Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings by Marcus Borg and Jack Kornfield

The principals of Dharma found in the gospels Buddhism and Christianity has little in common. For instance, the former is non-theistic, but the latter is a theistic religion. But the sayings of Jesus have been influenced by the teachings of Buddha. This has been reviewed in numerous books, but the author of this book looks only at the similarities. Jesus preached something besides love, forgiveness, and peace. In fact, one-third of Jesus' words in the Synoptic Gospels are parables, which are enigmatic and oracular but still constitutes the only form of his teachings. The synoptic gospels used the parables within the literary and theological frameworks of their work. However, it is also confounding that the book of John does not have any parables, and the Gospel of Thomas, and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene both of which are excluded from Bible, is vastly different in tone and structure from the four Canonical Gospels. John's bodily resurrection is an indispensable part of Christian faith, but according to Thomas, and Mary, Jesus’ teachings align with that of Buddha in its tenor and spirit. The important aspects of Jesus' ethics are grounded in Buddhism. Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating under the Bodhi tree, then he remined silent and fasted before he started preaching with five of his former companions, the ascetics with whom he shared six years of hardship. Buddha gave the first presentation of the Four Noble Truths, which are his foundational teaching for one's liberation from suffering in life. The wheel of dharma leads to enlightenment. There is much similarity in the Sermon on the Mount which are a collection of teachings of Jesus that emphasizes morality found in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapters 5, 6, and 7). This is after he was baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus goes fasting and performs meditation in the desert, and then begins to preach in Galilee at the Mount of Beatitudes. Much of his work is performing miracles. Jesus Seminar, a group of Biblical scholars and academics re-created gospels and evaluated the historical Jesus. Among other things, they asserted that the Gospel of Thomas is more authentic than the Gospel of John. The authors of synoptic gospels used oral and written traditions of first century to re-create their work, and sightings of risen Jesus is visionary experience rather than a physical encounter. The author of this book highlights the similarities but ignores the differences between the two personalities. Buddha was born about six hundred years before Jesus in a vastly different culture and history of their respective countries. Buddha challenged the impact of Vedic influence on people in ancient India and spoke out against the ritual practices of Vedas that were believed necessary in one's liberation from suffering in life. He addressed the political and social issues of his time and well-versed in the Sankhya philosophy of Hinduism that was widely popular at his time. Jesus and apostles never criticized the slavery that was practiced in ancient Israel.

Book Reviewed: Islamophobia and the Threat to Free Speech by Robert Spencer

Jihad, Fatwa, killing apostates & infidels, terrorism, blasphemy, Sharia, and Islamophobia A number of books about Islamophobia is written by various authors, but all of them are by the Leftist authors who provide a politically correct picture of Islamophobia. Robert Spencer, a fearless critic, and a great Islamic scholar who has authored numerous books gives an accurate analysis of what Jihad, Fatwa, killing apostates & infidels, terrorism, blasphemy, and Sharia law is all about. Islamophobia is a manufactured concept by the elites of the media, socialists, democrats, and Muslims. Islamists have demonstrated that they are unfit to live and adapt to the non-Islamic culture they live in, but they Islamize every country they live in and impose Sharia. One of the effective ways to do is resort to victim-blaming for every act of terrorism and sharia-enforcing. The western tradition undermined by jihadist violence, domestic and international pressure, media manipulation, government, and corporate influence. This has given rise to the neo-brownshirts who have caused disruption and threats to turn bastions of free expression into hubs of Islamic indoctrination. In the aftermath of 9/11, many Pakistan Muslims living in the United States blamed CIA and Mossad of Israel for this atrocity. Few years later there were attempts by some Islamists to celebrate 9/11 as the Muslim martyr’s day. Now 9/11 is behind us and the society has withdrawn into wokism and cancel culture. When two Muslim terrorists murdered a dozen people in 2015 at the office of the French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo, which had published cartoons of Mohammed, a Financial Times piece lamented that the target had a “long record of mocking, baiting and needling French Muslims.” After a man beheaded a schoolteacher on a Paris Street in 2020 for showing those cartoons as part of a free-speech lesson, the Associated Press published an article asking, “Why does France incite anger in the Muslim world?” The author provides examples from United States and around the globe to illustrate how Islamists intimidate and harass who speak the truth, and how Islam is destroying free speech. The media is strongly behind in providing disinformation about the acts of terrorism. There are only two sides to the way Islam operates in a society. The non-Muslim population believe in free speech, and the followers of sharia do not. The person who does believe in free speech is currently in the hospital, and the people who does not believe in it put him in the hospital. That picture emerges from the current climate of cancel culture and wokism.

Book Reviewed: Influences of Ancient Hinduism on Early Christianity by A.L. Herman

