The Trinity and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a Tibetan Buddhist religious text. It is a prayer book that is designed to guide the soul upon death. For my personal prayer rituals, I meditate the first prayer of the book.
The prayer is called “The Prayer of the Three Body Mentor Yoga”. During the meditation, you pray to the three individual aspects of Buddha, and ask Him to merge with you. I’ll type out the first four paragraphs below.
When I first read this book, I perceived the three bodies of Buddha to be the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I believe the descriptions match.
The Father
To the unborn, nondeveloping, Truth Body Mentor,
In the palace of the perfect, all-pervading Realm of Truth,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning misknowing delusion,
I freely accept the perfect Truth Body blessing,
As effortless, nonartifical, primal wisdom!
The Son
To the deathless, great bliss Beatific Body Mentor
In the palace of bright, pure wisdom’s universal bliss,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning lust and longing,
I freely accept the effortless Beatific Body blessing,
As the natural liberation of inner wisdom’s universal bliss!
The Holy Spirit
To the ineffable, self-created Emanation Body Mentor,
In the palace of the flawless perfect lotus,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning misconceiving hatred,
I freely accept the effortless Emanation Body blessing
As self-evident wisdom’s introspective self-illumination!
The Trinity
To the impartial, great bliss Triple- Body mentor,
In the palace of authentic clear light introspection,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning subject-object dualism,
I freely accept the great bliss Triple Body blessing
As original wisdom’s Triple Body spontaneity!

Does anyone else perceive this as the Holy Trinity? My personal belief goes as far to say that this prayer is sufficient for salvation, in like manner to the John 3:16 prayer.
Has anyone discovered other references to the Trinity in other religions besides Christianity?

Xavier Graham SA said:

Has anyone discovered other references to the Trinity in other religions besides Christianity?

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I don't know if you find a relation / similarity but there is the Three Jewels/Refuges: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

What Are the Three Jewels?

Secret Chief said:

I don't know if you find a relation / similarity but there is the Three Jewels/Refuges: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

What Are the Three Jewels?

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I would identify the Buddha as Christ, as I believe He was God incarnate. The Dharma I would identify as the Father (the body of truth). Through the father we are taught about the nature of reality and morality. The Sangha I would identify as the Holy Spirit. We are all “one” through the Holy Spirit, our collective soul. Our Holy Spirit allow us to worship God and try to emanate His presence as a collective.
But yea, I do identify the three jewels with the Trinity.

Xavier Graham SA said:

Has anyone discovered other references to the Trinity in other religions besides Christianity?

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Yes, the Baha'i Faith has a belief in a Trinity in the sense that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit work together to reveal God.

Question.—What is the meaning of the Trinity, of the Three Persons in One?

Answer.—The Divine Reality, which is purified and sanctified from the understanding of human beings and which can never be imagined by the people of wisdom and of intelligence, is exempt from all conception. That Lordly Reality admits of no division; for division and multiplicity are properties of creatures which are contingent existences, and not accidents which happen to the self-existent..............

God is pure perfection, and creatures are but imperfections. For God to descend into the conditions of existence would be the greatest of imperfections; on the contrary, His manifestation, His appearance, His rising are like the reflection of the sun in a clear, pure, polished mirror. All the creatures are evident signs of God, like the earthly beings upon all of which the rays of the sun shine. But upon the plains, the mountains, the trees and fruits, only a portion of the light shines, through which they become visible, and are reared, and attain to the object of their existence, while the Perfect Man 2 is in the condition of a clear mirror in which the Sun of Reality becomes visible and manifest with all its qualities and perfections. So the Reality of Christ was a clear and polished mirror of the greatest purity and fineness. The Sun of Reality, the Essence of Divinity, reflected itself in this mirror and manifested its light and heat in it; but from the exaltation of its holiness, and the heaven of its sanctity, the Sun did not descend to dwell and abide in the mirror. No, it continues to subsist in its exaltation and sublimity, while appearing and becoming manifest in the mirror in beauty and perfection.

Now if we say that we have seen the Sun in two mirrors—one the Christ and one the Holy Spirit—that is to say, that we have seen three Suns, one in heaven and the two others on the earth, we speak truly. And if we say that there is one Sun, and it is pure singleness, and has no partner and equal, we again speak truly.

