Presenting the Gospel to Buddhists

Mission Resource Network

Global Mission Conference
Arlington, TX
July 25, 2008

©By Edward Short

World Christian Broadcasting

605 Bradley Court, Franklin, TN 37067
eshort@worldchristian.org
www.worldchristian.org
www.smzg.org
 Presenting the Gospel to Buddhists
Global Mission Conference, Arlington, TX, July, 2008
©By Edward Short
World Christian Broadcasting
605 Bradley Court, Franklin, TN 37067
eshort@worldchristian.org
www.worldchristian.org
www.smzg.org

My first close experience with Buddhism and Taiwan folk religion was in 1968 after we
had lived in Taipei for a few months. Enoch and Jeannine Thweatt had built a Saturday night
children’s Bible class up to about seventy young students. Sharon and I could not speak enough
Chinese at that time to teach classes, but we attended, smiled, sang and encouraged as best as we
could. We were identified in the community by not a few people as Christians who helped the
Thweatts with the children’s classes. One night the store front home of some acquaintances who
lived very near us caught on fire but the fire was extinguished. Two small boys in the Ma
family—their names were Yi Guang and Yi Wei—stayed in our home for about two weeks
following the fire while repairs were being made to their storefront house. Some weeks later
there was another fire in the same home, and within a few minutes Yi Guang, Yi Wei and an
infant cousin had perished, along with Mr. Ma who died while trying to rescue the children.
Attendance at the Thweatts’ Bible class the first Saturday night following the second fire
plummeted from about seventy to less than five, and it never did recover. Moreover, as my wife
was pregnant at that time, one of the children who formerly attended the Bible class saw her on
the street, pointed at Sharon and said—repeating what I feel sure she had heard at home—that
the soul of the dead baby had entered Sharon in the form of another baby.
As I look back on that event now, I see several bits of Buddhism and folk religion
encapsulated in the child’s statement. There was the law of karma—a family who allowed their
sons to attend Bible classes received retribution for the decision, and there was reincarnation
(samsara) and the migration of souls—the baby was about to be reborn as our child.

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What is Buddhism?
One can read the history of Buddhism in books and articles as well as on the Internet.
Several websites are written by Buddhists expressly to acquaint non-Buddhists with the basic
beliefs of Buddhism. One such website is BuddhaNet.net; another is
Buddhism.kalachakranet.org. Other sites are written by Christians and by non-religious people
as well.
Buddhism is the religion of hundreds of millions of people around the world. The words
Buddha and Buddhism come from the Sanskrit for “enlightened,” and is akin to the Sanskrit
bodhi which means enlightenment.1 These words are also related to “buddhi” which means
“intelligence” or “understanding.”2 Siddhartha Gautama (563?-483?BC), lived when Daniel and
Zechariah the prophet were alive; Buddhism had been taught and practiced (though not widely)
for over 400 years when Jesus Christ began preaching.
If the apostle Paul had made it to north India and Nepal, perhaps our job today would be
easier. Nonetheless, encounter and dialogue among Christians and Buddhists is not new. A
Turkish Manichaean administration at Turfan—in today’s China—from AD 850-1250 favored
Gnosticism but also entertained Buddhists and Christians. The first recorded Buddhist-Christian
dialogue took place on the eve of Pentecost in 1254, when the Franciscan friar, William of
Rubruck, debated—unsuccessfully, we are told—with a Chinese Buddhist monk named Fu-Yü
before an audience of Muslims, Shamans, Taoists, Confucians, Buddhists, and Nestorian
Christians. The meeting had been convened by the Mongke Khan, grandson of the famous
Genghis Khan.3
Today, that we might all begin on the same page, and in order to lay a foundation for
Christian encounter with Buddhism, it is appropriate for us to spend some time talking about
some of the major beliefs of Buddhism.
Regarding the foremost elements of Buddhism, I must confess that it has been very
difficult for me personally to understand some of the tenets of this religion. Whenever I would
tell my Chinese friends that I was preparing this presentation and that I was trying to understand
Buddhism—in order to know how to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to Buddhists—more often
than not the Chinese friend would look at me, shake his head and say “很难!” [Hen nan]—“Very
difficult!”

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The Four Noble Truths
Basic to Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths. In order to explain these in language we
can understand while also being faithful to the words that Buddhists use to explain their beliefs
and teachings, I will discuss each one briefly from three different viewpoints. First, what the
Buddhist themselves say, second, the brief interpretation for non-Buddhists and Christians
written by an Evangelical scholar, and third, from a modern Western Buddhist who popularizes
Buddhist teachings for American audiences. You can visit the Buddhist websites as I mentioned
above and read about these in more depth. The Christian interpretation below comes from
Buddhism: A Religion Profile by Dean Halverson, which I suggest you purchase. (I also highly
recommend Sharing Your Faith with a Buddhist by Madassamy Thirumalai.) The modern
Buddhist interpretation below comes from It’s Easier than You Think: The Buddhist Way to
Happiness. This is a popular level version of modern Buddhism for Westerners, written by
Sylvia Boorstein, and is available as a book (1995) and also as an audio tape (1996). (The
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Buddhism by Gary Gach is also suggested reading.)
See the documentation for these books in my endnotes.
1. The First Noble Truth is that life consists of suffering (dukkha).
We are told that “suffering” is an inadequate translation of dukkha, but it is the word
most often used in English. It can mean intolerable, unsustainable, difficult to endure, imperfect,
unsatisfying, incapable of providing perfect happiness, or even stress.4 Halverson reduces the
first Noble Truth to “Life consists of suffering.”5 Boorstein says “Pain is inevitable but suffering
is optional… Life is difficult and painful just by its very nature, not just because we are doing it
wrong.”6 Suffering includes pain and death. Who among us does not face these things in life?
Who among us does not seek answers to these problems? Buddhism purports to answer these
questions and show us how to solve the problems.
2. The Second Noble Truth is worded in different ways in various books and articles,
but it seeks to explain the cause of suffering—namely craving for pleasure, for existence, for
extermination.7 All existence is impermanent; life is always changing and thus “there is no
unchanging and permanent Self.” Since everything is always changing, there is nothing to grasp
and no “one” to do the grasping.8 Halverson sums this up as “Everything is impermanent and
everchanging…” We suffer because we desire those impermanent things. Boorstein explains
that pain is inherent in life just because everything is changing. “Suffering is what happens

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when we struggle with whatever our life experiences, rather than accepting it… with wise and
compassionate response.”
3. The Third Noble Truth is that the cyclic existence of lives of suffering can cease and
that a Nirvana state can be entered. This depends on our state of our own mind. Halverson says
that the way to “liberate oneself from suffering is by eliminating all desire. We must stop
craving that which is temporary,” and Boorstein promises that peace of mind is possible in this
life because suffering can be managed.
4. The Fourth Noble Truth is that “desire can be eliminated by following the Eightfold
Path” (Halverson). “If we can control our body and mind in a way that we help others instead of
doing them harm, and generating wisdom in our own mind, we can end our suffering and
problems.”9 What this means in Mahayana Buddhism is that someone must reach down deep
within himself and understand that his true nature is illusion. The modern American version as
espoused by Boorstein sounds like a treatise on self-help and stresses the fact that knowledge of
impermanence enables one to get through painful situations whether they are physical pain or
emotional pain. Then she goes on to explain the Eightfold Path in terms that would be suitable
in many American church pulpits.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Buddhism reduces the Four Noble Truths
to: 1) Suffering: “There’s suffering.” 2) Attachment: “There’s a cause of suffering.” 3)
Liberation: “There’s an end to suffering.” 4) The path: “There’s a way to end suffering.”10 This
book makes Buddhism comprehensible, logical and appealing to 21st century Americans.
I condense the Four Noble Truths to four words: Suffering. Why? Hope. How?
So what is the Eightfold Path? A list of the Eightfold Path is readily available in books,
articles and websites, but sometimes terminology is slightly different. The eight are categorized
in three areas—wisdom, ethics and mental, as follows:
Wisdom: Right View and Right Intention
Ethics: Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood
Mental: Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration11
It appears that these eight should be developed simultaneously when possible, but for our
purposes it is more important to understand the unseen meaning that lies underneath these
words—namely, for example, that Right View or Right Understanding means that every action
results in karma.

