The Disciplines of Lord Krishna, the Buddha, and Jesus

The Disciplines of Lord Krishna, the Buddha, and Jesus

Faith is a very important aspect of human nature. Religion gives people purpose in their lives. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity are just three religions that fulfill this need in people. Among these three religions there are similarities and differences. These can be seen in the Buddha’s “Meditation: The Path to Enlightenment”, Jesus’ “The Sermon on the Mount” from the Gospel of St. Matthew, and Lord Krishna’s “The Bhagavad Gita: Meditation and Knowledge”. These three religions will be analyzed on the basis of their beliefs on meditation, possession of material things, and the afterlife.

Meditation is the capacity of orderly thought intended to guide others in contemplation according to Merriam-Webster Online. Each religion has its own belief about meditation. In “Meditation: The Path to Enlightenment,” the Buddha states that “his [man’s] mind should be placed in samdhi [trancelike concentration]” (649). In Buddhism meditation is very important for restraining the senses. The senses are very dangerous because they are an ever-present threat that causes both internal and external afflictions. Through mediation man can restrain the senses by seeing the true nature of the sense object (Mediation 651).

Hinduism also believes in the power of meditation. They believe that without meditation to gain control of yourself, the self will become its own adversary. Similar to the Buddhist, the Hindu advocate restraining the senses through meditation (Meditation and Knowledge 707). Meditation, for the Hindu, is a way to realize god. To reach nirvana one must have a controlled mind. Meditation is the way to achieve this goal. Both religions teach that during meditation one should be in complete control of the body. The Buddhists believe that one should “apply mindfulness to your sitting, walking, standing, looking, speaking, and so on, and to remain fully conscious in all your activities”...