Buddhism in a gentle and accessible way.

We hope that this modest book will

contribute to fostering harmony among religions.

Likewise, we hope to see similar works from

theistic religions to help Buddhist followers gain

valuable insights from them.

JANNA (2024, Earth).