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 This paper does not seek to explain the rest of the Eightfold Path, but rather to stimulate
the reader to seek more information on his own.

Karma, Impermanence and Reincarnation

It is difficult to discuss Buddhism without introducing karma. Although Boorstein says
“I more or less believe in karma,” Sharon Stone certainly believes in it. Sharon Stone, a convert
to Buddhism, asserted that the earthquake in China in May, 2008, was due to bad karma for
Beijing policy in Tibet. “I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans
because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else,” Stone said during a Cannes Film
Festival interview with Hong Kong's Cable Entertainment News. “And then this earthquake and
all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad
things happen to you?”12 The statement did not go over well in China.13
What is karma? Karma is “the integrated collection of good and evil that a person
accumulates during their present and former lives. …Buddhists… believe that the amount and
type of karma will determine a person’s state when they are reincarnated in their next life.
Similarly, the sum total of one’s acts in previous lives determines one’s current life.”14 Karma is
directly related to the motive(s) behind an action.15
The Dalai Lama is in the news frequently, and he explained karma in this way:
Countless rebirths lie ahead, both good and bad. The effects of
karma (actions) are inevitable, and in previous lifetimes we have
accumulated negative karma which will inevitably have its fruition
in this or future lives. Just as someone witnessed by police in a
criminal act will eventually be caught and punished, so we too
must face the consequences of faulty actions we have committed in
the past, there is no way to be at ease; those actions are irreversible;
we must eventually undergo their effects.16

Interestingly enough, some Buddhist authors appeal to the Bible to explain karma to
Westerners. “You get what you give,” said one person, and then quoted Galatians 6:7: “Do not
be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A person reaps what he sows.”17 The Bible is both quoted
and misquoted as karma is explained in terms supposedly familiar to Christians: “the one who
sows rays will reap storms;” “with the stick that you measure others, you will be measured,”
“eye for one eye” and “the one who kills using an iron sword, will die by an iron sword.”18

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 Ravi Zecharias, an Evangelical scholar of comparative religion, wrote an imaginary
conversation where Buddha, Jesus and a young woman discuss life. The Buddha explained
karma this way:
…you must forget the past. There’s nothing you can do to
change that. And don’t think of the future; it’s all speculation.
Deal only with the now. Free yourself now from illusions of God
and forgiveness and individual life hereafter. Invest in a life of
good deeds that will outweigh the bad ones. That’s your only hope.
Make your heart pure, and that will offset all of your impure acts
and thoughts.19

Note the emphasis on works, as a balance scale is pictured with good deeds vs. bad deeds.
No room for grace, indeed no possibility of grace, and the total responsibility for doing is on the
person’s own shoulders.
A story from Chinese history illustrates the foolishness of self-salvation. During the Qin
dynasty there was a general named Xiang Yu.20 Xiang Yu not only fought many battles with Liu
Bang who eventually became the first emperor of the Han Dynasty in 206 B.C.,21 but Xiang was
famed for his strength. Legend has it that he once tried to lift himself up in a chair, but—
predictably—he could not do it! The point is that the Buddhist emphasis on good works is
misleading, deceiving and unattainable.22 No matter how hard someone tries, he cannot lift
himself, and his good deeds, his prayer beads, his reading of nonsensical material to gain merit—
are all fruitless. We are trapped in our human condition and we cannot pull ourselves out of it.
Call it karma if you will, but without the grace of God we cannot find true peace now or in a
future eternity either.
Other writers say that karma is related to the judgment of God (although the word God is
not used widely and it is invested with a different meaning than in the Bible. It is used, I believe,
as a concession to Christians and to make Buddhism more palatable.): “The law of Karma…
controls us every moment; that is why any act, either good or bad has its consequences. We will
be paying for any bad deed and will be compensated for any good deed. God gave us free will
and we can do whatever we want, but we will have to account for our actions before the divine
justice.”23
Karma is used to explain why some children are born handicapped, why some are born
gifted, and why some live a relatively short life.24 Physical ailment is seen as retribution for
one’s past life. Thus, karma means justice; thus karma demands reincarnation. If you eat a fish

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today, someday you will become a fish and someone will eat you; eventually it will all catch up
with you.25
The concept of karma also promotes pessimism. A Chinese lady said that China’s dark
history of war and abuse produced a pessimistic society—from Buddhism’s basic philosophy
that life will always be bad. Historically, the only hope for poor peasants is in another life.26
According to Chen Ming-hui who holds a doctorate from Japan in Buddhist studies, this need for
hope gave birth to the concept of reincarnation—I am not succeeding in this life, so I will
anticipate another life with another chance for success.27
Guilt and repentance are discussed in Buddhism, but sin is not. Guilt is real and it should
cause a person to “ponder” his deeds and motivate him not to “repeat negative actions.” A
description of Buddhist repentance is attributed to Samantabhadra a great and ancient
Bodhisattva:
For all the evil deeds I have done in the past,
Created by my body, speech and mind,
From beginningless greed, hatred and delusion,
I now know shame and repent them all.28

Repentance should take place at the end of each day, but even better if done immediately
after a mistake is made and recognized. If a person is wronged, the apology should be personal
and sincere. Repentance does not erase negative karma however,29 and Buddhist repentance
does not ask for divine forgiveness.30
What about sin? “Buddhism does not accept the existence of an omnipotent deity and
has no concept of sin as the offence against such a being by the contravention of his will as
expressed through revelation or deduced by reason. It does, however, in the doctrine of karma,
distinguish clearly between good and evil deeds.”31 “The idea of sin or original sin has no place
in Buddhism,”32 rather as one avoids evil deeds he avoids personal suffering33 and thus reduces
his own negative karma.
Buddhism is more like a philosophy of life, a way of life, a long list of do’s and don’ts
that give structure to life, family and community, rather than “ a single religion with uniform
theology and practice.”34 Consequently, the original teachings of Siddhartha Gautama were
interpreted and reinterpreted by his followers and those who came later, with the result that
Buddhism is divided into several major types or schools or “Vehicles.”35 These are Theravada,

