Can we know what the Buddha said?
Like Jesus, or Socrates, the Buddha left behind no writings. Coming from a Christian upbringing, I know that the last Gospel, the Gospel of John, was written about 70 years after the death of Christ. In that time, the story of Jesus had apparently mutated into one of a divine being descending to Earth to save humanity - pretty far from what historical scholars think early Christians actually believed, let alone Jesus himself. So if a moderately long period of time was between the Buddha's death and the first comprehensive account of his teachings, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume his message encountered some pretty profound distortions? Does it matter to you?
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from Buddhism https://ift.tt/2FER4OF
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