The epitome of the discourse is that the Reality of Christ was a clear mirror, and the Sun of Reality—that is to say, the Essence of Oneness, with its infinite perfections and attributes—became visible in the mirror. The meaning is not that the Sun, which is the Essence of the Divinity, became divided and multiplied—for the Sun is one—but it appeared in the mirror. This is why Christ said, “The Father is in the Son,” meaning that the Sun is visible and manifest in this mirror.

The Holy Spirit is the Bounty of God which becomes visible and evident in the Reality of Christ. The Sonship station is the heart of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the station of the spirit of Christ. Hence it has become certain and proved that the Essence of Divinity is absolutely unique and has no equal, no likeness, no equivalent. Some Answered Questions, pp. 113-115

Those were excerpts. You can read the entire chapter on this link: 27: THE TRINITY

Xavier Graham SA said:

Does anyone else perceive this as the Holy Trinity? My personal belief goes as far to say that this prayer is sufficient for salvation, in like manner to the John 3:16 prayer.
Has anyone discovered other references to the Trinity in other religions besides Christianity?

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My first thought would be 'No', however it depends upon what Christ's salvation means to you. If you believe that it means an afterlife filled with pleasures then probably not. Buddha teaches (as I understand it) that its best to accept our lifespan and not be greedy for more. Jesus teaching of self denial may be interpreted the same, and his resurrection could be a description of repentance rather than a promise of an afterlife. Its difficult, because the Christian canon can be read more than one way. We also have Paul talking about resurrection in one or more passages in very afterlife-ish language. ...So maybe 'Yes'. Maybe.

It can be shown that there are ways of viewing Buddha's salvation and Jesus salvation to be similar depending upon how the NT is interpreted and the dharma is interpreted, however this probably would not be plain to initiates. Buddhist initiates come various ways to understand the dharma, and so do Christians.

I once read a very scholarly Roman Catholic say that the various trinities we find out there in the different cultures of the world are not 'The Trinity' but reflect it. I don't know whether that is an official stance of most RC's or what. Probably that is how they see it, that there is some ideal trinity which these other trinities reflect in some way.

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Mind, Body and Spirit
The real of being, the realm of non-being, and the realm of desire

Xavier Graham SA said:

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a Tibetan Buddhist religious text. It is a prayer book that is designed to guide the soul upon death. For my personal prayer rituals, I meditate the first prayer of the book.
The prayer is called “The Prayer of the Three Body Mentor Yoga”. During the meditation, you pray to the three individual aspects of Buddha, and ask Him to merge with you. I’ll type out the first four paragraphs below.
When I first read this book, I perceived the three bodies of Buddha to be the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I believe the descriptions match.
The Father
To the unborn, nondeveloping, Truth Body Mentor,
In the palace of the perfect, all-pervading Realm of Truth,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning misknowing delusion,
I freely accept the perfect Truth Body blessing,
As effortless, nonartifical, primal wisdom!
The Son
To the deathless, great bliss Beatific Body Mentor
In the palace of bright, pure wisdom’s universal bliss,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning lust and longing,
I freely accept the effortless Beatific Body blessing,
As the natural liberation of inner wisdom’s universal bliss!
The Holy Spirit
To the ineffable, self-created Emanation Body Mentor,
In the palace of the flawless perfect lotus,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning misconceiving hatred,
I freely accept the effortless Emanation Body blessing
As self-evident wisdom’s introspective self-illumination!
The Trinity
To the impartial, great bliss Triple- Body mentor,
In the palace of authentic clear light introspection,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning subject-object dualism,
I freely accept the great bliss Triple Body blessing
As original wisdom’s Triple Body spontaneity!

Does anyone else perceive this as the Holy Trinity? My personal belief goes as far to say that this prayer is sufficient for salvation, in like manner to the John 3:16 prayer.
Has anyone discovered other references to the Trinity in other religions besides Christianity?

Click to expand...

No. Only in christianity so far I know. There is no creator-god/entity in the Buddha's Dharma, so no incarnations of that deity.

I don't see the need to find the trinity in other religious teachings to appreciate both teachings as unique in their own right. Inspiration doesn't need integration.