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Mahayana and Vajrayana. Theravada thrives in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,
etc. Mahayana has far more adherents and is seen in India, China, etc. Zen is an offshoot of
Mahayana. We usually hear Vajrayana simply as Tibetan Buddhism, which has come to world
attention through the charismatic Dalai Lama. Each branch of Buddhism has sub-divisions, sub-
schools and not a few major differences of belief and practice.
Christians who seek to understand something about Buddhism and to teach Buddhists
about Christianity should read about the differences in these major branches of the religion. It
will be helpful to inquire tastefully to which branch a given Buddhist friend belongs before
launching into a deep discussion of faith with the friend. However, it seems to me that even
more important than what the Buddhist’s scholarly books and websites teach about the system,
or what the particular branch is thought to believe, is what the normal person believes and
practices in his daily life. This is where Christians should, can and will encounter Buddhism.
Buddhism is syncretistic. One of the most important traits of Buddhism is its ability to
absorb other belief systems or to adapt to them. The teachings of Buddhism accommodate and
peacefully co-exist with animism, occultism and other beliefs. Buddhism—in whatever form—
plus a locality’s tradition, superstition, folk religion, etc, results in a social structure that provides
religious expression for a person from womb to tomb.36 The fortune teller selects a propitious
day for a couple’s wedding. Society prescribes certain things a woman should and should not do
before and after giving birth. The temple is visited (possibly many times) during a person’s
lifetime when Buddha is venerated, as perhaps other gods and the ancestors are. Finally, at death,
the Buddhist priest is summoned to enable the dearly departed to safely reach a pleasant place to
await rebirth.
The ability of Buddhism to accommodate other faith systems, coupled with the
missionary zeal of some followers,37 caused people—whether rich or poor, whether
governmental leaders or peasants—to accept it. As the centuries passed, Buddhism became part
of the national persona of some countries. Thailand, however, is the only country where the
constitution stipulates that the king must be a Buddhist.38
Nonetheless, Buddhism in the several countries where it is prevalent is far from
homogeneous. In China and Taiwan, Buddhism absorbed the Chinese belief in gods, ghosts,
spirits and ancestors—one might term it “Buddhism with Chinese characteristics”—while among
Western Buddhists, spirits and gods may hardly impact the adherent’s belief system. Should it

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surprise me, however, that an educated Thai fears spirits (phi) and wears amulets to protect
himself against these spirits39 when my own close relative who grew up in the United States and
attended church from childhood refused to let me walk around the different side of a post from
her, and she took pessimistic notice when a black cat crossed her path?
Because of the divergent beliefs that all come under the single word Buddhism, a
Christian should ask a lot questions and not be too surprised if the answers are different from
what he expects. Buddhism in the book and Buddhism on the ground can be very different.
We hear that pure Buddhism is atheistic; there is no God and no place for gods. However,
Lom, a Laotian near Nashville who became a Christian, assured me that even though the Buddha
did not claim to be God or a god, his followers said that his teachings were so great that he must
be God. “Do you need help? Pray to Buddha,” Lom learned as a child. Lom insisted that his
Laotian relatives and friends pray to Buddha for help just like we pray to God for help. They
worship him as all-powerful. They pray just like Christians—they ask and expect to receive.
Those who wear an image of Buddha on a necklace think that it protects them from harm.40
When a Christian goes to Asia it appears that Buddhism and other religious practices are
an important part of the fabric of society. I interviewed Salina Ho, a lady who grew up in
Taiwan as a Buddhist but became a Christian as an adult after her marriage in America. I asked
her whether Chinese understand Buddhism. “No, Buddhists do not understand Buddhism. They
don’t care. China has many gods and all are the same; Jesus is one more god.”41 Another former
Buddhist told me that a twelve-year-old Buddhist knows more about the forms of Buddhism than
a twelve year old Christian knows about the forms of Christianity. However, they do not know
what the forms, traditions and ceremonies mean. They do not understand what they are doing or
why.42
As an illustration, Salina said that Buddhists read their scriptures43 over and over but
without understanding what they read. When young, Salina became sick. The Buddhist priest
told her mother to read a sheet of paper about 1000 times and it would heal Salina. The reading
was in Chinese characters, but it actually was Sanskrit or some other Indian language sounded
out in Chinese, and it had absolutely no meaning to the reader. But her mother believed that the
reading of this would make Salina get well, so she did exactly as she was told.44 (Yes, Salina’s
health returned.)

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 Belief in reincarnation impacts several aspects of life. Not only do Buddhists believe that
after death a person will be reborn in another body and that it will be based on what kind of life
he/she lived; but they also believe that if someone mistreats some person or animal in this life,
then in the next life he or someone or some thing will make life hard for him. Thus a person may
be harmed or wronged by someone, but rather than retaliating he may take it willingly. He may
adopt the attitude that “In a past life I must have hurt you, so now we are even.” On the other
hand, and if you do good today, if you practice good deeds in this life, then you will be born into
a better situation in the next life, and it can even benefit your descendents.45
Buddhists do not kill; some Buddhists do not kill any living thing.46 This is because he
may be killing his ancestor, or he may end up being that person or thing in a future life.
I asked another Chinese lady to explain to me the Chinese term for Nirvana (nie pan),47
but she had never heard of it and did not understand the Chinese term when she saw the two
characters. I asked Salina what she thought of the Buddhist concept of going into a state of
nothingness after many reincarnations, but she had never heard of this concept. She said that
most Buddhists she knew believed that after death you go to the Western Paradise,48 then you are
re-born.49 That was all she knew about the process.

What are some Barriers to Communicating the Gospel to Buddhists?

1. Intolerance.
Over the years, when I have asked my Chinese friends what hinders the reception of the
gospel among Buddhists, the answer given very often was that Christianity is perceived as very
exclusive, narrow-minded and intolerant of other religions,50 whereas Buddhism is very inclusive
and welcoming. Christianity rejects other religions whereas Buddhism absorbs them.
I try to accentuate the positive when dealing with this question. God created mankind
and he loves everyone. God wishes for no one to perish but for everyone to repent (2 Peter 3:9).
The Old Testament expresses God’s love for all mankind. Noah preached repentance to the
people of his day (2 Peter 2:5). God sent one prophet after another to the idolatrous northern
kingdom of Israel, and he sent Jonah to wicked Nineveh—a city of Gentiles. God commissioned
the Jews: “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the
ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6; see also Isaiah 42:6).

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 In the New Testament, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), and that is a very exclusive statement. However in
light of John 3:16 it becomes a very inclusive statement. “…Whoever believes in me shall not
perish…” is inclusive. Christianity does not divide or deter according to nationality, race, age,
sex, economics or education; Christianity is open to the entire world. Indeed, such is envisioned
by the Lord in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), and began to happen on the first day
of the church in Acts 2 when Jews from many countries became Christians. A multi-ethnic
heaven is revealed in Revelation 7:9: “After this I looked and there before me was a great
multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before
the throne…”
Jesus’ discussion with the woman in Samaria (John 4:1ff) set him apart from other Jews
of his day and foreshadowed how inclusive his kingdom would be. The second miracle that
Jesus performed was for a Gentile (John 4:43-54). Jesus sparred verbally with a Gentile woman
from Syrian Phoenicia and let her win (Mark 7:24ff). Jesus did not hesitate to travel into
Decapolis where there were many Gentiles (Mark 7:31, etc). It was not a Jew about whom Jesus
said “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matthew 8:10), and this statement
is followed by Jesus’ vision of the Heavenly Banquet where Gentiles will sit—those “from the
east and the west” (Matthew 8:11). Christians can affirm enthusiastically that Christianity is
inclusive.
2. Ancestor worship and filial piety.
It is not the purpose of this paper to discuss the rights or wrongs of ancestor worship, or
even to define it precisely. Asian Buddhists, especially those who are ethnic Chinese, however,
believe that Christians are not filial because they are not known to venerate the ancestors.51 My
personal experience as a missionary in Taiwan was that, generally speaking, Christians there did
not pick up joss sticks and burn them and other objects in honor of their ancestors; the few
Christians I knew who did participate were not respected by other Christians. Moreover, non-
Christian relatives of these people often did not expect them to participate in such acts either. It
is my understanding however that in other places (such as in some parts of China today) these
acts are not considered as sinful because the ancestors are not considered gods and the acts are
simply out of respect for those who have gone on before. I personally am not convinced that this
is always the case however, and so I urge caution.

