I converted from Hinduism to Catholicism. In my opinion, Hinduism is the most sophisticated of all pagan false religions based on the lie of the Serpent. In my opinion, Hinduism is the mother of paganism.
Buddhism is not about finding a creator and going to heaven, god is just a mere thought we humans created ourselves to make us feel better and not face the consequences of our actions. You sir, are brainwashed to believe something that doesn't even exist. Buddhism focuses on mental wellbeing rather than faith itself, Buddhism is about the journey, not the destination. The universe is a vast and infinite expansion of planets, solar systems, galaxies and much much more. Keep in mind that if you gather enough merits by doing the right thing, you'll be reborn as a human. Humans are special since they are very self aware and are critical thinkers. Buddha himself states that there are more planets just like us, suns, stars moons all kinds of things. You don't realise how blessed you are to have gotten to know about Buddhism, I can be your friend and show you a more logical path, please don't miss this chance. If you're not interested in Buddhism I still want to help you, so I recommend you watch Hamza Ahmed who is a muslim, he is a self improvement youtuber who talks about mental health and fitness.
@Patrick Skywalker Bless you Patrick, Jesus loves you, keep searching for the Truth. Dig deeper into early Church and some more Christian books to find more reliable informations. 🙏🏻
Ok I just want to say that christianity should be simple it doesnt matter what denomnation you are unless it is against God the father or commits sin the truth is simple Jesus is simple It only matters who you follow we can all learn from each other thats why we exist.
I grew up a Buddhist and converted into Catholic Church when I was 45 years old. One thing I will say is that the gods in the temples where I grew up in Asia were all once human beings who became deities, not God or the Creator. I think this is a major difference.
Jesus was a DELUDED Jew who was made into a "God". He's supposed to be the "second person" in the Christian trinity of "Gods". The "third person" in the Christian trinity is supposed to be a "holy" ghost, which is depicted as a pigeon. This "ghost" ravished a married Jewish woman, who gave birth to the illegitimate Jesus, and turned her husband Joseph into a cuckold!
I grew up Buddhist and I found Jesus 4 years ago. I can relate to him when he says that he was hungry for the truth and now that I've found Jesus my soul is finally at peace. It was nice hearing this. Thankyou.
星白 閑 [with love] you are right we should be aware of the illusion, the illusion being the false nature the flesh or in Buddhism the ego, that the world as we see it is Temporal and fleeting and was created by the flesh or the ego. The truth or true nature is Christ nature which is identical to the eightfold path. Siddhartha Gautama worship what he did not KNOW (God showed but didn’t reveal himself) however we worship what we do KNOW (God show and reveal himself), salvation comes through Christ. Here the thing we were part of that illusion and even promote it because we did not believe in the Word or truth, I tell you when Siddhartha Gautama is resurrected he will be judge on what he knew regardless of how little and through Christ he will be given life because he believe the Word that was shown to him and did what was asked from it. If Siddhartha Gautama was still alive today he would have followed Christ too, so how about you?
@@user-Void-Star Hahaha You shouldn't post a cmt. Abrahamic religion is so much different fr yr religion Think! Any one of guys responding you know basic of buddhism Just saying! I only know a little.
I once practiced buddhism. My conversion is similar in nature to this guy's. Though I will say what I knew mindful meditation to be is something I attribute to my conversion. The mindful meditation I practiced was on self awareness. It helped me to become aware of my actions. Once I accepted Jesus and became aware of my sins this practice helped me to be mindful of my thoughts and actions .
Beautiful. I am still on a journey of discovery and it is always Catholic sources that have the best answers to my questions and the best refutations of atheist arguments. If I surrender myself and convert it will be to the Catholic Church.
So cool! I felt the same was as someone who grew up Catholic. There was always a logical explanation for everything they teach. Religion and Science can coexist too!
I've been a devoted Buddhist practitioner for over 40 years, I just over the last year through finding the Rosary became a Catholic. Catholicism contains all the mysticism and deep love I had been searching for all my life. The road was a long one but I really feel I'm home with Jesus.
I’m a Catholic convert from Japan. My mother is Buddhist and I studied Tibetan Buddhism for awhile. It was hard to let go of the concept of reincarnation . I also still like the Buddhist teachings on compassion.
We're lucky in the Catholic faith that we are supposed to take what is good in our pre-Christ past and use it for Christ. St. Augustine compares it the Israelite's taking the Egyptians gold in the Exodus.
@@jimcook1747 Hello brother, When you just say you are 'lucky' it's clear that you have no faith dear brother. Do you believe in luck or God? When did you receive the Holy Spirit?
Thank you for sharing I’m from a background of krsna Consciousness my mom came into this faith when I was 7 so I was raised in the Krsna faith I met my husband who was atheist and he had an encounter with the Blessed mother so we both came into the catholic church got baptized Catholic unbeknownst to both of us we had Catholic grandparents that was discovered after we were baptized Catholic I feel very blessed and give thanks every day for my journey to finding the truth in our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist in the holy trinity blessed mother all the angels and Saints St Joseph our spiritual father thanks be to God!!!
@@Psyop666 Hi yes sorry it took me so long to get back to you my husband at the time had hit bottom he was in a very bad state of mind he had attempted to take his own life he was near a Catholic Church at the time and he heard a woman’s voice he didn’t know who the woman was until later after a series of events that brought him into the Catholic Church not an easy thing to explain here But I asked my husband to answer you if you would like to know his conversion story
That was absolutely fantastic Matt and Evan! As an older Catholic it means so much to me to hear conversations like this about the good, the true and the beautiful. I'm so impressed with the unique but elevated language Evan used. Suggesting we be passionately in love with Jesus and fascinated with our friend we want to share Christ with is really an excellent way to think and approach evangelism. Thank you both so much for your dedication to Christ
@@yukiverenawell I had been raised Catholic originally. I tried Buddhism and it was very nice but I realised that I hadn't really given Catholicism a thorough and in depth application. A Catholic church was closer to my home that the Buddhist school so I decided to give it another try. I'm happy with the decision.
@Adam A. if we all stuck to the religion we were born with, there would be no Christians. I am not a Christian because I was raised that way (although I was). I am a Christian fundamentally because 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ died for me. That goes not only for me but for members of every tribe, tounge, nation, and religion. Christ is the Jewish Messiah, God Incarnate, and the Truth. We are therfore all meant to be Christians.
This is SO amazing!!! Evan Collins is the missionary who discipled me in college (@BenedictineCollege) and is LITERALLY the reason I also became FOCUS missionary. Love you brother♥️
I was raised as an "Easter Catholic" and we rarely went to church, and then I became a devote Catholic and went to church every Sunday and prayed Rosary every day and I learned...and learned too much and left Christianity and was an Atheism until I discovered the absolute, supreme truth of Buddha Dharma. At 15:35 I'm really questioning if this man was ever a Buddhist because the answers he gives on meditation fly in the face of every single thing I learned from multiple monks and nuns and books. Yes, you can sit and not think of anything, as in not attaching judgement to anything. In Zen/Chan/Thien/Seon Buddhism, meditation is mostly about touching Buddhahood. That was one of the things that drew me in: In Catholicism, there is the mystery of the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Jesus. Right there, in material form, is Jesus Christ, as promised in the Bible. Well, Zen offers something greater: when one sits it is possible for one to transcend all suffering and, for one brief moment, become fully Enlightened and touch Nirvana. The purpose of Zazen/Zuo Chan is to become a Buddha, for just one moment. In short, the purpose of Zazen/Zuo Chan is to literally visit Heaven, for just one moment. And that is one of the countless reasons why I embraced Buddha Dharma: Christianity, like most religions, is all about dying and getting to Heaven. Buddha Dharma is the only religion that teaches that Heaven is not a destination we go to when we die but is a state of mind that is obtainable here on Earth and can even be tasted through meditation. As for the rest of his story, I honestly think he never really understood much about Buddha Dharma to begin with. The purpose of Buddha Dharma is *NOT* to "live righteously" but rather to become a Buddha. Once we achieve Buddhahood we won't need to follow virtue because *we will be virtue* . The goal of Buddha Dharma is to obtain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. That's why I make the first words I say every day (aside from the usual groans and moans when I roll out of bed) is "I vow to obtain Buddahood for the benefit of all sentient beings."
"Buddha Dharma is the only religion that teaches that Heaven is not a destination we go to when we die but is a state of mind that is obtainable here on Earth and can even be tasted through meditation." Perhaps you should look into the concepts of "theosis" and the mystical experiences that arrive from practices of contemplation like St. Augustine, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross expounded? Unfortunately, it seems like you left Catholicism without really looking into our deep mystical tradition which allows one to perfect their soul through theosis, while also being able to be a part of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Never stop searching!