Brickjectivity said:

It can be shown that there are ways of viewing Buddha's salvation and Jesus salvation to be similar depending upon how the NT is interpreted and the dharma is interpreted

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So, Buddhism teaches that if you become enlightened, you will not be reincarnated, rather, upon death, you enter Nirvana (Heaven). This is the intent of Buddhist doctrine, to teach how this could be achieved.
My interpretation (in an attempt to synthesize the beliefs) is this
Jesus Christ freed us from our negative karma with His death. I believe that when Jesus died on the cross, He went to the waiting room for Hell. The place that Enoch describes, the fallen angels of that book are cast into the earth and bound there until the Final Day of Judgement. After three days, He experienced reincarnation, and eventually went to Heaven. I believe that through Jesus’s death, He provided us a path to free ourselves from reincarnation. Thereby ending the cycle of life I.e suffering.
I believe that the blood of Jesus is enlightenment. No human could achieve enlightenment through their own power (well I suppose a core Buddhist belief is that Buddha achieved it, but he stated plainly that he was just a man and a greater teacher would show humanity the true path to enlightenment).
As for the death and reincarnation of Jesus, I believe it validates Buddhist teachings on reincarnation. The process that Jesus went through:life, death, reincarnation, and then Nirvana. It is the exact process that is proposed in Buddhist doctrine. So, Jesus opened the path to Nirvana through Him, and He is the enlightenment.

Xavier Graham SA said:

So, Buddhism teaches that if you become enlightened, you will not be reincarnated, rather, upon death, you enter Nirvana (Heaven). This is the intent of Buddhist doctrine, to teach how this could be achieved.
My interpretation (in an attempt to synthesize the beliefs) is this
Jesus Christ freed us from our negative karma with His death. I believe that when Jesus died on the cross, He went to the waiting room for Hell. The place that Enoch describes, the fallen angels of that book are cast into the earth and bound there until the Final Day of Judgement. After three days, He experienced reincarnation, and eventually went to Heaven. I believe that through Jesus’s death, He provided us a path to free ourselves from reincarnation. Thereby ending the cycle of life I.e suffering.
I believe that the blood of Jesus is enlightenment. No human could achieve enlightenment through their own power (well I suppose a core Buddhist belief is that Buddha achieved it, but he stated plainly that he was just a man and a greater teacher would show humanity the true path to enlightenment).
As for the death and reincarnation of Jesus, I believe it validates Buddhist teachings on reincarnation. The process that Jesus went through:life, death, reincarnation, and then Nirvana. It is the exact process that is proposed in Buddhist doctrine. So, Jesus opened the path to Nirvana through Him, and He is the enlightenment.

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From what I gather:

1. Jesus can't free someone from negative karma as karma isn't like "sin"
Karma For the early Buddhists, karma was non-linear and complex. Other Indian schools believed that karma operated in a simple straight line, with actions from the past influencing the present, and present actions influencing the future. As a result, they saw little room for free will. Buddhists, however, saw that karma acts in multiple feedback loops, with the present moment being shaped both by past and by present actions; present actions shape not only the future but also the present.

In other words, no past/present/future just one state. Salvation saves one from a present state so they have a better future state after death. The Buddha's Dharma addresses people's present state without reference to an afterlife (future) or anything like that because everything is in the "now." The goal is to awaken one's present state not have faith to be in perfection in a future state.

2. Enlightenment is not attaching to anything that you use to identify as who you are-god included.

3. Reincarnation is a Hindu concept not a Buddhist one.

4. Jesus said focus on the creator and the Buddha said focus on mind (creator is an illusion)

5. Jesus put emphasis on faith. The Buddha put emphasis on action (you can't reach an enlightened state by believing you will).

6. From what I understand death in Buddhism is different than death as we know it. Christians believe once you die and are resurrected and so forth you reach your destination-god. The Buddha's Dharma is more you're stuck here in present time until you get your "act" together.

7. The idea in Buddhism isn't to save one self from negative karma but cultivate one's karma to where all actions contribute to an enlighten state. Once can't do that if someone else takes the responsibility for the person's actions.

8. Christianity looks at life/death/resurrection with emphasis on sacrifice and resurrection
The Buddha promoted life and wouldn't use death of a person to save someone who can save him or herself by what he or she does for self and others.

Keep Jesus in one spot and The Buddha in another spot.

I think jesus and the buddha would highly appreciate it.

Unveiled Artist said:

Keep Jesus in one spot and The Buddha in another spot.

