Why Buddhism Resonates with Westerners

Oct. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- (ASHLAND, OREGON) R. E. Sherman, author and authority on comparative religion, has released his latest, must-have book, Buddha & Jesus: Could Solomon Be the Missing Link?.

Why does Buddhism, an eastern religion, resonate with many westerners? Did Buddha create it by blending the practices of an eastern religion, Jainism, with the ethics of a western one, Judaism? Few people realize that the first colony of Jews settled in India when Buddha was born. Perhaps he interacted with one of these settlers? If true, this would explain numerous similarities between the teachings of Jesus (AD 30) and Buddha (525 BC). Perhaps each was significantly influenced by a mutual predecessor, Solomon (950 BC)?

In Buddha & Jesus you’ll learn that Buddha and Solomon each wrote several hundred proverbs, and over 100 direct comparisons of very similar proverbs are scrutinized. You’ll find:

•   Extensive side-by-side comparisons of the teachings of Jesus and Buddha
•   The strengths and corresponding weaknesses of both religions
•   A simple four-step process for transitioning from Solomon to Buddha
•   A survey of fourteen types of evidence for the Solomon-Buddha link
•   Answers to numerous key FAQs
•   Fictional dialogues between the young Buddha and a learned Jew living near him that help put key points into context

This unflinching, challenging book is a must read for anyone interested in Buddhism and how it compares with Christianity and Judaism.

What people are saying about Buddha & Jesus: "Buddha and Jesus is a captivating and substantive book that makes Buddha more accessible to Westerners. It challenges the longstanding belief that Buddha drew his great wisdom entirely from deep within himself by prolonged, intense meditation. Instead, the author proposes that Buddha's real genius involved blending the ethics and wisdom of Solomon with Jainism, a resistance movement to Hinduism. The author presents a strong case for this possibility.” - D. Wayne Linn Ph.D., Amazon reviewer

About the author: A graduate of UC San Diego (BA and MA), R. E. Sherman was a principal with PricewaterhouseCoopers and an expert witness in many major cases. He has authored 10 professional papers, including two national prizewinners, 70 articles in a national trade publication and a book (10,000 copies sold). He has been a serious student of comparative religion for 40 years.  Learn more at http://www.buddha-christ.info/.

Title: Buddha & Jesus: Could Solomon Be the Missing Link?
Author: R. E. Sherman
Genre: Religious Studies
ISBN: 978-1461086543
Publication Date: July 2011
Pages: 352
Price: $13.99 (softcover), $4.99 (Kindle)
Publisher: Createspace

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