Do Buddhists believe that when the universe came into existence there were these "spiritual" formulas in that if you do enough of the certain good things with the intent to reach Nirvana you get there or are dissipated into the One/system and because you fulfilled the requirements you naturally experience eternal joy or you stop existing to be removed from the pain? If Buddhists don't believe in a god that formula must have just been around unknown until Buddha somehow figured out how it sort of works? Can you answer these questions and possible confusions of mine?
The goal of catholicism is not only to go to heaven but also to help bring about the kingdom of God here on earth as we pray for in the Lord's Prayer. The transfiguration of Jesus shows us that it is possible. The parables of Jesus on the kingdom of God urges us to do so. The assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary shows its possibility on human beings.
55:23 Please correct me if I am wrong. I don't know enough about Buddhism, but I believe a difference between Christian love and the pursuit of compassion in Buddhism is that a Christian relies and works with the Holy Spirit to fill and pour out of oneself to others, while in Buddhism one relies on their own self to achieve that goal. In Christianity, it's God's love that changes us to His likeness and enables us to love others while the follower of the Buddha would rely on their own discipline and strength, which could be very significant but wouldn't possibly match that of God. The whole point of Christianity is to redeem our nature as adopted children of God through Jesus' triumph and receive the Holy Spirit to change us from within into God's likeness. So, we call him Father and learn the depth of His love for us and that flows towards others. It's a very different kind of Love.
The Christian faith is a revealed religion/relationship from the living God. Paul says, "the Gospel of God." God is eternal, He created, He redeemed, and He will bring all things into submission to Jesus Christ, His Son. Buddhism has no concept of an infinite God but holds to interdependent arising. Therefore, its idea of humanity, suffering, nirvana, etc are all irreconcilable with Christ, his Gospel, and His Kingdom.
Ya, but the tricky part is that you have to believe in this God or Christianity is of no benefit to you. Buddhism requires no prior faith. You just do the meditation and see if it works. Christianity's issue post-Ockham will always be that we don't believe our thoughts to be literal entities, and thus there is a relationship between our thoughts and the world that has to be justified to be considered sound. Christianity cannot provide such justification for God, let alone the far more monumental task of showing its God, rather than the God of Islam for example, is the correct one. Buddhism just doesn't have this problem. While many of its own metaphysical assertions can be disputed, it doesn't matter. The core message about suffering, how suffering occurs, that there's a way out, and the path leading to the end of suffering is fully testable as a mundane matter. Suffering is attachment to our desire for the world to be other than what it is. The way out is a training that gets you to stop attaching to your desire for the world to be different than it is. It's a simple principle.
Praise be to God and glorify God for His wonderful love and mercy . It's a wonderful discussion . I'm Blessed to be able watch this from Shillong Meghalaya India.
Great interview. I thought Evan did a great job of characterizing and explaining things. Very intelligent. I was raised zen-buddhist and can confirm much of what he said. A nice short way to describe it would be to say it has a lot in common with stoicism, virtue dependent wholly on yourself. And I, too, experienced it more as a religion, even though it is intellectually characterized as philosophy. I know very few adherents who are not “religious” in their execution of Buddhism. This is a great discussion for this time period, as Buddhism has become super, super popular with the younger crowd who see it as a way of staying out of “religious” fights. The problem with that is this is a LOT of spiritual warfare which ramps up exponentially when you go down that road. Please keep this topic going. It is sorely needed!!
What I really appreciate is how honest Evan is. It's obvious that he had a deep sincere Buddhist faith and that his conversion filled his spirit with the gaps that Buddhism left. Feelings have become such a tricky conversation space and Mr. Collins has bridged that space.
What an interesting and refreshing conversation! I really like that Evan didn't say anything bad about Buddhism, but highlighted how he found the truth in Christianity.
I'm "making Google evangelize" :) Praise the Lord! Thanks for the interview Matt and for the testimony Evan. You are real co-workers of Christ, salt of the earth! I studied just a little bit of Zen Buddhism, when I was an exchange student in Japan. I have to admit that there's some slight similarity with some Christian teaching of the mercy, it being unmerited, and the some of the Mahayana Buddhist movements that you cannot achieve enlightenment by just trying it hard, but it is just somehow granted, when you stop trying. However, what I find more compelling in Christ is that he claimed to be God, who conquered everything to do with suffering that we cannot conquer in this world. We don't need to try to stop suppress our desires or our "self", but acknowledge that they exist and they are instilled into us by our Creator. Some of the desires are just tarnished by our means to get them, when, I believe, God has all the means to attain those desires.
Thank you for this interview. My brother has asked for prayer for wisdom about his religious journey and is very interested in the scientific and buddhist worldviews.
Thanks so much for this, directly from Brazil!! Praying togheter with matt for this last intention! And, evan collins, what an AMAZING surprise this soundcloud!! Thanks for sharing!
Love these conversion stories, they're so heart warming and profound! And I've just listened to @EvansCollin rap music, I would never have guessed it was him, if I didn't go through the link from this episode! He's actually really good!
Most people who claim to be Buddhists or former Buddhists aren't. Buddhism is what the Buddha taught in the Suttas of the Pali cannon. To all the Buddhist converts here, did you keep the precepts? did you avoid intoxicants, gambling, lewd entertainments, killing animals or eating animals? Did you have a regular meditation practice? Did you practice sense restraint? Going to a temple and burning incense in front of a statue is not Buddhism.
Nice work guys. i learned a lot here. I live in a Buddhist country. I think your comments that a lot of Christians in the west have lost a lot of their compassion is right, However, the same can be said of a lot of Buddhists that live here. I guess when you enter a Buddhist monastery in the USA, you are getting purified air there but the normal air here on the streets of a Buddhist country is not so compassionate. I guess that is reality.
I'm an American convert to Buddha Dharma from Catholicism and I lived in Taiwan for a little while and visited Dharamshala, North India, home of the Tibetan government in Exile and basically the epicenter of the Tibetan Buddhist world. I've found Buddhists to be a thousand times more compassionate than Christians including in Buddhist countries. People forget that Christian countries also include places like El Salvador, South Africa, Russia, and other places where necks are routinely split for a few dollars.
@@rumrunner8019 Buddhist countries such as Cambodia and Thailand have had severe human rights abuses, not to mention sex trafficking. But that's a moot point - neither Christianity nor Buddhism are meant to be state religions. I appreciate your comment. It's sad that so many who claim the name of Christ fail to reflect his Love. I have definitely failed to do this many times. However, I can confidently say that there is no deeper human love I've experienced like authentic Christian love. Comparatively, the former Zen Buddhist Paul Kingsnorth stated that Zen Buddhism struck him as compassion without love, if that's possible. My question for you is whether you as a Christian ever experienced the trancendent love and presence of Christ? Did you ever stare into His bleeding face, meditating on the mystery that the God of the Universe emptied Himself of glory to become a Jewish carpenter with the purpose of enduring a slave's torture and humiliating death to redeem humanity of sin? All because of His love for you. Did that ever touch you at the time? If so, why did you walk away from Him? Genuinely asking. I know these questions are confrontational, but those were the ones burning in my mind when I read through your comment
I once took a meditation class at a sagna and it was very helpful. I use some of those focusing and relaxation techniques when saying the rosary and it’s a powerful experience. I hardly would call it a religion.
Western Buddhism lacks the religious aspect, eastern Buddhism is quite different. As a Catholic I’ve also attended Buddhist temples to learn to meditate and I agree super helpful to add into prayer practice. 📿
The part where the audio dropped out and you had to fill was hilarious! I think you did well. Excellent episode on the whole - you and Evan helped me understand a lot.
I appreciate that Evan hedges a lot as he admits his lack of knowledge in many areas of Buddhism. However, this lack gives rise to misinformation. Matt might want to consider inviting a Buddhist scholar to discuss what the various concepts mean. Buddhists do not think that one ceases to exist if you attain Nirvana. In order to understand rebirth one must understand the concept of the Self in Buddhism. It is not that a person does not exist, but that the Self is a composite of processes: it is an event, an occurrence that emerges and abates. Through practicing meditation, often through developing concentration (samadhi), one may have a deep awaking (satori) of the Self as simply being consciousness and its contents arising moment to moment. So, the experience, the feeling, that there is a an "I", an ego is the illusion. This understanding along with a connected one, sunyata (the fertile void), has a lot of affinity with Pseudo-Dionysius' apophatic mysticism and St. John of the Cross' "todo-nada."To be sure, for the Christian mystic the experience of no-self is expressed and interpreted differently than for a Buddhist. What might make sense to a Christian is that the experience of no-self or Enlightenment is a potential that all humans have, but that experience is sanctified and its true meaning is understood through the grace of God. For the most of the Christians here, a necessary condition of that to occur is being a Catholic or Orthodox.