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 Salina Ho attended a Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan before she became a Christian
believer. Salina reports that at the beginning of each school year a priest stands in front of the
entire student body and burns incense to the ancestors as an act of respect and memory but not as
worship. “If one sees ancestors as gods to be worshipped then Christians are bothered. But if
one sees 祭祖 [ji zu—offering sacrifice to ancestors] as a way to show respect, then it may not be
or seem so bad,” said Salina. “However,” she added, “on the other hand, some non-Christians
ask the ancestors to 保佑他们 [bao you tamen—to protect them], and this crosses a line from
‘respect’ to ‘praying to them as gods.’” Certainly Christians cannot do this. “Therefore, if
Christians can not be so quick to say that Christians do not 祭祖 [ji zu], then it will make
Christianity not seem so un-Chinese and so difficult to accept.”52
Whatever interpretation one assigns to ancestor worship, the Christian teacher must be
able to show that Christians are filial and that they have deep respect for their elders, both the
dead and the living. Filial piety is seen in the Ten Commandments, “Honor your father and your
mother…” (Exodus 20:12) as well as in Exodus 21:17: “Anyone who curses his father of mother
must be put to death.” One may point to the many genealogies in the Bible that show the
importance of family lineage to the Jews. The gospel of John and Philippians 2 indicate the
submission of Son Jesus to Father God. The use of “woman” in John 2:4 gives the Chinese
problems, but the tender care Jesus expressed on the cross may help clear it up (John 19:26-27).
We may also quote some Chinese poets and show how useless the rites are in comparison
to honoring parents while they are alive. A Chinese proverb says: “It is better to give a bean
while dad is alive, than to sacrifice a pig to him after he is gone.”53 This proverb makes one
realize that he should take opportunity to show respect and thanks while one’s father is still alive.
Another proverb states succinctly the truth that, “The tree wants to be still—but the wind is
blowing; the son wants to show his respect—but his parents have gone.”54 I think this proverb
applies to many people who did not have a good relationship with their parents who have now
passed away. These people realize in their hearts that they did not show proper respect to their
parents, and yet some criticize faithful Christians for what they perceive to be a lack of respect.
During the Song Dynasty, the writer Ou-Yang Xiu said: “Caring for parents, even with little,
while they live, is better than sacrificing to them in abundance after they die.”55 I incorporated
these proverbs into a Chinese radio script for World Christian Broadcasting which elicited some
favorable mail from KNLS radio listeners; it is available on the Internet in bi-lingual form.56

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 3. Disconnect between message and lifestyle.
Unfortunately, some Chinese-Buddhist friends tell me that they reject Christianity
because of the expression of Christianity they see in the lives of some Christians. It should go
without saying that if we seek to teach Buddhists the gospel, we should do our best to display the
fruits of the Spirit and the love of the Lord—24/7/365—and to encourage our church friends to
do the same.

How Can Christians Present the Gospel to Buddhists?

The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism articulated three major reasons to
explain the slow propagation of Christianity in Buddhist communities: “persecution, syncretism,
and the failure of the church to break through the social solidarity of Buddhist communities.57
Below are some suggestions that may facilitate our sharing the message of Jesus with Buddhists.
1. Do not fear talking about karma; learn to talk about karma astutely.
Larry Henderson grew up in a missionary home in Thailand and then became a
missionary as an adult. Larry explains the law of karma as “do good, get good; do bad, get bad.”
He explains to his Buddhist contacts that he agrees that “we have all done bad and thus are
doomed to punishment. No amount of good (i.e., merit making) can erase the bad I have done,
so when I think about it, I have no hope!” Then he shows how Jesus changes all that, as Jesus
gives us hope even though we do not deserve it.58
Ken Rideout was a missionary in Thailand in the 1960’s and ‘70’s. Ken believed that the
word “karma” could be used in place of the word “law” in some passages in Romans. Buddhists
who were new to the Bible did not know about the law of Moses, but they certainly knew about
the law of karma, so Ken used “karma” as a dynamic equivalent to convey the gospel message to
these people.59 Thus, Romans 2:6 would read, “For he will render to every man according to his
Karma.” Romans 3:20 would become, “For no human being will be justified in his sight by a
Law of Karma, since through Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of
God has been manifested apart from law…” Rideout asserts that using karma in this passage

makes it alive and relevant to the Buddhist frame of reference. It

causes him to think of times that his Karma has been branded upon
his conscience. To him his evil Karma is brought out as evidence
of the truthfulness of this passage. He does not have to think or

13
 reason—it communicates to him. The passage becomes self-
illuminating, it doesn’t need a commentator.60

Thus, you may want to experiment with this concept and ask your Buddhist companion to
substitute the word “karma” for “law” in some of the passages in Romans. Watch his reaction
and ask him whether it makes (more) sense to him or not.
2. Ask questions:
(1) Does reason not tell you that you are really here? You are not an illusion. There is
a real “you.” The Second Noble Truth speaks of impermanence. This means that everything is
always changing. This means that the “I” of now is not the same “I” who began writing this
sentence, which begs the question “Do I really exist? Is there really a ‘me’?”61 Think through
this to its logical conclusion and we see that life becomes meaningless, and there is no such thing
as absolute truth. Read Ecclesiastes. Consciousness tells me, however, that “Yes, I do exist.
The person who will complete this sentence is the same person who began it.” Buddhism says
that because I do not really exist, the only way to deal with life is to withdraw. Thus it is better
not to marry than to marry; it is better not to have children than to have children.62 Do such
statements square with life as we live it?
(2) Are karma and samsara adequate explanations for a child being born blind or
experiencing other types of childhood trauma? The response of Jesus to a child born blind was
not that he or his parents had sinned, but “that the work of God might be displayed in his life”
(John 9:3 NIV). Buddhists blame karma; Christians build hospitals.
The Buddha taught his monks to retreat from the world. Jesus taught his disciples to live
in the world, while being not of the world. The Theravada Buddhist believes that withdrawal
from society (as in a monastic life) helps in the process of working out one’s salvation and
reaching nirvana.63 Jesus taught Christians to live in society, but to be salt and light and
conduits of the love of God. The Bible tells Christians not to conform to the world, but to
transform it. While Buddhists offer services of compassion to the sick and dying,64 I was not
able to find the number of Buddhist-founded/funded hospitals around the world. In Taiwan,
however, there were a number of Catholic and Protestant hospitals before the first Buddhist
hospital was built.65
The book of Job speaks to the question of whether one’s suffering is always the result of
his wayward life, and the answer is a solid “No.” Read Job with your Buddhist friend, and let

