[Buddha-l] Pure Land

[Gary Gach]

Richard's point about context — that all-important factor — brought to mind
a question which may never be scholastically answered.

Seems to me as if resemblances between Pure Land and what's now known as
Christianity may not be accidental, but rather due to Buddhists hearing
about followers of Jesus during travels along the Silk Route.   Lineage of
the new innovative Mahayana approach was backdated to Nagarjuna, for
credentials.

Say the word / the name, and you'll be free.  Other power.

Of course, like I say, there may never be archeological evidence of such
Christian-Buddhist contact at the inception of Pure Land, (context) — but
still, one wonders, don't one.  (Similarly, one never knows if any of the
Silk Route travellers had made their way to Galilee ... and influenced Jesus
/ his followers ... )

Gary Gach
http://word.to