Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Buddha. The emphasis on ethical conduct in this life
and the lack of speculation about after-death states
are both admirable. Next best among the great
religions to act as foundation for Buddhism is
Hinduism. Perhaps 50% of its teachings may be
acceptable to Buddhists and some of its ideas such
as reincarnation and its doctrine of karma, have
something in common with Buddhist teachings,
though the latter are still in many ways different,
being much clearer and more precise. Coming to
Christianity regarded as a basis, only 25% of its
doctrines could be acclaimed as even approximating
to useful truth. So many doctrines have been
developed by the Church which are quite opposed to
Buddhist principles, and overlie, indeed obscure,
some of the original teachings of Jesus which
Buddhists can endorse—such as the good Sermon
on the Mount. If we consider the case of Islam,
almost everything there would be rejected by
Buddhists—it would perhaps be the poorest basis
for Buddhist growth." (The writer thought that
perhaps the one common point might be the
emphasis on giving in both these religions.
Almsgiving, one of the duties of a good Muslim, is
also stressed as the beginning of the way in
Buddhadharma, as an easy spiritual means to open
the heart, as in the triad preached to lay-people in
Buddhist countries: dana, sila, samadhi (in the
sense of dhyana).)
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