14
them see that part of what Job’s friends argued (e.g., Job 8) is the same basic message as
Buddhism’s teaching on karma. Yet in the end it was not karma that debilitated Job, and it was
not karma that rehabilitated him either.
(3) Is pain a form of suffering? The First Noble Truth is that life consists of suffering.
Do you personally include pain in the term “suffering”? (I believe most people will answer in
the affirmative.) Is pain necessarily bad? Should we seek to avoid pain? Even if our knee-jerk
reaction to this question is “Yes,” let us consider Ashlyn Blocker. Ashlyn lives in Patterson,
Georgia, and whether at home or in school, young Ashlyn must be watched closely to keep her
from hurting herself. She might eat scalding soup and burn her mouth and throat, or she might
fall from the monkey bars and break an arm or leg—all without knowing it.66 Ashlyn is one of a
small number of people around the world who have a genetic disorder that makes them unable to
feel pain. This very rare disorder is known as CIPA—Congenital insensitivity to pain with
anhidrosis.67 Dr. Geoffrey Woods investigated a young boy in Pakistan with this or a similar
disorder. The boy could pass knives through his arms without feeling any pain, but the boy died
eventually—when he jumped off of a roof!68 Are the parents of these children glad that their
children cannot feel pain? How much money would they pay in order to enable their children to
be able to feel a needle prick, a flame on the finger or a blow to the head?
Can we not see therefore that pain is not all bad, and that some pain is actually good? If
some pain is good, might some other suffering be good as well? Cannot we, like the caterpillar
in the cocoon, struggle in order to breakout of one phase of life and into another phase? If so,
then suffering is not all bad; some suffering can be good. If some suffering can be good, then the
First Noble Truth breaks down.
Christians and Buddhists agree that all men suffer. However, the highest goal in the life
of a sufferer is not release from that suffering but “that the work of God might be displayed in
his life.”
A Buddhist may reply that knowing of the transitory nature of things (impermanence)
makes it easier to endure pain—the pain of incurable cancer, for example. Boorstein will have
pain but will not suffer.69 Yes, of course that is possible; a Christian attitude toward life, pain
and death can produce the same mindset—Christians will not argue this. Nor does it mean that
Buddhism must be superior to Christianity.

15
 Regarding suffering, we can agree to some extent, as Rusty Wright says to Christians
regarding their witness to Buddhists, “Agree where you can.” To the Buddhist he says: “First
you believe suffering is universal. As a follower of Jesus, I also believe suffering is everywhere.
It needs a solution.”70
3. Model a sincere and good Christian life.
Like it or not, those of us who attempt to teach the gospel cross-culturally live in a glass
house. Perfection of life is not required, but honesty in life makes for a successful sell as we
seek to impart the teachings of Christianity to Buddhists. As one Buddhist-turned-Christian said,
“We must live the gospel where they can see it and where they can see us live it. Otherwise it is
a turn-off. Let them know you are not perfect, but let them see how the gospel, the Bible and
Jesus influences your life.”
Allow your Buddhist friend to see how you react to the problems of life—personal
tragedy, illness, family death, financial problems, etc. You may be the first Christian your
acquaintance has seen up close who must face these things. Difficult as the situation may be,
you are still being observed, and the way you react to the situation will either prove or disprove
what you have taught your students about “God is with you,” “Jesus gives us peace,” “Jesus
promises the abundant life,” etc. Therefore, do not let the problem get you down, just like you
would encourage your Buddhist friends not to let it get them down if it happened to
them. Rather, allow God to work through you at this time, just as at any other time, and show
what it means to be a person of faith who relies on God during the times of illness and stress just
as during the times of health and happiness. Even if you lose a family member to death during
the course of your Bible studies, do not terminate your sessions, but open your life to the
Buddhist and let him see how you struggle with the situation, but also how Jesus provides
strength, hope and companionship in the face of personal problems.71
By all means, let us allow our Buddhist friends to see the love of Jesus in our lives, in our
families and in our churches. “Love one another,” said our Lord. “By this all men will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).
4. Help them meet Jesus Christ.
During all the years I lived in Asia, I saw large Buddhist temples and small shrines; I saw
both huge statues and tiny representations of the Buddha. I saw quotations from Buddhist texts
both painted and carved, but I never saw a sign that said ‘Buddha is love,” or “Buddha loves

16
you.” We Christians should help our Buddhist friends see Jesus and understand that he loves
them; let’s help them meet Jesus Christ.
Regarding Buddhists, the Lausanne Movement reminds us that “Communicating the
person of Christ, not Christianity as a religion, is our task.”72
Lom (introduced earlier) was born into a Buddhist family and was taken to the temple
and taught the basic elements of Buddhism as a child. After immigrating to the USA as a child,
Lom’s parents allowed him to attend Sunday school classes at a church where he learned
something about the Bible, Jesus and Christianity. As a married adult, Lom and his wife faced
marital problems. His wife, as a last resort, asked Lom to attend church with her and see if
someone or something there could save their marriage. She took him to R H Church of Christ
and introduced him to one of the ministers, who in turn introduced him to Jesus Christ. Personal
intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ caused him to become a Christian. According to his own
description, formerly Lom knew something about Jesus Christ, but he did not really know him
until he was thirty years old and married. Finally he was able to admit sin in his life and confess
his need for Jesus as he acknowledged his need for a savior. Today when Lom discusses this
phase of his life he becomes very animated as he reiterates the fact that personal intimate
knowledge of Jesus Christ caused him to become a Christian and enabled him to save his
marriage. And how did Lom encounter Jesus in this way? Through Bible study.
5. Get them into Bible study.
Lom said that a person in Bible study is like someone who has been smoking for twenty
years; he will not change overnight. However, “we must introduce them to the gospel and the
gospel will take over. The gospel is powerful.”
Introduce the one true God through reading selections in Genesis. God creates, he
sustains and he guides. He expects obedience but he also is patient. He punishes the wicked but
he works behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes. He is involved in the lives of his people.
I suggest a chapter-by-chapter study of the gospel of John, and a quicker read of the book
of Job. Invite your friend to read Ecclesiastes and study Romans with you as well. Ask
appropriate questions and explain the background of the several speakers in John and Job, and
discuss the down-to-earth remarks in Ecclesiastes. Show how the human predicament is evident
in these books. Job sought an audience with God but he did not seek cessation of suffering or of

17
life itself (contra his wife in Job 2:9). In John, Jesus “knew what was in man” (John 2:25); in
Ecclesiastes, life is meaningless, but Jesus came to offer life “to the full” (John 10:10).
I have seen the word of God appeal to a Buddhist and make him earnestly desire to study
Christianity. Mr. and Mrs. Yu admired Christianity but Mr. Yu’s parents sharply insisted that
they not attend Christian worship. When one of the elderly parents was sick, I was allowed to go
in and pray at the bedside, even though recovery would likely delay appropriate response to the
gospel on the part of the Yus. Eventually the parents passed away and Mr. and Mrs. Yu were
able to study the word of God, after which they became Christians, baptized by yet another
missionary.
I have seen the word of God bring peace to the heart of a Buddhist whose life came to a
standstill. I mentioned earlier the two boys who died in the fire. Their mother was in the
hospital for a length of time, during which time her Buddhist friends and relatives encouraged
her to get well because her husband and children were at home waiting for her. Neither they nor
the hospital staff knew that she spoke enough English to understand the doctors who spoke to
each other in English expressly to keep her from understanding. Enoch and Jeannine Thweatt
and Sharon and I visited her hospital room and she told us that she knew her sons and her
husband were gone. “You are the only ones who are honest with me,” she whispered. Then she
said, “My heart is empty; perhaps your God can fill it.” After a year of Bible study, and on the
anniversary of the death of her loved ones, she became a Christian.
I have seen the word of God bring peace to a troubled mind. A college graduate whom
we will call Wong experienced a nervous breakdown which left him unable to use his college
education in a normal job. Someone introduced him to us and we introduced him to church and
Bible study. Following worship almost every Sunday, Wong went to our home and ate lunch
and then we would read a chapter from John together. After a few months, Wong became a
Christian and little-by-little his emotional stability returned and his ability to function in society
improved. Had it not been for a subsequent and unrelated traffic accident in which his head was
injured, I believe Wong was on his way to becoming a normal person again. The word of God
had impacted his inner being and touched his psyche. I believe Wong would have agreed with
the psalmist, “…you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise
preserves my life” (Psalm 119:49-50).