@@ToxicallyMasculinelol All of them. In this life Nirvana is the extinguishing of greed, hatred, and delusion. In the sources the Buddha discouraged speculating on what happens to a person who experiences after death Nirvana. What is also emphasized is that it is not annihilation. It is the end of suffering and rebirth but what remains is an enigma. Similar to Catholicism regarding the beatific vision, a Christian cannot know the true state of the beatific vision until they experience it.
Buddhism is not about finding a creator and going to heaven, god is just a mere thought we humans created ourselves to make us feel better and not face the consequences of our actions. You sir, are brainwashed to believe something that doesn't even exist. Buddhism focuses on mental wellbeing rather than faith itself, Buddhism is about the journey, not the destination. The universe is a vast and infinite expansion of planets, solar systems, galaxies and much much more. Keep in mind that if you gather enough merits by doing the right thing, you'll be reborn as a human. Humans are special since they are very self aware and are critical thinkers. Buddha himself states that there are more planets just like us, suns, stars moons all kinds of things. You don't realise how blessed you are to have gotten to know about Buddhism, I can be your friend and show you a more logical path, please don't miss this chance. If you're not interested in Buddhism I still want to help you, so I recommend you watch Hamza Ahmed who is a muslim, he is a self improvement youtuber who talks about mental health and fitness.
I'm hearing a lot of emotional stories about feeling good and emotional burdens being lifted, but I'm not hearing anything about truth in this conversion story.
I’m ex Buddhist from Thailand , it’s kind of dark magic for example Sakyan Tattoo ,worship baby doll with red Fanta, worship trees that older than them , worship spirit who die 100 -200 years ago , small spirit house on the side road ,and Worship everything with Red Fanta ! 🙄 My house near mosque God lead me to christianity Thank you God I found Jesus
I have traveled a lot all over Thailand and I was very surprised how much the daily Buddhist practices I saw seemed almost like pagan worship to me and very far from what I had learned about Buddhism. While visiting temples there was no one there who spoke English that could answer my questions. On the rare occasions I found a monk that spoke English I found the answers to be confusing, bordering to nonsensical. But the beauty and peacefulness of all the Thai wats can not be denied.
It would be interesting to see someone go on the journey from being a dedicated Zen monk to an Orthodox Christian Hesychast because Zen is a very difficult path kind of similar to how Orthodoxy requires much more from the believer. Zen and Orthodoxy are the most abstract of their respective religions.
Matt, seriously, this is pivotal. Could you please do a video on the largely unknown and ignored USCCB document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”. Please.
It speaks about the duty of the laity (the non ordained) to evangelize the culture through their political participation. It essentially lays the groundwork for how a Christian should pursue civic engagement and offers guidelines (and boundaries) for voting.
I’m not yet received in the church, but I’m deeply in love with Jesus and all things Catholic. When you say you felt Gods presence, would you describe that as a “heavy” feeling?
God's presence isn't really heavy, though it can be. The initial impression is of overwhelming love! You become acutely aware of His goodness and personal love for you, and your own smallness, dirtiness and unworthiness. It's utterly life-changing.
For Atheists Buddhism is great. Once you know God exists and His Word incarnated to be with us for a short while to show us the Path to Salvation and to open the Gates of Heaven again by His Sacrifice on the Cross . Once you know that there is nothing else you can convert to.
@@ilonkastille2993 This is wonderful and true for a Christian. No doubt about that. But please don't bash Buddhism when you don't understand it at all.
@@minoozolala I am absolutely not bashing Buddhism. I could have been born in a Buddhist family myself and not known anything else. I do understand it . I lived for 18 years in the Far East because my father was an expat and since I have always been interested in religions, I delved into Buddhism which comes out of Hinduism. It was founded on the basis of Pantheistic Brahmanism. Unfortunately this site is too limited to have a discussion about it. I respect every person , a Creation of God and will never look down on anybody just because they are born into a certain religious tradition. What I meant is that once you KNOW what TRUE Christianity is , which sadly a minority of people know and adhere to in these Secular times, you cannot accept anything else. This does not mean I bash anybody. Most of the christians I know do not even know 20% of what the teachings of their own religion is. This is the reason why they are so easily swayed into other religions by people who can convince them.
@@ilonkastille2993 Sorry if I misunderstood you. But please understand that the majority of Buddhists are not atheists, and that all they object to is the idea of "creator" god, since as you will know, they believe that the universe is created by the collective and individual actions (karma) of living beings. Buddhists believe in a variety of deities, and usually are devoted to one specific deity, whom they love, honour and venerate to the same extent Christians love, honour and venerate Christ, the Virgin Mary and/or God. Yes, I do understand that once a person with Christian leanings/beliefs understands true Christianity they will not be able to accept anything else. But the same goes for Buddhists too - once they truly understand the Buddhist teachings and have an experience of the deity, they cannot accept anything else. Same with Hindus and Muslims. Perhaps this is what your statement implies.
Christ consciousness is the same as the germ of Bhuddahood, so if you have reached this level you still have a long way to go. The dharma is immaculate without flaw, it is true not false
Ok but he's just saying that he prefers Christianity to Buddhism -- but what matters is which one is true, not which one you like better. I say this as a very conflicted person between Catholicism and Buddhism myself.
For me, the eye witness evidence of Christ’s resurrection is convincing to me. I think Buddha was a great and wise teacher, who stumbled upon profound truth through genuine deep meditation, but Christ is truly God’s only begotten son and only true incarnation. I enjoy reading Buddhist literature and articles, and sitting in silent meditation, but culturally I’d have to identify myself as Christian.
For me, the definition of a religion is straightforward. It's a system of belief in a deity. Religions without a deity would be classified as a philosophy for living.
@@richardcraig599 so Philosophy is Religion an indeed a factory of religion since every philosopher has a way of life. By the way, we are talking about DEFINITION not just the meaning or etymology/root of a word.
13.16 Kind of reminds me of the story of John Chrysostom's life when he went hardcore ascetic in his early life and was basically broken by it before he was found and cared for by some friends.
I found in the Gospels the answer to the question of how I will receive the crown of eternal life with the Father. It is in the Gospel of St John, chapter 5, verse 24, where Jesus said to those who would listen that: 'I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.' A simple yet profound Gospel Truth which I believed and have crossed over from death to life.
Wonderful show, thanks! Western converts to Buddhism usually describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious," so therefore they like to claim that Buddhism is not a religion. But, a religion is any group of people that subscribe to the same spiritual beliefs and practices. So to me, Buddhism is a religion. Also it's alien to Christian theology as it focuses on finding one's own inner strength to do things, whereas a Christian prays to God for Grace and help.
The kind of Buddhism that I'm aware of, you ask Bodhisattvas for grace and help. They're not gods they're people who lived long ago and have become enlightened. There's a belief that the world is in a latter stage of the law where inner strength no longer works.
Matt, we NEED a DEBATE or DIALOGUE VIDEO DESPERATELY between an informed Catholic and a Buddhist on the difference in world view. Could you please have on maybe Doug's Dharma or perhaps Alon Peto to discuss Buddhism and Catholicism with somebody from the Catholic faith? thanks1
Jesus Christ is our everything . We are truly blessedto be God's own children . We know this is true because Jesus told us so . Being born into a Catholic family is the greatest treasure God has given me.
Both Buddhism and Christianity are paths to the truth. There is only one truth no matter which path you take. The truth is the only thing that matters. Glad that you find the path that's right for you.
We meditate on the Lord, we wait on Him. He will speak to you. He is the small still voice that speaks to us. He lives, and He loves us. Right now God is speaking to everyone right now, it is up to us if we want to hear His voice and how much we want to hear His voice. Now as for the Holy Spirit, He can live with power in us. Jesus explains it well when He says Faith is like a mustard seed it is a small small seed and if we plant it water it care for it, it will grow to be the biggest tree, in the area. Doing this spending time in prayer, and meditation on the Lord, allow it to grow, He will fill your life with a Devine light, filled with life and power. God Bless
✝💚☸Alienating a good Buddhist is alienating a Christian and going against Christ. Just because those following the Buddha's teaching don't know very much about Jesus's specific approach doesn't mean that they don't practice his teachings. Fundamentally, the Buddha is Jesus.