I think jesus and the buddha would highly appreciate it.

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I disagree with the points you listed, but that’s just a result of how I’ve come to interpret the texts in the teachings. For example, I say both Jesus and Buddha emphasized both faith and action. I’m sure I couldn’t convince you just as much as you can’t convince me, but that’s not bad. It is a result of our personal convictions with our faiths.

One point I’ll add though is this. Buddha said his teachings were merely a boat. This boat could be used to cross the great river. However, once we’ve crossed, we must abandon the boat and continue forward without it. This is a paraphrase but He said this. He said a greater teacher would come with a greater philosophy. I’d say many Buddhists refuse to leave the boat

Xavier Graham SA said:

I disagree with the points you listed, but that’s just a result of how I’ve come to interpret the texts in the teachings. For example, I say both Jesus and Buddha emphasized both faith and action. I’m sure I couldn’t convince you just as much as you can’t convince me, but that’s not bad. It is a result of our personal convictions with our faiths.

One point I’ll add though is this. Buddha said his teachings were merely a boat. This boat could be used to cross the great river. However, once we’ve crossed, we must abandon the boat and continue forward without it. This is a paraphrase but He said this. He said a greater teacher would come with a greater philosophy. I’d say many Buddhists refuse to leave the boat

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I don't think the term buddhism would reflect how you view christianity, trinity, and buddhism. But you can read more of the Buddha's Dharma both the Pali Suttras and commentaries on accesstoinsight.org

They overlap in things like compassion, loving others, things like that. Their theology is totally oppose to each other.

If buddhist refuse to leave the boat that would mean they are not practicing The Buddha's Teachings?

Here is the wiki article on the Trikaya, the three bodies of Buddha:
Trikaya - Wikipedia

Summary:
The doctrine says that a Buddha has three kāyas or bodies:

1. The Dharmakāya, "Dharma body,"[1] ultimate reality,[web 1] "pure being itself,"[web 1] Buddha nature,[2] emptiness,[2] akin to Nirguna Brahman;[2]
2. The Saṃbhogakāya, "Enjoyment (or Bliss) body,"[1] the divine Buddhas of the Buddha realms,[1] akin to Saguna Brahman;[2]
3. The Nirmāṇakāya, "Transformation (or Appearance) Body,"[1] his physical appearance in the world,[1] akin to an avatar.

crossfire said:

Here is the wiki article on the Trikaya, the three bodies of Buddha:
Trikaya - Wikipedia

Summary:
The doctrine says that a Buddha has three kāyas or bodies:

1. The Dharmakāya, "Dharma body,"[1] ultimate reality,[web 1] "pure being itself,"[web 1] Buddha nature,[2] emptiness,[2] akin to Nirguna Brahman;[2]
2. The Saṃbhogakāya, "Enjoyment (or Bliss) body,"[1] the divine Buddhas of the Buddha realms,[1] akin to Saguna Brahman;[2]
3. The Nirmāṇakāya, "Transformation (or Appearance) Body,"[1] his physical appearance in the world,[1] akin to an avatar.

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If you are going to apply the Trikaya to Jesus, after his death, his tomb was found to be empty of his physical body, aka the Nirmāṇakāya, yet he appeared to others after his death, in what would be his Saṃbhogakāya. This would jive with the Tibetan rainbow body (Saṃbhogakāya) which appears within a week after death, leaving behind only hair and nails of the physical body (Nirmāṇakāya).

Unveiled Artist said:

No. Only in christianity so far I know. There is no creator-god/entity in the Buddha's Dharma, so no incarnations of that deity.

I don't see the need to find the trinity in other religious teachings to appreciate both teachings as unique in their own right. Inspiration doesn't need integration.

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Only Christianity would think up of something like that. No doubt. Lol.

It's ironic the claim that Christianity has no want for nothing, but Christians continually search for alternatives among different religions as if Christianity itself isn't complete and fulfilling on its own.

Xavier Graham SA said:

So, Buddhism teaches that if you become enlightened, you will not be reincarnated, rather, upon death, you enter Nirvana (Heaven). This is the intent of Buddhist doctrine, to teach how this could be achieved.

Click to expand...

This is where the different Buddhist schools might depart from one another. Some believe in past lives. I think others just see past lives as a point of view. I don't remember which ones believe which way.