18
 Illuminate the message of Jesus with Old Testament prophecies about Jesus that are
fulfilled in the New Testament. Do not rush through these scriptures like a preacher may do with
an audience that has studied them since childhood, but take time to explain the historical time
periods involved. What was going on in your friend’s home country when, for example, Isaiah
predicted the Suffering Servant? Read thoughtfully and unhurriedly and remember that
predictive prophecy like this is a totally new concept to your Buddhist friend. From the many
Old Testament prophecies about Jesus choose those that are easily understood and that are
specifically fulfilled in the New Testament. Tell about King Cyrus as well.73
6. Stress the need for a savior.
Theravada Buddhism emphasizes self-salvation, as is seen from this poem on the website
of a Buddhist temple in Nashville:

Self Reliance
By ourselves is evil done
By ourselves we pain endure
By ourselves we cease from wrong
By ourselves become we pure

No one save us but ourselves

No one can and no one may
We ourselves must walk the path,
Buddhas merely show the way.74

The various schools of Mahayana Buddhism, however, include Bodhisattvas, Amitabha

Buddha, Pusa and other types of “helpers.” These people supposedly could enter nirvana, but
choose to stay and help suffers on earth instead. Point out that strictly speaking, the Buddha is
not able to offer this help because he has already reached “enlightenment” or “nirvana” or the
“state of extinguishment,” and so he does not even think of himself or his family, much less
someone like you or me—hence the need for Bodhisattvas. Jesus, on the other hand, is ever-
present. Buddha sought release from suffering; Jesus walked toward the cross. The
Bodhisattvas offer some form of vague and ill-defined “help,” but Jesus offers forgiveness of sin
and the presence of his Spirit in our hearts and lives.

19
 Stress the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus at once shows his power over death (he
was raised), over sin (he received the wages of sin unwarranted so Hades spit him out), and thus
his resurrection means that he is able to give us forgiveness and new life.
Whereas Christians point to an empty tomb, Buddhists find faith in relics. A finger bone
was found in 1986 in the Famen Temple, about 100 kilometers from Xi’an and the famous
terracotta soldiers. After careful examination, Zhao Puchu, Chairman of the Chinese Buddhist
Association determined that the bone belonged to Siddhartha Gautama himself. A mildewed
finger bone proves that Buddha was a man; an empty tomb proves that Jesus was God and that
he wants to be Savior.75
7. Discuss death.
After I realized the extent to which Chinese go to keep from mentioning the word “death”
it occurred to me that Americans tend to avoid it as well. We are apt to say that someone passed
away, breathed his last, expired, departed this life, gave up his ghost or went to meet his maker.
Much is made of this fact in the movie Patch Adams (starring Robin Williams).76 People are
scared to death of death, and this is true of many Buddhists as well. While this may not be an
appropriate topic early in your study, plan to bring it up, because it will probably have already
been on the mind of your Buddhist truth-seeker. I wrote a pamphlet on death for Chinese, and I
tell Chinese Christians to just set the booklet out on a table and sooner or later their non-
Christian friends will pick it up and read it.77
LiLian Kok, became a Christian as an adult in Singapore, and her mother followed in her
daughter’s steps some time later. When I asked LiLian for suggestions for this paper, she wrote
and said that death should be discussed. Here are her striking words:78

The first thing came to my mind is about how our

“sacrifices” and festivities and ancestors worship. The spirit of the
dead leaves the body five seconds after the last breath was
breathed. Where the spirit goes at that point time, is to me the most
crucial to my life and how to live my life now on earth.
You knew my Mom. She was at peace at the point of death
because she knew and was SURE where her spirit was going after
death. I made sure to reassure her THAT MESSAGE, and my
important job was done. Both she and I were assured that JESUS
WILL TAKE HER HAND WHEN SHE/HER HAND LEFT
MINE.

20
 The Chinese, or the Buddhists way have NO
ASSURANCE of such peace! They had to do all that noisy
chanting and clanging of symbols and burning all those paper
stuffings of earthly possessions (like cars, houses, clothing, paper
money, etc). They imagine and falsely hope that those such things
will be burnt and will rise up to catch the spirit in the air to
accompany him/her to where she might be “going,” so that he/she
will not be “lacking.”
Hmmmm! So sad!
They are afraid the dead will not go to heaven!
So, the study and assurance of going to heaven is so
important to them.

Be not embarrassed then to discuss the Christian concept of death. Read what the Bible
says about death, from David’s experience with his infant son, to the expressions of comfort and
hope to Christians in the New Testament (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
8. Seek to understand them, their lives, Buddhism itself to some extent, and do your
best to be understood by them.
In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey lists as habit
number five: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”79 If we expect our Buddhist
acquaintances to read the Bible, then it makes sense for us to read some Buddhist literature. The
better we understand the mindset and heart of a Buddhist friend, the easier we can present the
gospel. If he is not American, ask about his home country; ask about his family. Seek to
understand what life is like in his shoes (or out of his shoes if he is Asian and he takes his shoes
off in the house). However, the basis for study is the Bible, so, as one former Buddhist friend
told me—Stray not far from the Bible; keep your Buddhist student in the Book.80
9. Pray.
Pray with your Buddhist friend (i.e., in his presence) and for your Buddhist friend.
Before he has heard too many prayers, explain that you do not pray to gain merit, nor does your
prayer on his behalf benefit you personally in any way, rather that it is all for him. Point out that
your prayer is not memorized or read from a book, nor was it written by someone else, but that it
is from your heart and that it goes into the very presence of God. Teach him to pray as well.
Dr. Chen Ming-hui notes that our Buddhist friend believes in the spiritual world, and so
our prayers will be meaningful to him whether he says so or not. “Tell him that …your God is
his God, but whether he believes in God or not is up to him.” Your prayers and the other things

21
you say will sink into his heart and will bear fruit eventually, as sooner or later a hole will appear
in his armor.81
10. Look for historical information or verbiage that may make the gospel seem less
foreign and/or may open the door for a discussion about things eternal.
In Athens, Paul utilized the very idols that he abhorred to introduce to his audience the
God of heaven who to them was Unknown (Acts 17:23). Then his quotations from the Greek
poets familiar to his audience enabled him to segue into the eternal truths of the Almighty.
I introduce the following from William Singleton, a missionary in Cambodia who has
assisted many Buddhists—including monks—in studying the Word of God. In brief, according
to Brother Singleton and the Buddhist monks with whom he has studied, it appears that the
Buddha taught that after him someone else would come whom he called Si-A-Meetrey. This Si-
A-Meetrey was the only one that would ever be able to forgive sins. He was the Lord of Lords
and the King of Kings. Because of that, the Buddhists represent him in the attire of an Eastern
king. Buddha taught that he would have bloody hands and feet, a scared forehead and a hole in
his side. Read more about this remarkable story on Brother Singletons’ website.82 Brother
Singleton reports that his approach has been very successful,83 however his views about this
unfamiliar Buddhist prediction, are not accepted by some other church of Christ missionaries in
Asia. I hope scholarly research will continue so that perhaps this depiction may be verified.
Berlin Fang looks for stories in Chinese history that help prepare Buddhist hearts for
gospel truths or that help explain Bible texts. For example, Dr. Fang quotes the Chinese proverb
“Sweep the snow in front of your own door, and ignore the frost on other’s roof.”84 Berlin notes
that a Song Dynasty writer, Chen Yuanliang, quotes this as a “self-disciplinary” proverb. Many
of us have snow piled up high at our doorsteps, but we blame our neighbor for having frost on
his roof. The Bible says: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and
pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Mathew 7:3). We often measure others with
certain standards, but do not measure ourselves with the same standards.85
The Chinese word for “boat” or “ship” (船—chuan) is made up of three parts. The left
side (舟—zhou) means boat; the top right side (八—ba) means eight and the bottom right (口—
kou) means mouth which stands for people. In other words, the word “boat” shows a picture of a
boat with eight people—reminiscent of Noah’s ark in Genesis 6.86 There is even an ancient
tradition of a huge deluge in China.87