As a Taiwanese Buddhist, I always find it amusing to see how many videos there are of Christians (almost always white, westerners) ranting about the evils of Buddhism, and yet there are hardly ever Buddhists doing the same about other religions. It tells you a great deal about which system has the greater confidence in its methodology. Mitchell seems not to know much about Buddhism or the Buddha at all. The Buddha had HUGE amounts to say about life, its reasons, and its purposes. Sects within Buddhism all follow the 5 precepts and the eightfold path. No exception. The same cannot be said within the Christian world and its theology. Buddhism by comparison is extremely consistent, as it does not believe in inerrant scriptures but rather the process of mindfulness and meditation. Mitchell appears not to have read many Buddhism scriptures at all. And OF COURSE you can be a Christian Buddhist. I know of a great many Christian Buddhists in Taiwan. For westerners, I understand it is difficult, as you have a different relationship with the Dao - which you confuse with man-written dogma. If you want a good, clear, and very well-rounded WESTERN perspective of Buddhism, might I suggest you contact an actual buddhist next time - I recommend Ajahn Brahm. A good translation of the canonical Pali texts is Bihikkhu Bodhi. Thank you for reading this long-winded rant.
It seems in an attempt to discredit the notions of this guy about Buddhism you yourself make up your own false assumptions about Christianity. Maybe you're not one of those Buddhists who are "confident in their methodology".
Thank you... These westerns love to put down other religions just to make them look superior.. that's just a losers way and tells a lot about their methodology.. you almost never see a Buddhist channel discredit other religions.. but I think we need to take a stand.. and do the same.. if your religion is so good, why try to convert.. live by your values.. if it is that good people will flock towards it..
I'm a convert from Tibetan Buddhism to Orthodoxy. I did intense practice with spiritual highs and learned a lot truths about my self and reality. I walked into the San Diego mission and saw Jesus on the cross and I knew I had to submit to God. Without the Buddhist teaching I wouldn't have opened my mind to Christ. Our education system and consumer culture made me quite nihilistic. So I bow out of respect to the Buddha but worship and glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, One God.
To comment on what Evan said about the Buddhist respect for life; Yes life is extremely sacred in Buddhism. My experience is more in the Tibetan tradition. I remember there being a Tibetan Lama that was astonished by abortion in the west so he would tell his students 1. that it was wrong and an extremely negative action 2. He would have them make offerings to monks that were in life long retreats in the Himalayas to pray specifically for the aborted child and the person who did the abortion
I'm a lifelong student of world religions. While I do think the RCC has the full truth, I also believe there are aspects of our faith that are not only present in other religions, but much better articulated or lived out. The irreverence of most American Novus Ordo Masses comes to mind. (It took our local Orthodox church to bring my young daughter back into openness to faith, which ironically whittled away right after she received her First Communion.) Buddhist meditation is what helped me learn about and embrace Christian contemplation.
With the question of what is a religion, I have heard from some Dominicans religion is the virtue of giving justice to God(giving him what is rightfully his). I don’t think buddhism comes under that, as far as I know they don’t have any god.
The Buddhist practice of mindfulness seems essential for anyone wanting to become a saint. How else would you gain the necessary consciousness of the subtle nuances of sin?
Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha.
Okay, as a practicing Buddhist, I have to say, I facepalmed at 1:09:48 in. This guy couldn't name *a single solitary* major Buddhist philosopher?! As in he never heard of a fellow named *ALAN WATTS* ?! Not to mention the classic teachers like Dogen Zenji, Atisa, Nicherin, Buddhaghosa, Bodhidharma, etc? Not to mention Asanga. Asanga was basically the Aquinas of Buddhism. And as for modern day Buddhist philosophers, how oh how is it he couldn't say "Thich Naht Hanh"? That's like a Protestant not being able to name name a single famous protestant preacher of the last fifty years, not even Billy Graham. I'm not thinking this man Evan was a very good Buddhist to begin with.
@@koppite9600 Buddha Dharma is true because it is observable in day to day life. It is all about suffering and how to transcend it in this lifetime for the benefit of all sentient beings. Christianity, like most religions, is based on a mythology and a deity who needs to be worshiped and revered in order for a person to stay on its good side and reap rewards in the afterlife.
@@rumrunner8019 Jesus is not a myth. What you say about Buddha seems to be a myth.. what do you mean its observable? Observation is subjective so Buddha can be real for you but not for anyone else
@@koppite9600 I'm not talking about the stories but rather about the Four Noble Truths. They are observable in everyday life, unlike any Christian ideas.
@@rumrunner8019 those noble truths are truths so why make them a religion? And Christianity has history you can study. Let's debate on the history which you disagree with.
Matt. This gentleman was very funny and engaging but his explanations on Buddhism were definitely lacking. Any chance you are interested in having someone like perhaps Dr. David Anders from Catholic Answers on to discuss Buddhism. Or a debate would be fascinating. I’m not familiar with Buddhist Apologetics but lol.
Matt, your guests have consistently been too quiet in the last several interviews you've done. Please turn up their volume or find a way to get them to speak louder?
Buddha in the West is like a Gateway back to Christ for all people who have been shrunk to athiesm by the father of confusion. If you sit in Buddhas silence for long enough you will find what you lost, or rather what was taken from you
Thanks for being here, y'all! If you like the vid please give us a 👍's up! If you LOVED the vid, subscribe!
❤️ from 🇮🇱
I converted from Hinduism to Catholicism. In my opinion, Hinduism is the most sophisticated of all pagan false religions based on the lie of the Serpent. In my opinion, Hinduism is the mother of paganism.
And hit the bell icon so you don't miss another upload.
Im listening.
Buddhism is not about finding a creator and going to heaven, god is just a mere thought we humans created ourselves to make us feel better and not face the consequences of our actions. You sir, are brainwashed to believe something that doesn't even exist. Buddhism focuses on mental wellbeing rather than faith itself, Buddhism is about the journey, not the destination.
The universe is a vast and infinite expansion of planets, solar systems, galaxies and much much more. Keep in mind that if you gather enough merits by doing the right thing, you'll be reborn as a human. Humans are special since they are very self aware and are critical thinkers. Buddha himself states that there are more planets just like us, suns, stars moons all kinds of things.
You don't realise how blessed you are to have gotten to know about Buddhism, I can be your friend and show you a more logical path, please don't miss this chance.
If you're not interested in Buddhism I still want to help you, so I recommend you watch Hamza Ahmed who is a muslim, he is a self improvement youtuber who talks about mental health and fitness.
Ex-Buddhist from China, I'm a Protestant but appreciate your work very much, pray for you & keep it going!
Come on home to the Catholic Church! You are always welcome
@Patrick Skywalker Bless you Patrick, Jesus loves you, keep searching for the Truth. Dig deeper into early Church and some more Christian books to find more reliable informations. 🙏🏻
Ok I just want to say that christianity should be simple it doesnt matter what denomnation you are unless it is against God the father or commits sin the truth is simple Jesus is simple It only matters who you follow we can all learn from each other thats why we exist.
Ex Buddhist from Vietname, ex- protestant in Singapore and now i'm Catholic as I found the truth. Praise the Lord our God! Amen!
@@diaryofarennaissance1574 lol just because God is simple, it does not mean that Christianity is simple!!
I grew up a Buddhist and converted into Catholic Church when I was 45 years old. One thing I will say is that the gods in the temples where I grew up in Asia were all once human beings who became deities, not God or the Creator. I think this is a major difference.
Yes there is! Praise be to Jesus Christ!
Jesus was a DELUDED Jew who was made into a "God". He's supposed to be the "second person" in the Christian trinity of "Gods". The "third person" in the Christian trinity is supposed to be a "holy" ghost, which is depicted as a pigeon. This "ghost" ravished a married Jewish woman, who gave birth to the illegitimate Jesus, and turned her husband Joseph into a cuckold!
@@j.g.8494 baba booey
J. G. 😂 your funny
@@j.g.8494 Why are you mocking God, and being a devil? Why don't you read the Bible? The Holy Spirit as a pigeon? Shame on you for mocking God.
I grew up Buddhist and I found Jesus 4 years ago. I can relate to him when he says that he was hungry for the truth and now that I've found Jesus my soul is finally at peace. It was nice hearing this. Thankyou.
stupid lady
@@babyshakya3707 Seriously .....leave people in peace ....Consider your statement on your self
Hello nethmi, Can you please tell your God, please go to the Covid19 hospitals, to help them, so many Italian's still died in Italy..
Methmi oya lankawe neda
@@babyshakya3707 God predicted Covid19, disasters will go much more painful until Jesus comes back.
Buddha told me, "Deny the illusion." Jesus told me, "Come, I am the truth." So I denied the former and came to the latter.
Buddha didn't said deny the illusion, Buddha said be aware of the illusion.
@L Lawliet there is no real and unreal if you think there is real then that is also an illusion of your perception that's why ( Sunyata ) comes.
@@user-Void-Star jesus is from heaven not from this earth.Buddha is from this earth.
