Tiger Woods and Buddhism
Amid all the hoopla about Tiger Woods is his comments that he was brought up Buddhist. I'm no expert on Buddhism (you can learn more here) but there are other pop stars professing the religion:
Other well-known Americans who have embraced the Buddhist philosophy and have publicly testified to the merits of other branches of Buddhism include pop singer Tina Turner (Nichiren Buddhism) and the coach of the Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson (Zen Buddhism). In addition, several popular rock groups, such as the Beastie Boys, Nirvana, and Smashing Pumpkins, openly promote Buddhist teachings.
When you look at the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism and the Eightfold Path, what I recognize is that this religion requires the person to do "the heavy lifting" to conquer fear and desire. It's up to you to achieve Nirvana.
With Christianity, it's the opposite. Jesus makes the sacrifice for us, bridging the gap between God and Man's sin. We can do nothing on our own to achieve salvation -- all we do is believe in Christ. Seems simple enough but I'm talking about taking a step of faith of real belief.
There is a supernatural component to Christianity, consisting of God's power working in your life, doing what you cannot. It's more than just self-discipline. The ends are quite different in Christianity compared to Buddhism. Eternity with God is the end. With Buddhism, it's quite different, as outlined here:
Finally, what is the ultimate spiritual goal of a true Buddhist? No matter what school of Buddhism is at question, the summit of the mountain is nothingness — like the candle flame that is blown out. It is being totally extinguished. At that point there will be no more illusions, no more suffering and pain to endure, and no more deaths to experience. Yet there will also be no more truths to be learned, no more love to express, and no more life to enjoy with the Creator who made us so we might be His eternal, beloved children.