22
 11. Respond to comments with forethought and wisdom.
Larry Henderson often heard his Thai friends declare that Buddhism and Christianity are
the same, and so he learned to respond that there was at least one major difference. This
sentence arrested their interest and allowed him to say that “Buddhism teaches do good; get good,
while Christianity teaches get good; do good.” In other words, the Buddhist law of karma says
that if you do good in this life you will get “good”—a better life or situation—in the next life.
Christians, on the other hand, receive “good” from Jesus Christ in the form of salvation and
blessings which prompt us to “do good”—to live righteous and holy lives. “That is a startling
difference!” says Larry. “The message of grace is good news to all who are shackled by the
yoke of self-salvation.”
My own experience is similar. In Taiwan, I often heard Chinese say that “All religions
are the same—they all exhort people to live good lives.” I responded with a sentence that was
intended to startle; I said, “No, that is not the purpose of Christianity. The purpose of
Christianity,” said I, “is to forgive sin and make a person right with God. The result of becoming
right with God is a moral and upright life. Becoming right with God motivates a person at a
deep emotional level to live a good and righteous life.” Then I would try to initiate a Bible study
based on Ephesians 2 or another passage.
12. Expect and do not fear questions from outer space.
At least that is where you will think some of the questions come from. Many of our
Buddhist friends come from different countries, so they come from different backgrounds,
different educational styles, and different cultures. They come with a different worldview,
different value system and certainly a different religious belief. No wonder then that they ask
questions that we Westerners are not used to or have not been asked. After the initial “I never
thought of that before!” go ahead and try to consider the question. Better yet, make a definite
appointment with your friend for a few days later—giving you an additional opportunity to talk
with him. By all means, however, do not hesitate or be embarrassed to say that you do not know
the answer to a question. A scholar from China who holds a Ph.D. told me that he respected me
for saying that I did not know the answer to some questions. “Our teachers know all the
answers,” he quipped, indicating by tone of voice that some of the answers they gave were not
correct, but in order to save face in front of the students they felt it necessary to come up with
some kind of an answer.

23
 13. Speak with love and with a healthy attitude.
Mike Shreve cautions Christians that “Followers of non-Christian religions are starving
spiritually, emaciated, often desperate for truth, gnawing on spiritual ‘bones’ that have never
given them proper sustenance.” He advocates a loving and gentle approach that will not cause
these adherents of non-Christian religions to take a defensive posture in order to keep control of
their useless bones.88
Indeed, our Buddhist contacts have chewed these bones for a long time. “Some
Theravada Buddhist concepts, such as karma and rebirth, are ingrained and perpetuated by
hearing legends repeatedly year after year, generation upon generation. Wall paintings in temples
and poster paintings on festival decorations reinforce Buddhist philosophy. No amount of
arguing will dislodge these beliefs.”89 The message of Jesus’ love, however, spoken with the
love of Jesus and supported by a Christian lifestyle is more likely to elicit a positive response
from Buddhists.
Let us have the same concern for these souls that Jesus Christ has for ours. Let us not
make light of a person’s beliefs or ridicule that which he holds dear. Let us be patient as our
Buddhist friends process the new information of the Bible and Jesus, realizing how patient God
has been with us over the years. Surely God will bless our efforts.

24
 ENDNOTES
1
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield: Werriam-Webster Inc., 1987, s.v. Buddha.
2
Thirumalai, Madassamy, Sharing Your Faith with a Buddhist, Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2003, p. 17.
3
See David W. Chappell, “New Horizons for Buddhist-Christian Encounter,” Bulletin of the Council of Societies for
the Study of Religion, Vol.22, No. 3, September, 1993, p. 66, where Dr. Chappell provides this and many other
original sources.
4
http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/4_noble_truths.html
5
Halverson, Dean, Buddhism: A Religion Profile, Colorado Springs: International Students, Inc., 2004, p. 3.
6
Boorstein, Sylvia, It’s Easier than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness. Book © 1995; tape © 1996. From
my notes on Boorstein’s recorded tape, which is an abridged version of her book.
7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths
8
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/8foldpath.htm
9
http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/4_noble_truths.html
10
Gach, Gary, A Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Buddhism, Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002, pp. 79-80
11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path
12
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080528/ap_en_mo/people_sharon_stone_quake;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24847807/; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7425203.stm
13
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4019977.ece, where the headline states that “China
boycotts Sharon Stone films after star blames earthquake on bad karma for Tibet.”
14
http://www.religioustolerance.org/gl_k.htm
15
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma
16
Dalai Lama, “Kindness, Clarity and Insight,” as quoted at: http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/karma.html. Books
may be purchased at http://www.snowlionpub.com/search.php?isbn=BLINFI
17
http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/karma.html
18
http://www.anael.org/english/justice/
19
Zacharias, Ravi, The Lotus and the Cross: Jesus Talks with Buddha, Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2001,
p. 24.
20
項羽 (xiang4 yu3)
21
http://www.asiawind.com/pub/forum/fhakka/mhonarc/msg00710.html; see also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiang_Yu
22
Thanks to Berlin Fang for this story, received in a personal letter to the author, June 11, 2008.
23
http://www.anael.org/english/justice/
24
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm
25
陈姳慧，Chen Ming-hui, 知己知彼谈佛教, [A Personal Discussion about Buddhism], recorded tape in
Mandarin Chinese; n.p.; n.d.
26
Related to me by Larry Raper via email on June 20, 2008. The lady now lives in Australia and studies the Bible
over the Internet with Larry.
27
陈姳慧，Chen Ming-hui, same tape. Chen says that the doctrine of reincarnation was not original with Buddhism.
(For an interesting article that ascribes the slow decline of Buddhism in Japan to its use in funerals more than its
being a force in daily Japanese life, see
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/world/asia/14japan.html?_r=1&em&ex=1216180800&en=c78804cddde7b415
&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin )
28
Shen Shi’an: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zeph/message/612. Samantabhadra is the Lord of the Truth (Chinese:
理), who represents the practice and meditation of all Buddhas. Together with Shakyamuni and Manjusri he forms
the Shakyamuni trinity. He is the patron of the Lotus Sutra and, according to the Avatamsaka Sutra, made the Ten
Great Vows which are the basis of a Bodhisattva [http://buddhism.2be.net/Samantabhadra_Bodhisattva].
29
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zeph/message/612
30
http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/guilt.html
31
http://www.answers.com/topic/sin
32
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/snapshot01.htm
33
http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/buddhism/buddhism_christianity.html

