When Nephi Met Buddha

[nuclearfuels]

So I've researched this a bit but wanted to confer with the experts on this forum...

If Lehi et al. sailed from Dhofar, Oman around the coast of India then to North or South America, they might have stopped/gone ashore in a region of India where Siddartha was before he was enlightened and became the Buddha.

Do you think they met like when Nephi et al went ashore to resupply, trade?

Maybe they exchanged similar beliefs (fasting, pondering/meditation, eternal progression through different stages/forms existence, etc.) ? 

[Traveler]

 

You are out of time and place.  Buddha, according to traditional wisdom would be about 450 years after Lehi (somewhat debatable but a stretch in recent discoveries but even with all possible liberal interpretations still 150 years separation)  and his family that traveled exclusively over the land of the Arabian Peninsula – way too much wild off the wall speculation without any supporting evidence.

 

The Traveler

[Guest]

Nuclear fail?

I kid, I kid.

[tesuji]

In theory Lehi could have met Buddha. Buddha is a semi mythological person, and the facts about his life are uncertain. "He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE"  according to Wikipedia.

 Several famous people live around the time of Lehi. Hugh Nibley speculated that Lehi being a rich merchant could've traveled widely, and could have known Solon of Greece, for example

Edited July 15, 2016 by tesuji

[nuclearfuels]

On 7/15/2016 at 2:52 AM, tesuji said:

In theory Lehi could have met Buddha. Buddha is a semi mythological person, and the facts about his life are uncertain. "He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE"  according to Wikipedia.

 Several famous people live around the time of Lehi. Hugh Nibley speculated that Lehi being a rich merchant could've traveled widely, and could have known Solon of Greece, for example

If we believe that God gave portions of truth to leaders of all other religions, why wouldn't He guide Lehi (and the Jaredites) to others who woudl add to the truth Lehi e tal had...or for Lehi et al to add ot the light Buddha and others had?

[nuclearfuels]

On 7/15/2016 at 11:22 PM, Eowyn said:

Nuclear fail?

I kid, I kid.

This I steal. 

The moderators should officially change my username.

[tesuji]

21 minutes ago, nuclearfuels said:

If we believe that God gave portions of truth to leaders of all other religions, why wouldn't He guide Lehi (and the Jaredites) to others who woudl add to the truth Lehi e tal had...or for Lehi et al to add ot the light Buddha and others had?

Yeah, an interesting idea. Although God can just as easily give the leaders the knowledge directly.

Do you see much influence of Buddha in Lehi's teachings? I haven't noticed much. Also, of course it would be a long trip... Although if they had both met halfway...

Edited July 22, 2016 by tesuji

[nuclearfuels]

True but where's the fun in that?  That = giving people the knowledge directly.

2 Nephi 1-4: Lehi's death bed sermon speaks to me of some Buddhaic principles, as do the other scriptures below....like the "God would cease to be God" motif seems to me to be eerily similar to like having a disagreement / Bible bash only it woudl have been civil and edifying, where Buddha and Lehi made GReek-like arguments which carrie dout the logic of thier beliefs to the next stage and next stage, etc. with Lehi saying, if reincarnation were true, eventually God woudl cease ot be God, but my dear freind Siddartha - may I call you, Sid?- the Plan of Salvation does have distinct levels of eternal progression which, though we call rebirth are in almost reincarnation-like but not in reality."

• Alma 42:25

  25 What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.

• Mormon 9:19

  19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

• Alma 42:22

  22 But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

• Alma 42:13

  13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.

• Mormon 9:15

  15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

   

[tesuji]

I think reincarnation would fit well within LDS doctrine, except that it doesn't. The church has said it's a false teaching:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/08/i-have-a-question?lang=eng

http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Reincarnation

[nuclearfuels]

True, reincarnation as a principle is false.

Rebirth, albeit with the same continuous consciousness / spiritual being / essence, is the term used for our: birth as spirit bodies, mortal birth, baptism and confirmation, Temple marriage, eternal progression and exaltation. 

The difference is in degree not in kind.