星白 閑 [with love] you are right we should be aware of the illusion, the illusion being the false nature the flesh or in Buddhism the ego, that the world as we see it is Temporal and fleeting and was created by the flesh or the ego. The truth or true nature is Christ nature which is identical to the eightfold path. Siddhartha Gautama worship what he did not KNOW (God showed but didn’t reveal himself) however we worship what we do KNOW (God show and reveal himself), salvation comes through Christ. Here the thing we were part of that illusion and even promote it because we did not believe in the Word or truth, I tell you when Siddhartha Gautama is resurrected he will be judge on what he knew regardless of how little and through Christ he will be given life because he believe the Word that was shown to him and did what was asked from it. If Siddhartha Gautama was still alive today he would have followed Christ too, so how about you?
@@user-Void-Star
Hahaha
You shouldn't post a cmt.
Abrahamic religion is so
much different fr yr religion
Think!
Any one of guys responding
you know basic of buddhism
Just saying!
I only know a little.
I once practiced buddhism. My conversion is similar in nature to this guy's. Though I will say what I knew mindful meditation to be is something I attribute to my conversion. The mindful meditation I practiced was on self awareness. It helped me to become aware of my actions. Once I accepted Jesus and became aware of my sins this practice helped me to be mindful of my thoughts and actions .
Beautiful. I am still on a journey of discovery and it is always Catholic sources that have the best answers to my questions and the best refutations of atheist arguments. If I surrender myself and convert it will be to the Catholic Church.
We hope you come home 💙
So genuine you are, and how well that will translate into your discussions with those you care about.
Our Lord is waiting, with open arms.
If you're leaning towards Catholicism, pick up a copy of Theology for Beginners by Frank Sheed. It explains all the basics of the faith.
So cool! I felt the same was as someone who grew up Catholic. There was always a logical explanation for everything they teach. Religion and Science can coexist too!
I've been a devoted Buddhist practitioner for over 40 years, I just over the last year through finding the Rosary became a Catholic. Catholicism contains all the mysticism and deep love I had been searching for all my life. The road was a long one but I really feel I'm home with Jesus.
May i know what about the rosary that converted you to catholicism? They also have prayer beads in buddhism.
Great interview! Evan crushed it as a FOCUS missionary at my school! I know he positively impacted a lot of students, including me! God bless him!
I’m a Catholic convert from Japan. My mother is Buddhist and I studied Tibetan Buddhism for awhile. It was hard to let go of the concept of reincarnation . I also still like the Buddhist teachings on compassion.
We're lucky in the Catholic faith that we are supposed to take what is good in our pre-Christ past and use it for Christ. St. Augustine compares it the Israelite's taking the Egyptians gold in the Exodus.
You’ll love the parables of Jesus like in Matthew 18
In response to reincarnation, we believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
@@jimcook1747 Hello brother, When you just say you are 'lucky' it's clear that you have no faith dear brother. Do you believe in luck or God? When did you receive the Holy Spirit?
Hello Rose,
There is a difference between Catholicism and Roman Catholicism. Which one are you talking about please? Bless you
Thank you for sharing I’m from a background of krsna Consciousness my mom came into this faith when I was 7 so I was raised in the Krsna faith I met my husband who was atheist and he had an encounter with the Blessed mother so we both came into the catholic church got baptized Catholic unbeknownst to both of us we had Catholic grandparents that was discovered after we were baptized Catholic I feel very blessed and give thanks every day for my journey to finding the truth in our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist in the holy trinity blessed mother all the angels and Saints St Joseph our spiritual father
thanks be to God!!!
Can you describe your husbands experience with the blessed Virgin?
@@Psyop666 Hi yes sorry it took me so long to get back to you my husband at the time had hit bottom he was in a very bad state of mind he had attempted to take his own life he was near a Catholic Church at the time and he heard a woman’s voice he didn’t know who the woman was until later after a series of events that brought him into the Catholic Church not an easy thing to explain here But I asked my husband to answer you if you would like to know his conversion story
👏🙏💕
Amazing story😁 we are really a communion of saints.
That was absolutely fantastic Matt and Evan! As an older Catholic it means so much to me to hear conversations like this about the good, the true and the beautiful. I'm so impressed with the unique but elevated language Evan used. Suggesting we be passionately in love with Jesus and fascinated with our friend we want to share Christ with is really an excellent way to think and approach evangelism. Thank you both so much for your dedication to Christ
I'm from Brisbane. I tried Tibetan Buddhism for a while but came back to Catholicism. Glad I did. I'm also glad I tried Buddhism.
Jesus is the truth and the way but Buddhism does have some beneficial practices (ie meditation) and beautifully instructive parables.
Why or what made you convert back to be Catholic? Would you share more pls? Thanks
@@yukiverenawell I had been raised Catholic originally. I tried Buddhism and it was very nice but I realised that I hadn't really given Catholicism a thorough and in depth application. A Catholic church was closer to my home that the Buddhist school so I decided to give it another try. I'm happy with the decision.
@Adam A. if we all stuck to the religion we were born with, there would be no Christians. I am not a Christian because I was raised that way (although I was). I am a Christian fundamentally because 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ died for me. That goes not only for me but for members of every tribe, tounge, nation, and religion. Christ is the Jewish Messiah, God Incarnate, and the Truth. We are therfore all meant to be Christians.
This is SO amazing!!! Evan Collins is the missionary who discipled me in college (@BenedictineCollege) and is LITERALLY the reason I also became FOCUS missionary. Love you brother♥️
Dang dude that beard is on fire! Lookin like an orthobro.
even better though he's a Byzantine in communion with the chair of Peter
Brady Bartell right, but that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. 😂
Byzanbro
@@justinward3218 Byza-bro? 🤷🏻♂️ Easto-Bro?
The spitting image of the CHAD
"Coming back to a place I never knew" describes my experience perfectly. Peace be with you both.
That is a beautiful way to describe it.
I was raised as an "Easter Catholic" and we rarely went to church, and then I became a devote Catholic and went to church every Sunday and prayed Rosary every day and I learned...and learned too much and left Christianity and was an Atheism until I discovered the absolute, supreme truth of Buddha Dharma. At 15:35 I'm really questioning if this man was ever a Buddhist because the answers he gives on meditation fly in the face of every single thing I learned from multiple monks and nuns and books.
Yes, you can sit and not think of anything, as in not attaching judgement to anything. In Zen/Chan/Thien/Seon Buddhism, meditation is mostly about touching Buddhahood. That was one of the things that drew me in: In Catholicism, there is the mystery of the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Jesus. Right there, in material form, is Jesus Christ, as promised in the Bible. Well, Zen offers something greater: when one sits it is possible for one to transcend all suffering and, for one brief moment, become fully Enlightened and touch Nirvana. The purpose of Zazen/Zuo Chan is to become a Buddha, for just one moment. In short, the purpose of Zazen/Zuo Chan is to literally visit Heaven, for just one moment.
And that is one of the countless reasons why I embraced Buddha Dharma: Christianity, like most religions, is all about dying and getting to Heaven. Buddha Dharma is the only religion that teaches that Heaven is not a destination we go to when we die but is a state of mind that is obtainable here on Earth and can even be tasted through meditation.
As for the rest of his story, I honestly think he never really understood much about Buddha Dharma to begin with. The purpose of Buddha Dharma is *NOT* to "live righteously" but rather to become a Buddha. Once we achieve Buddhahood we won't need to follow virtue because *we will be virtue* .
The goal of Buddha Dharma is to obtain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. That's why I make the first words I say every day (aside from the usual groans and moans when I roll out of bed) is "I vow to obtain Buddahood for the benefit of all sentient beings."
"Buddha Dharma is the only religion that teaches that Heaven is not a destination we go to when we die but is a state of mind that is obtainable here on Earth and can even be tasted through meditation."
Perhaps you should look into the concepts of "theosis" and the mystical experiences that arrive from practices of contemplation like St. Augustine, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross expounded? Unfortunately, it seems like you left Catholicism without really looking into our deep mystical tradition which allows one to perfect their soul through theosis, while also being able to be a part of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Never stop searching!
Do Buddhists believe that when the universe came into existence there were these "spiritual" formulas in that if you do enough of the certain good things with the intent to reach Nirvana you get there or are dissipated into the One/system and because you fulfilled the requirements you naturally experience eternal joy or you stop existing to be removed from the pain?
If Buddhists don't believe in a god that formula must have just been around unknown until Buddha somehow figured out how it sort of works?
Can you answer these questions and possible confusions of mine?
@@shadowlinks99
As I was reading the comment I kept thinking "Jonathan Pageau" lol. Glad you mentioned theosis
The goal of catholicism is not only to go to heaven but also to help bring about the kingdom of God here on earth as we pray for in the Lord's Prayer. The transfiguration of Jesus shows us that it is possible. The parables of Jesus on the kingdom of God urges us to do so. The assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary shows its possibility on human beings.