25
34
Thirumalai, p. 52
35
http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/vehicles.html
36
Wagner, Elizabeth, Tearing Down Strongholds: Prayer for Buddhists, Kowloon: Living Books for All, 1988, p.
17. See also Thirumalai’s book.
37
Thirumalai, p. 43; but cf. p. 85 where the lack of missionary urgency is blamed on samsara.
38
Thirumalai, p. 68.
39
Thirumalai, pp. 75-77.
40
Personal conversation with Lom (not his real name) on May 27, 2008.
41
Personal conversation with Salina Ho on June 10, 2008.
42
Personal conversation with Lom..
43
念经—nian jing.
44
Salina Ho.
45
Salina Ho.
46
Salina Ho （不杀生——不要杀任何生命—bu sha sheng—buyao sha renhe shengming）.
47
涅槃. (Some dictionaries and websites use 涅磐 or 涅盤; other Chinese websites actually write “nie” in Chinese
and “pan” in English—涅 pan—because, I suppose, 槃 is a rare character.)
48
西天—xi tian—Western Paradise.
49
Samsara or transmigration (轮回—lun hui) is the whole process, but reincarnation (投胎—tou tai) refers to each
rebirth.
50
基督教排斥其他宗教，心胸狭窄—Jidutu pai chi qi ta de zong jiao, xin xiong xia zhai.
51
基督徒不拜祖先，没有慎终追远—Jidutu bu bai zuxian, meiyou shen zhong zhui yuan. The phrase 慎终追远
(shen zhong zhui yuan) is not a Buddhist phrase, but is actually Confucian; it appears in 论语•学而[Analects—
Learner] ch. 5, vs. 1. “曾子曰，慎终追远，民德归厚矣”—shen zhong zhui yuan, min de gui hou yi. Legge’s
translation is: “The philosopher Tsang said, ‘Let there be careful attention to perform the funeral rites to parents,
and let them be followed when long gone with the ceremonies of sacrifice; —then the virtue of the people will
resume its proper excellence’” (James Legge, The Four Books: The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean,
Confucian Analects, and The Works of Mencius with English Translation and Notes, Taipei: Culture Book Co.,
reprint edition, n.d., p. 129). Legge died in 1897.
52
Personal conversation with Salina Ho on June 10, 2008.
53
生前 一 粒豆 ， 胜过 死 后 献猪 头 —Sheng qian yi li dou, shengguo si hou xian zhutou.
54
树欲 静 而风 不 止， 子 欲 养而 亲 不待 —Shu yu jing er feng buzhi, zi yu yang er qin budai.
55
祭而 丰 不如 养 而薄 —Ji er feng buru yang er bo.
56
http://www.smzg.org/Short_Edward/Father's_day/Father's_Day_Bean.htm
57
Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization: Lausanne Occasional Paper 15, Christian Witness to Buddhists,
1980. http://www.lausanne.org/pattaya-1980/lop-15.html
58
Personal letter by email on January 24, 2008.
59
Rideout, Kenneth, “Paul’s Use of the Works of the Law in Romans and the Law of Karma,” an M.A.R. Guided
Research, presented to Professor Philip Slate, Harding Graduate School of Religion, Memphis, TN, November, 1973,
p. 36ff.
60
Rideout, p. 38.
61
陈姳慧，Chen Ming-hui, 知己知彼谈佛教, [A Personal Discussion about Buddhism], recorded tape in Mandarin
Chinese; n.p.; n.d.
62
Ibid.
63
Thirumalai, p. 54.
64
See for example http://www.buddhistethics.org/8/sherwood011.html#a22 where such services in Australia are
detailed. The Journal of Buddhist Ethics http://www.buddhistethics.org/ is an on-line journal, and is a good source
for information on Buddhism—philosophy, ethics, human rights, etc.
65
http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/books/king-intro.pdf p. 2.
66
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002079182_nopain02.html
67
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_insensitivity_to_pain_with_anhidrosis
68
http://www.drugresearcher.com/news/ng.asp?n=73114-cambridge-institute-for-medical-research-university-
college-london-painless-living-nociceptors
69
Boorstein, Easier, tape.

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70
Wright, Rusty, “Advocacy Apologetics: Finding Common Ground,” Assist News Service, April 21, 2008; see:
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08040122.htm. Wright lists the Four Noble Truths, but gives them a
Christian twist with which he seeks to open communication with Buddhists.
71
See “Encountering Buddhism,” by Edward Short, in Gospel Advocate, Vol. 164, Sept., 2002, p.16f.
72
Lausanne Committee, idem.
73
See Isaiah 41:2ff, 25f, 44:28-45:13; 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-8; 5:13-6:15. God called Cyrus by name
over a hundred years before he was even born.
74
http://thebuddhisttemple.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
75
See my bi-lingual article on the discovery of the finger bone, its history and the implications for Christians and
non-Christians: http://www.smzg.org/Short_Edward/Resurrection/04_Buddha's_Bone.htm
76
http://www.patchadams.com/
77
Short, Edward, 基督徒死亡观, The Christian View of Death: Articles in Chinese and English. Hong Kong:
Light of Life (H.K.), Ltd., n.d.
78
Personal letter by email, June, 19, 2007.
79
Covey, Stephen R., The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic, New York:
Simon and Schuster, 1989, Fireside Edition, 1990, p. 235.
80
Personal conversation with You Mingrong, June 20, 2008.
81
陈姳慧，Chen Ming-hui, 如何向善男信女传福音及问题回答 [How to Propagate the Gospel to Buddhists, and
Questions and Answers], No. 3 of 3 tapes in the series 基督教与民间信仰 [Christianity and Folk Religion],
recorded tape in Mandarin Chinese; n.p.; n.d.
82
Personal correspondence with William Singleton in 2005 and 2006. See details at Singleton’s website:
http://www.bebaptized.org/buddha.htm
83
On January 30, 2008, William Singleton wrote me that “Pauley has baptized over 1200 in the last 3 and a half
years. Almost all if not all were formerly Buddhist. Included in those were three arjawwats, the teacher/leaders of
two Buddhist temples… Almost all if not all the members are coming from the Buddhist faith. We use love and
compassion the way Buddha said the army of Si-A-Meetrey would conquer. We get the old faster than the young for
they are the ones that know the traditions about the way the army of the King of Kings conquers. It is his army
Buddha told them to join.”
84
各人自扫门前雪，莫管他人瓦上霜—Ge ren zi sao men qian xue, mo guan ta ren wa shang shuang.
85
Fang, Berlin, personal blog; Chinese text followed by English translation:
http://nanqiao.podbean.com/2007/12/19/%e5%90%84%e4%ba%ba%e8%87%aa%e6%89%ab%e9%97%a8%e5%89
%8d%e9%9b%aa/
86
Some believe that many of the stories of Genesis are hidden in Chinese characters—see Kang, C. H. and Ethel R.
Nelson, The Discovery of Genesis, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1979. I, however, am not convinced.
The word for boat, for example, goes back only about 2,000 years—far too late to record Noah’s flood (see Wilder,
G. D. and J. H. Ingram, Analysis of Chinese Characters, Taipei: Literature House, reprint edition, 1964). On-line
references for Chinese etymology include http://www.chineseetymology.org/, http://zhongwen.com/ and
http://www.chinese-word-roots.org/.
87
See http://www.nwcreation.net/noahlegends.html for a brief account of the Chinese version of a great flood. No
documentation is given, however links are provided, e.g., http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/flood-myths.html. This
page gives other Chinese accounts of ancient floods and credits the following sources: Walls, Jan and Yvonne
Walls, Classical Chinese Myths, Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Co., 1984; Werner, E. T. C., Myths and Legends of
China, Singapore: National Printers Ltd, 1922, 1984; Vitaliano, Dorothy B., Legends of the Earth, Bloomington:
Indiana University Press, 1973.
88
Reynalds, Jeremy, “No More Old Dry Bones,” feature article on Assist News Service, April 21, 2008, introducing
Deeper Revelation Books whose founder is Mike Shreve. See www.deeperrevelationbooks.org
89
Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization: Lausanne Occasional Paper 15, Christian Witness to Buddhists,
1980. See http://www.lausanne.org/pattaya-1980/lop-15.html

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