I don't remember why Jesus was dead for three days. I think I had it figured out at one time, and I think I posted about it in 2020. I would leave the 3 days out, because it seems irrelevant to your pursuit and could cause unnecessary argument later. What do you care if it was 3 days or not?

Xavier Graham SA said:

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a Tibetan Buddhist religious text. It is a prayer book that is designed to guide the soul upon death. For my personal prayer rituals, I meditate the first prayer of the book.
The prayer is called “The Prayer of the Three Body Mentor Yoga”. During the meditation, you pray to the three individual aspects of Buddha, and ask Him to merge with you. I’ll type out the first four paragraphs below.
When I first read this book, I perceived the three bodies of Buddha to be the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I believe the descriptions match.
The Father
To the unborn, nondeveloping, Truth Body Mentor,
In the palace of the perfect, all-pervading Realm of Truth,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning misknowing delusion,
I freely accept the perfect Truth Body blessing,
As effortless, nonartifical, primal wisdom!
The Son
To the deathless, great bliss Beatific Body Mentor
In the palace of bright, pure wisdom’s universal bliss,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning lust and longing,
I freely accept the effortless Beatific Body blessing,
As the natural liberation of inner wisdom’s universal bliss!
The Holy Spirit
To the ineffable, self-created Emanation Body Mentor,
In the palace of the flawless perfect lotus,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning misconceiving hatred,
I freely accept the effortless Emanation Body blessing
As self-evident wisdom’s introspective self-illumination!
The Trinity
To the impartial, great bliss Triple- Body mentor,
In the palace of authentic clear light introspection,
With reverent devotion, ardently I pray!
Self-freed without abandoning subject-object dualism,
I freely accept the great bliss Triple Body blessing
As original wisdom’s Triple Body spontaneity!

Does anyone else perceive this as the Holy Trinity? My personal belief goes as far to say that this prayer is sufficient for salvation, in like manner to the John 3:16 prayer.
Has anyone discovered other references to the Trinity in other religions besides Christianity?

Click to expand...

So you're looking for an equivalence between the teachings of a theist tradition, and those of a non-theist one?
You can do that, though I'm not clear why you would want or need to.
It's comparing apples and oranges.

I view Trinity somehow different from church dogma. IMO Father is the primal Source and as such superior above all. And incarnation of Logos isn't just one man (Jesus) but all "creation"...

However Trinity can be applied as universal pattern/principle/concept/archetype. There is a similar concept in Chinese philosophy: Wuiji - -> Taiji - - > Yin/Yang... Here Taiji is infinite potential (same as Logos).

And in Neoplatonism: The One - - > Nous (Logos) - - > Soul...

Brickjectivity said:

What do you care if it was 3 days or not?

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I don’t necessarily care, it’s just what I’ve always heard growing up, that He was in the tomb for three days. That’s what the Bible says too, no? Now your making me think about it, that’s something I’ve never questioned.
The length of days is irrelevant to me, just the matter of fact that he died and then was reincarnated is what I find important.

Brickjectivity said:

This is where the different Buddhist schools might depart from one another

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Yee, and my attempt of synthesizing I’m quite sure is not part of any established Buddhist sect. Buddhism is philosophical at its core, right? So I see it as malleable and subject to interpretation and refinement.

Unveiled Artist said:

No. Only in christianity so far I know. There is no creator-god/entity in the Buddha's Dharma, so no incarnations of that deity.

I don't see the need to find the trinity in other religious teachings to appreciate both teachings as unique in their own right. Inspiration doesn't need integration.

Click to expand...

Agreed, it is better to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of the different traditions. Also, the "integration" is rarely done in an objective manner. It is usually a case of trying to make a teaching from one tradition fit into the framework of another, even when it doesn't really belong there. Square pegs and round holes!

Xavier Graham SA said:

I don’t necessarily care, it’s just what I’ve always heard growing up, that He was in the tomb for three days. That’s what the Bible says too, no? Now your making me think about it, that’s something I’ve never questioned.
The length of days is irrelevant to me, just the matter of fact that he died and then was reincarnated is what I find important.

Yee, and my attempt of synthesizing I’m quite sure is not part of any established Buddhist sect. Buddhism is philosophical at its core, right? So I see it as malleable and subject to interpretation and refinement.

Click to expand...

Does the Bible teach reincarnation? I thought it was resurrection.