55:23 Please correct me if I am wrong. I don't know enough about Buddhism, but I believe a difference between Christian love and the pursuit of compassion in Buddhism is that a Christian relies and works with the Holy Spirit to fill and pour out of oneself to others, while in Buddhism one relies on their own self to achieve that goal. In Christianity, it's God's love that changes us to His likeness and enables us to love others while the follower of the Buddha would rely on their own discipline and strength, which could be very significant but wouldn't possibly match that of God. The whole point of Christianity is to redeem our nature as adopted children of God through Jesus' triumph and receive the Holy Spirit to change us from within into God's likeness. So, we call him Father and learn the depth of His love for us and that flows towards others. It's a very different kind of Love.
The Christian faith is a revealed religion/relationship from the living God. Paul says, "the Gospel of God." God is eternal, He created, He redeemed, and He will bring all things into submission to Jesus Christ, His Son. Buddhism has no concept of an infinite God but holds to interdependent arising. Therefore, its idea of humanity, suffering, nirvana, etc are all irreconcilable with Christ, his Gospel, and His Kingdom.
Ya, but the tricky part is that you have to believe in this God or Christianity is of no benefit to you. Buddhism requires no prior faith. You just do the meditation and see if it works.
Christianity's issue post-Ockham will always be that we don't believe our thoughts to be literal entities, and thus there is a relationship between our thoughts and the world that has to be justified to be considered sound. Christianity cannot provide such justification for God, let alone the far more monumental task of showing its God, rather than the God of Islam for example, is the correct one.
Buddhism just doesn't have this problem. While many of its own metaphysical assertions can be disputed, it doesn't matter. The core message about suffering, how suffering occurs, that there's a way out, and the path leading to the end of suffering is fully testable as a mundane matter. Suffering is attachment to our desire for the world to be other than what it is. The way out is a training that gets you to stop attaching to your desire for the world to be different than it is. It's a simple principle.
Praise be to God and glorify God for His wonderful love and mercy . It's a wonderful discussion . I'm Blessed to be able watch this from Shillong Meghalaya India.
ua-cam.com/video/W6jjNjntwtI/v-deo.html
Great interview. I thought Evan did a great job of characterizing and explaining things. Very intelligent. I was raised zen-buddhist and can confirm much of what he said. A nice short way to describe it would be to say it has a lot in common with stoicism, virtue dependent wholly on yourself. And I, too, experienced it more as a religion, even though it is intellectually characterized as philosophy. I know very few adherents who are not “religious” in their execution of Buddhism. This is a great discussion for this time period, as Buddhism has become super, super popular with the younger crowd who see it as a way of staying out of “religious” fights. The problem with that is this is a LOT of spiritual warfare which ramps up exponentially when you go down that road. Please keep this topic going. It is sorely needed!!
What I really appreciate is how honest Evan is. It's obvious that he had a deep sincere Buddhist faith and that his conversion filled his spirit with the gaps that Buddhism left. Feelings have become such a tricky conversation space and Mr. Collins has bridged that space.
What an interesting and refreshing conversation! I really like that Evan didn't say anything bad about Buddhism, but highlighted how he found the truth in Christianity.
I'm "making Google evangelize" :) Praise the Lord!
Thanks for the interview Matt and for the testimony Evan. You are real co-workers of Christ, salt of the earth!
I studied just a little bit of Zen Buddhism, when I was an exchange student in Japan. I have to admit that there's some slight similarity with some Christian teaching of the mercy, it being unmerited, and the some of the Mahayana Buddhist movements that you cannot achieve enlightenment by just trying it hard, but it is just somehow granted, when you stop trying. However, what I find more compelling in Christ is that he claimed to be God, who conquered everything to do with suffering that we cannot conquer in this world. We don't need to try to stop suppress our desires or our "self", but acknowledge that they exist and they are instilled into us by our Creator. Some of the desires are just tarnished by our means to get them, when, I believe, God has all the means to attain those desires.
Thanks guys. I enjoyed the discussion.
Thank you for this interview. My brother has asked for prayer for wisdom about his religious journey and is very interested in the scientific and buddhist worldviews.
Thanks so much for this, directly from Brazil!! Praying togheter with matt for this last intention! And, evan collins, what an AMAZING surprise this soundcloud!! Thanks for sharing!
I am convert from buddhism too I was a buddhist nun for short while😄 So lovely to be Christian like coming back home...
I’m from Vietnam and I am proud to be a Catholic. I love and believe God 🙏
Your forfathers buddist 🤲☸️❤️🔥⚡namo buddaya
@@ashelkariyawasam no
4 minutes in and I love Evan's personality. Looking forward to this video.
Love these conversion stories, they're so heart warming and profound! And I've just listened to @EvansCollin rap music, I would never have guessed it was him, if I didn't go through the link from this episode! He's actually really good!
Most people who claim to be Buddhists or former Buddhists aren't. Buddhism is what the Buddha taught in the Suttas of the Pali cannon. To all the Buddhist converts here, did you keep the precepts? did you avoid intoxicants, gambling, lewd entertainments, killing animals or eating animals? Did you have a regular meditation practice? Did you practice sense restraint? Going to a temple and burning incense in front of a statue is not Buddhism.
Nice work guys. i learned a lot here. I live in a Buddhist country. I think your comments that a lot of Christians in the west have lost a lot of their compassion is right, However, the same can be said of a lot of Buddhists that live here. I guess when you enter a Buddhist monastery in the USA, you are getting purified air there but the normal air here on the streets of a Buddhist country is not so compassionate. I guess that is reality.
He seems genuine
I'm an American convert to Buddha Dharma from Catholicism and I lived in Taiwan for a little while and visited Dharamshala, North India, home of the Tibetan government in Exile and basically the epicenter of the Tibetan Buddhist world. I've found Buddhists to be a thousand times more compassionate than Christians including in Buddhist countries. People forget that Christian countries also include places like El Salvador, South Africa, Russia, and other places where necks are routinely split for a few dollars.
@@rumrunner8019 Buddhist countries such as Cambodia and Thailand have had severe human rights abuses, not to mention sex trafficking. But that's a moot point - neither Christianity nor Buddhism are meant to be state religions. I appreciate your comment. It's sad that so many who claim the name of Christ fail to reflect his Love. I have definitely failed to do this many times. However, I can confidently say that there is no deeper human love I've experienced like authentic Christian love. Comparatively, the former Zen Buddhist Paul Kingsnorth stated that Zen Buddhism struck him as compassion without love, if that's possible. My question for you is whether you as a Christian ever experienced the trancendent love and presence of Christ? Did you ever stare into His bleeding face, meditating on the mystery that the God of the Universe emptied Himself of glory to become a Jewish carpenter with the purpose of enduring a slave's torture and humiliating death to redeem humanity of sin? All because of His love for you. Did that ever touch you at the time? If so, why did you walk away from Him? Genuinely asking. I know these questions are confrontational, but those were the ones burning in my mind when I read through your comment
Wow! Just went to his SoundCloud and hes actually pretty good! Keep it up👍
What a great interview. I'd love to see more videos with any patrons you find as interesting as him!
I once took a meditation class at a sagna and it was very helpful. I use some of those focusing and relaxation techniques when saying the rosary and it’s a powerful experience. I hardly would call it a religion.
Western Buddhism lacks the religious aspect, eastern Buddhism is quite different. As a Catholic I’ve also attended Buddhist temples to learn to meditate and I agree super helpful to add into prayer practice. 📿
Watching from Germany ..God bless you gentlemen...
A beautiful program thanks for sharing this video .
The part where the audio dropped out and you had to fill was hilarious! I think you did well. Excellent episode on the whole - you and Evan helped me understand a lot.
Amazing you are so knowledgeable. Fascinating to follow and be empowered. Thank you for your lovely conversation
As to the question about practising both Buddhism and Christianity I will quote an old Chinese proverb " If you chase 2 rabbits both will get away."
Hi from Key Largo Florida. God Bless you both. May our mother Virgen Mary protect you
What a pleasure. Thank you.
I appreciate that Evan hedges a lot as he admits his lack of knowledge in many areas of Buddhism. However, this lack gives rise to misinformation. Matt might want to consider inviting a Buddhist scholar to discuss what the various concepts mean.