Lord Shiva and Greek God Dionysus Author A.L. Herman employs the perspective of “Great Man,” the 19th-century historical methodology attributing human events and their outcomes to the singular efforts of men associated with a society or an ancient land. This book reveals the early influences of Vedic (Rigveda) Dharma on early Christianity. The Harappan religion of the Indus Valley civilization of 2500-1800 B.C.E. significantly influenced the Christian religion of the ancient Greek and Roman world of 50- 300 C.E. By comparing similarities between the Harappan 'religion and the Greek Dionysian religion, and similarities between the Dionysian religion and the Christian religion, the author reveals Shiva and Dionysus are the Hindu and Greek gods respectively of magical power, the omnipresent Gods of Transcendence and Ecstasy. Revealing the earliest sources of the Shaivite and Dionysian traditions, the author reconstructs the fabric of our ancient relationship with creation, and related practices of the Indus Valley and early Greek religion. Alan Danielou, a well-known French historian made similar observations that Greek followers of Dionysus, which later became Bacchus with the Romans is in fact a branch of Shaivism from Indus Valley. Other scholars have found many scriptural similarities, for example, the structure of the Christian Church resembles that of the Buddhist Chaitya. Buddhism had the earliest missionaries spreading the message of Buddha. The rigorous asceticism of certain early Christian sects, which reminds one of the asceticism of Jain and Buddhist saints; the veneration of relics, the usage of holy water, which is an Indian practice, and the word “Amen,” which comes from the Hindu (Sanskrit) “OM.” Gnostic gospels that drastically contrasted the message contained in the Canonized gospels, Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John were destroyed without traces in the second century. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene rejects Jesus' suffering and death as a path to eternal life. Her gospel says that we are not sinful (Mary 4:26). This narrative presents a radical interpretation of Jesus' teachings as a path to inner spiritual knowledge. Mary proclaims that the true spiritual treasure is to be found within the mind, the medium for spiritual sight. The discovery of one’s true spiritual self is found within, by orienting the mind towards the soul rather than the ego. These ideas are similar to the Sankhya Philosophy of Hinduism that was proposed by Sage Kapila around 800 B.C.E. There are many tables in the book that show how the similarities between Shaivism of Indus Valley and the Dionysian religion of Greece, similarly Dionysian religion with Christian religion. The book is written well, and it is highly recommended to anyone interested in ancient history and ancient religions.

Book Reviewed: The Political Philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita by A.V. Rathna Reddy

Political thought reflected in the Song of God In the ancient Indian political system, there was no distinction between an independent state (or a kingdom) and the practice of Vedic Dharma. Both were strongly aligned into one strong political philosophy. One of the earliest political philosophers in human civilization was Chanakya (Kautilya or Vishnu Gupta) known for his classic treatise called “Artha-shastra,” a scholarly text about economics, government, and the society. It provides an account of the political science for a kingdom, policies for foreign affairs, and economics of the state. An example of a code of law in ancient India is the Manusmṛti or Laws of Manu. In Manusmṛti 12.125, it states that “He who thus recognizes in his individual soul (Atman), and the universal soul that exists in all living beings becomes equal-minded towards all, and enters the highest state, the Brahman.” In Hinduism, there is no such thing as heaven, or hell, and there is no sin as taught in Abrahamic faiths. Bhagavadgita teaches dharma, karma, bhakti, and jnana-yoga (spiritual knowledge). Following the principles of dharma and doing one’s duties without seeking the fruits of actions will lessen the desire for material possessions. An individual is given an opportunity to free one’s soul from the redundancy of the cycle of life and death, then find unification with Pure Consciousness, the Cosmic Creating Entity. Bhagavadgita is the sacred scripture of Hinduism. It is known for its philosophical teachings, the social and political significance. During the Indian independence struggle, social thinkers like Mohandas Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Dr. S. Radhakrishnan were influenced by its teachings. Gandhi spearheaded his movement by speaking the truth about British occupation in a non-violent manner, restrained by self-control, and resisting colonial rule with civil disobedience for Indian independence. The essence of Krishna’s teachings is found in second and third chapters of the Bhagavadgita. With the right understanding, one does not need to renounce actions, one must only renounce the desire (karma) for the result of the action (fruits of actions). Therefore, acting without desire rewards of such actions would be a self-purification. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was deeply influenced by these teachings. He convinced himself to stay the course and fight on for Indian independence, anything less would be renouncing the actions, and giving up his responsibilities in despair like Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Indian political and spiritual leaders were receiving the same message from Krishna as Arjuna was. The author offers the message of Bhagavadgita and discusses its relevance in political science, but his arguments are diffused and broad. The last chapter that is entitled “Conclusion” look like summaries of each idea of Bhagavadgita that does not connect from one paragraph to another. The book could have focused more on the impact of the teachings of the Sacred Song on Indian political leaders during the freedom struggle. That would have demonstrated its role in a political struggle without invoking the faith system or proselytize its beliefs on people of other faiths. Historically, India welcomed other faiths, Zoroastrians, Jews, Muslims, Christians. It accepted and greeted the birth and growth of Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism on its land.

Betty White: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life by Ray Richmond

Betty had a natural appeal on television Betty White was a natural entertainer, she promoted of racial harmony on TV, a champion of animal rights, and a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. She was an all-time great comedian in her own rights and influenced generation of fans. Her notable roles were the role of Sue Ann Nivens in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls. White was known for her work on animal welfare working with many organizations including the Los Angeles Zoo, The Morris Animal Foundation, and African Wildlife Foundation. She was on the board of directors of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, and also served as its commissioner. The Betty White Challenge (punctuated with the hashtag #BettyWhiteChallenge) proved to be monumentally success after her demise in 2021, a viral push to donate $5 to any animal organization raised $12.7 million. In 1954, on her variety show called The Betty White Show, allowed the performance by Arthur Duncan, an African American tap dancer, which strongly oppose by many Southern States, but Betty did not retreat. In 2018, White recalled threats to take the show off-air There are numerous biographies about Betty White and this book highlights her career. There are over one hundred photographs, some black & white and the rest in color. One of my favorites is the 1930 B&W picture of NBC Radio City Building on Hollywood Blvd close to Graumann Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, and some of her pictures with known celebrities.