Religious comparisons

Basic christian beliefs

• there is one God
• This God cares for all his people
• Jesus Christ was the son of God
• Jesus died to save humanity from sin
• Jesus's death made eternal life possible

Basic BUDDHIST beliefs

• People can achieve perfect peace (Nirvana)
• They do this by detaching themselves from worldly things
• the Buddha founded this religion, but he isn't a god 
• reincarnation
• to achieve Nirvana, people must also follow the eightfold path

Christian/Biblical  parable

Parable summary

• a man divides his money among his two sons 
• The younger one wasted it on stupid things
• He returned and admitted his mistakes to his father
• Rather than making him a servant, his dad praised him
• His father celebrated his returned

Untitled Slide

• The older brother had never done anything wrong
• He was jealous and asked why his brother got praise
• His father explained that it was because:
• His brother was dead, and was alive again
• He was lost, and had been found

BUDDHIST/zen parable

Parable summary

• Shichiri Kojun was reciting sutras one night
• a thief entered and said he'd take either his money or his life
• Shichiri showed him where the money was calmly
• He said not to take all of it; he needed it for taxes
• The thief took most of it 

Untitled Slide

• Shichiri told him he expected thanks when he gave a gift
• the thief thanked him and fled
• the thief was caught and confessed
• Shichiri was called as a witness
• He said that he gave him the money and was thanked

Untitled Slide

• the thief finished his last prison term
• He then went to Shichiri again
• He became his disciple

differences in purpose/content

• In the Biblical parable, someone 
• In the Biblical parable, the resolution causes another conflict
• In the Biblical parable, the resolution causes another conflict
• In the Biblical parable, the resolution causes another conflict
• In the Biblical parable, someone 
• In the Biblical parable, the resolution cau
• In the Biblical parable, 
• In the Biblical parable, s
• In the Biblical parable, someo
• In the Biblical parable, the resolution causes another con
• In the Biblical parable, the resolution causes another conflict
• In the Biblical parable, someone else make
• In the Biblical 
• In the Biblical parable, the resolution causes another conflict
• This is 
• This is because of the older brother's jealousy
• This is because of the older brother's jealousy
• This is because of the older brother's jealousy
• This is because of the older b
• In the Buddhist pa

common themes/morals

• The most beneficial way to resolve conflict is to forgive
• Confessing one's shortcomings is key to being forgiven
• It is best to help people who make bad decisions 
• Punishment is often unneeded when people recognize their mistakes

In both of these parables, there is a sinner who is forgiven only after he confesses his wrongs.

In this way, the young son and the thief have a very similar lesson to learn.

These men both have mentors by the end of the parables:

the father and Sichiri both indirectly tell the reader about forgiveness and patience

common literary structure

• Both are told in third person
• Both are narrative prose
• Both have pauses between phrases of 10-25 words

the mentors end up changing and improving the lives of the previous antagonists