Buddhists do not think that one ceases to exist if you attain Nirvana. In order to understand rebirth one must understand the concept of the Self in Buddhism. It is not that a person does not exist, but that the Self is a composite of processes: it is an event, an occurrence that emerges and abates. Through practicing meditation, often through developing concentration (samadhi), one may have a deep awaking (satori) of the Self as simply being consciousness and its contents arising moment to moment. So, the experience, the feeling, that there is a an "I", an ego is the illusion. This understanding along with a connected one, sunyata (the fertile void), has a lot of affinity with Pseudo-Dionysius' apophatic mysticism and St. John of the Cross' "todo-nada."To be sure, for the Christian mystic the experience of no-self is expressed and interpreted differently than for a Buddhist. What might make sense to a Christian is that the experience of no-self or Enlightenment is a potential that all humans have, but that experience is sanctified and its true meaning is understood through the grace of God. For the most of the Christians here, a necessary condition of that to occur is being a Catholic or Orthodox.
When you say "Buddhists do not think that one ceases to exist if you attain Nirvana," which tradition specifically are you talking about?
@@ToxicallyMasculinelol All of them. In this life Nirvana is the extinguishing of greed, hatred, and delusion. In the sources the Buddha discouraged speculating on what happens to a person who experiences after death Nirvana. What is also emphasized is that it is not annihilation. It is the end of suffering and rebirth but what remains is an enigma. Similar to Catholicism regarding the beatific vision, a Christian cannot know the true state of the beatific vision until they experience it.
Buddhism is not about finding a creator and going to heaven, god is just a mere thought we humans created ourselves to make us feel better and not face the consequences of our actions. You sir, are brainwashed to believe something that doesn't even exist. Buddhism focuses on mental wellbeing rather than faith itself, Buddhism is about the journey, not the destination.
The universe is a vast and infinite expansion of planets, solar systems, galaxies and much much more. Keep in mind that if you gather enough merits by doing the right thing, you'll be reborn as a human. Humans are special since they are very self aware and are critical thinkers. Buddha himself states that there are more planets just like us, suns, stars moons all kinds of things.
You don't realise how blessed you are to have gotten to know about Buddhism, I can be your friend and show you a more logical path, please don't miss this chance.
If you're not interested in Buddhism I still want to help you, so I recommend you watch Hamza Ahmed who is a muslim, he is a self improvement youtuber who talks about mental health and fitness.
@@hellion6737 Are you replying to me or Toxically Masculine?
I'm hearing a lot of emotional stories about feeling good and emotional burdens being lifted, but I'm not hearing anything about truth in this conversion story.
wow beautiful to hear youve both been in poor old Ireland....thank you...
DATS MY BEST FRIEND! love ya bud very proud
I’m ex Buddhist from Thailand , it’s kind of dark magic for example Sakyan Tattoo ,worship baby doll with red Fanta, worship trees that older than them , worship spirit who die 100 -200 years ago , small spirit house on the side road ,and Worship everything with Red Fanta ! 🙄 My house near mosque God lead me to christianity Thank you God I found Jesus
Sorry, what you mentioned are not Buddhism.
I have traveled a lot all over Thailand and I was very surprised how much the daily Buddhist practices I saw seemed almost like pagan worship to me and very far from what I had learned about Buddhism.
While visiting temples there was no one there who spoke English that could answer my questions. On the rare occasions I found a monk that spoke English I found the answers to be confusing, bordering to nonsensical.
But the beauty and peacefulness of all the Thai wats can not be denied.
What you mentioned is not Buddhism at all.. so I don't think what you say is valid..
This was such a great interview! I also checked out his music and it is really good too.
It would be interesting to see someone go on the journey from being a dedicated Zen monk to an Orthodox Christian Hesychast because Zen is a very difficult path kind of similar to how Orthodoxy requires much more from the believer. Zen and Orthodoxy are the most abstract of their respective religions.
Matt, seriously, this is pivotal. Could you please do a video on the largely unknown and ignored USCCB document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”.
Please.
As someone who is not Catholic, what is this document and why is it important?
It speaks about the duty of the laity (the non ordained) to evangelize the culture through their political participation.
It essentially lays the groundwork for how a Christian should pursue civic engagement and offers guidelines (and boundaries) for voting.
Buddhism is interesting but seems to be a lake that is a mile wide and an inch deep. My impression fwiw.
This description is deep!
I’m not yet received in the church, but I’m deeply in love with Jesus and all things Catholic. When you say you felt Gods presence, would you describe that as a “heavy” feeling?
“Not yet received?”
CarlosS0808 I’m sorry, I guess I meant not confirmed.
D V, oh, I understand now. 😂
God's presence isn't really heavy, though it can be. The initial impression is of overwhelming love! You become acutely aware of His goodness and personal love for you, and your own smallness, dirtiness and unworthiness. It's utterly life-changing.
@@Loreman72 agree 🥰
Greetings from Poland 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱
For Atheists Buddhism is great. Once you know God exists and His Word incarnated to be with us for a short while to show us the Path to Salvation and to open the Gates of Heaven again by His Sacrifice on the Cross . Once you know that there is nothing else you can convert to.
Sorry, not true.
@@minoozolala it is true once you know the Truth. Without that you cannot make decisions.
@@ilonkastille2993 This is wonderful and true for a Christian. No doubt about that. But please don't bash Buddhism when you don't understand it at all.
@@minoozolala I am absolutely not bashing Buddhism. I could have been born in a Buddhist family myself and not known anything else.
I do understand it . I lived for 18 years in the Far East because my father was an expat and since I have always been interested in religions, I delved into Buddhism which comes out of Hinduism. It was founded on the basis of Pantheistic Brahmanism.
Unfortunately this site is too limited to have a discussion about it. I respect every person , a Creation of God and will never look down on anybody just because they are born into a certain religious tradition.
What I meant is that once you KNOW what TRUE Christianity is , which sadly a minority of people know and adhere to in these Secular times, you cannot accept anything else. This does not mean I bash anybody. Most of the christians I know do not even know 20% of what the teachings of their own religion is. This is the reason why they are so easily swayed into other religions by people who can convince them.
@@ilonkastille2993 Sorry if I misunderstood you. But please understand that the majority of Buddhists are not atheists, and that all they object to is the idea of "creator" god, since as you will know, they believe that the universe is created by the collective and individual actions (karma) of living beings. Buddhists believe in a variety of deities, and usually are devoted to one specific deity, whom they love, honour and venerate to the same extent Christians love, honour and venerate Christ, the Virgin Mary and/or God. Yes, I do understand that once a person with Christian leanings/beliefs understands true Christianity they will not be able to accept anything else. But the same goes for Buddhists too - once they truly understand the Buddhist teachings and have an experience of the deity, they cannot accept anything else. Same with Hindus and Muslims. Perhaps this is what your statement implies.
Love your show.... California Listener
Christ consciousness is the same as the germ of Bhuddahood, so if you have reached this level you still have a long way to go. The dharma is immaculate without flaw, it is true not false
Great video Matt
Good episode Matt!
Ok but he's just saying that he prefers Christianity to Buddhism -- but what matters is which one is true, not which one you like better. I say this as a very conflicted person between Catholicism and Buddhism myself.
For me, the eye witness evidence of Christ’s resurrection is convincing to me. I think Buddha was a great and wise teacher, who stumbled upon profound truth through genuine deep meditation, but Christ is truly God’s only begotten son and only true incarnation. I enjoy reading Buddhist literature and articles, and sitting in silent meditation, but culturally I’d have to identify myself as Christian.
For me, the definition of a religion is straightforward. It's a system of belief in a deity. Religions without a deity would be classified as a philosophy for living.
So Buddhism is not a Religion? And what about the practice and rites? Your definition has problems and we just start talking...
Religion literally just means way of life
Richard Craig i tried to find the roots of the word and it seems there's a lot of debate about how we got the word.
@@richardcraig599 so Philosophy is Religion an indeed a factory of religion since every philosopher has a way of life. By the way, we are talking about DEFINITION not just the meaning or etymology/root of a word.
Christianity is the true Philosophy and true Religion. It is not either, or.
13.16 Kind of reminds me of the story of John Chrysostom's life when he went hardcore ascetic in his early life and was basically broken by it before he was found and cared for by some friends.
can pints with Aquinas interview a Hindu and compare and contrast ?
I found in the Gospels the answer to the question of how I will receive the crown of eternal life with the Father. It is in the Gospel of St John, chapter 5, verse 24, where Jesus said to those who would listen that: 'I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.' A simple yet profound Gospel Truth which I believed and have crossed over from death to life.
Please do Joseph Sciambra one day 😩👍🏻
Just listened to evan collins' music on soundcloud. Really worth a listen
Wonderful show, thanks! Western converts to Buddhism usually describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious," so therefore they like to claim that Buddhism is not a religion. But, a religion is any group of people that subscribe to the same spiritual beliefs and practices. So to me, Buddhism is a religion. Also it's alien to Christian theology as it focuses on finding one's own inner strength to do things, whereas a Christian prays to God for Grace and help.
The kind of Buddhism that I'm aware of, you ask Bodhisattvas for grace and help. They're not gods they're people who lived long ago and have become enlightened. There's a belief that the world is in a latter stage of the law where inner strength no longer works.
Matt, we NEED a DEBATE or DIALOGUE VIDEO DESPERATELY between an informed Catholic and a Buddhist on the difference in world view. Could you please have on maybe Doug's Dharma or perhaps Alon Peto to discuss Buddhism and Catholicism with somebody from the Catholic faith? thanks1
Jesus Christ is our everything . We are truly blessedto be God's own children . We know this is true because Jesus told us so . Being born into a Catholic family is the greatest treasure God has given me.
Both Buddhism and Christianity are paths to the truth. There is only one truth no matter which path you take. The truth is the only thing that matters. Glad that you find the path that's right for you.
Just hope to get up the mountain and see you before the summit, sibling!
We meditate on the Lord, we wait on Him. He will speak to you. He is the small still voice that speaks to us. He lives, and He loves us. Right now God is speaking to everyone right now, it is up to us if we want to hear His voice and how much we want to hear His voice. Now as for the Holy Spirit, He can live with power in us. Jesus explains it well when He says Faith is like a mustard seed it is a small small seed and if we plant it water it care for it, it will grow to be the biggest tree, in the area. Doing this spending time in prayer, and meditation on the Lord, allow it to grow, He will fill your life with a Devine light, filled with life and power. God Bless
✝💚☸Alienating a good Buddhist is alienating a Christian and going against Christ. Just because those following the Buddha's teaching don't know very much about Jesus's specific approach doesn't mean that they don't practice his teachings. Fundamentally, the Buddha is Jesus.
1:30:00 focus on Jesus, not self... the crux of the difference between eastern religions and Christianity.
You clearly don't understand eastern religions.
As a Taiwanese Buddhist, I always find it amusing to see how many videos there are of Christians (almost always white, westerners) ranting about the evils of Buddhism, and yet there are hardly ever Buddhists doing the same about other religions. It tells you a great deal about which system has the greater confidence in its methodology. Mitchell seems not to know much about Buddhism or the Buddha at all. The Buddha had HUGE amounts to say about life, its reasons, and its purposes. Sects within Buddhism all follow the 5 precepts and the eightfold path. No exception. The same cannot be said within the Christian world and its theology. Buddhism by comparison is extremely consistent, as it does not believe in inerrant scriptures but rather the process of mindfulness and meditation. Mitchell appears not to have read many Buddhism scriptures at all. And OF COURSE you can be a Christian Buddhist. I know of a great many Christian Buddhists in Taiwan. For westerners, I understand it is difficult, as you have a different relationship with the Dao - which you confuse with man-written dogma. If you want a good, clear, and very well-rounded WESTERN perspective of Buddhism, might I suggest you contact an actual buddhist next time - I recommend Ajahn Brahm. A good translation of the canonical Pali texts is Bihikkhu Bodhi. Thank you for reading this long-winded rant.
It seems in an attempt to discredit the notions of this guy about Buddhism you yourself make up your own false assumptions about Christianity. Maybe you're not one of those Buddhists who are "confident in their methodology".
@@LuzianJ Maybe. But I have had my say. Thanks.
Spot on!
Thank you... These westerns love to put down other religions just to make them look superior.. that's just a losers way and tells a lot about their methodology.. you almost never see a Buddhist channel discredit other religions.. but I think we need to take a stand.. and do the same.. if your religion is so good, why try to convert.. live by your values.. if it is that good people will flock towards it..
I'm a convert from Tibetan Buddhism to Orthodoxy. I did intense practice with spiritual highs and learned a lot truths about my self and reality. I walked into the San Diego mission and saw Jesus on the cross and I knew I had to submit to God. Without the Buddhist teaching I wouldn't have opened my mind to Christ. Our education system and consumer culture made me quite nihilistic. So I bow out of respect to the Buddha but worship and glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, One God.
To comment on what Evan said about the Buddhist respect for life; Yes life is extremely sacred in Buddhism. My experience is more in the Tibetan tradition. I remember there being a Tibetan Lama that was astonished by abortion in the west so he would tell his students 1. that it was wrong and an extremely negative action 2. He would have them make offerings to monks that were in life long retreats in the Himalayas to pray specifically for the aborted child and the person who did the abortion
I'm a lifelong student of world religions. While I do think the RCC has the full truth, I also believe there are aspects of our faith that are not only present in other religions, but much better articulated or lived out. The irreverence of most American Novus Ordo Masses comes to mind. (It took our local Orthodox church to bring my young daughter back into openness to faith, which ironically whittled away right after she received her First Communion.) Buddhist meditation is what helped me learn about and embrace Christian contemplation.
From Perú!!! S. América!!!!!
Yo también! 🙌🇵🇪
With the question of what is a religion, I have heard from some Dominicans religion is the virtue of giving justice to God(giving him what is rightfully his). I don’t think buddhism comes under that, as far as I know they don’t have any god.
I love this!
I also used my meditative beads to pray the Jesus prayer when I was transiting back into following Christ! 💓
The Buddhist practice of mindfulness seems essential for anyone wanting to become a saint. How else would you gain the necessary consciousness of the subtle nuances of sin?
It's called Nepsis/watchfulness.
@Be Skeptical Of Everything Why read it when you can practice it
Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha... Namo Amitabha Buddha.
Soha
this was great.
"People are worth the conversation."
Praying all souls to return to Jesus
I have the same cross, and one time I was demonstrating the heimlich maneuver with my cousin and my cross jabbed him right in the back.
Okay, as a practicing Buddhist, I have to say, I facepalmed at 1:09:48 in. This guy couldn't name *a single solitary* major Buddhist philosopher?! As in he never heard of a fellow named *ALAN WATTS* ?! Not to mention the classic teachers like Dogen Zenji, Atisa, Nicherin, Buddhaghosa, Bodhidharma, etc? Not to mention Asanga. Asanga was basically the Aquinas of Buddhism. And as for modern day Buddhist philosophers, how oh how is it he couldn't say "Thich Naht Hanh"? That's like a Protestant not being able to name name a single famous protestant preacher of the last fifty years, not even Billy Graham.
I'm not thinking this man Evan was a very good Buddhist to begin with.
Tell me why Buddhism is true.
Catholicism is true because Jesus came down and gave us teachings.
@@koppite9600 Buddha Dharma is true because it is observable in day to day life. It is all about suffering and how to transcend it in this lifetime for the benefit of all sentient beings. Christianity, like most religions, is based on a mythology and a deity who needs to be worshiped and revered in order for a person to stay on its good side and reap rewards in the afterlife.
@@rumrunner8019 Jesus is not a myth. What you say about Buddha seems to be a myth.. what do you mean its observable? Observation is subjective so Buddha can be real for you but not for anyone else
@@koppite9600 I'm not talking about the stories but rather about the Four Noble Truths. They are observable in everyday life, unlike any Christian ideas.
@@rumrunner8019 those noble truths are truths so why make them a religion?
And Christianity has history you can study. Let's debate on the history which you disagree with.
If I could ask, what works of Augustine did Collins read?
my wife says yall look like the guys from Good Mythical Morning
With the glasses and beard Fradd is looking like a pomaded early St Max Kolbe
Loved this interview Matt. Loved the energy you guys had during the discussions! What a wonderful testimony; another serious warrior for Christ!
watching this in 2024 Matt frad you need to grow that beard back!
Matt. This gentleman was very funny and engaging but his explanations on Buddhism were definitely lacking. Any chance you are interested in having someone like perhaps Dr. David Anders from Catholic Answers on to discuss Buddhism. Or a debate would be fascinating. I’m not familiar with Buddhist Apologetics but lol.
Matt, your guests have consistently been too quiet in the last several interviews you've done. Please turn up their volume or find a way to get them to speak louder?
I'd like to know what Liberal Arts college you attended. It sounds like a great institution.
I went to a group mediation and all I saw was Jesus surrounded by light. I walked out a Christian 😅
Buddhism always struck me as been the religion you have when you don't have a religion.
The religion for agnostics truly
proven, without Jesus Christ, you can do nothing!
*can do nothing
You used a double negative
@@rustyshackelford3590 Thank you! :D
What's the name of the image of Jesus on the thumbnail? Where does it come from?
Buddha in the West is like a Gateway back to Christ for all people who have been shrunk to athiesm by the father of confusion. If you sit in Buddhas silence for long enough you will find what you lost, or rather what was taken from you
Single eh...Darn, wish I had caught this live. 🤔😅