Religion is not often accurately depicted. Stories are often told to represent one persons experience. However to truly understand religion one must experience it for himself In regards to this particular authors representation I feel he is speaking metaphorically of what the religion itself suggests to him. Though in a literal since this may not be the case. In the passage dealing with Buddhism there were many discrepancies that stood out. For instance my notes reflect that Buddhism is about accepting the "icky feeling" and understanding the nature of the problem. This story suggests denial. To convince himself he is not afraid when truly he is. Also I don't feel it was Buddha's intent to find out what makes people unhappy but rather to discover true happiness. People are not unhappy because they can't get what they want but because they have attached a meaning to what not having it means.
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Ch...
English: A cross close to the church in Grense Jak...
English: Tibetan endless knot Nederlands: Tibetaan...I also feel the man would have told him to clean the place up for he can only be as "wholesome as what he nourishes himself with.
The next passage deals with Hinduism I believe that this is incorrect as well. The fourth nixama says practice what you preach. For this man to say what he is saying he would have to be willing to hear the same words if he were in the same situation. He was able to see the man in the pit, so how can he suggest to the man there is no snake or pit? In the next paragraph Conlucianism is portrayed. This is a typical depiction of what most would feel was a Conlucian type phrase but again that is in a metaphorical sense. The religion itself would "say do not do to others what you would not like done to you". So unless this man would like to be trapped in a pit with a snake himself chances are he wouldn't make an after the fact statement and leave him there. The religion also reflects reciprocity(returned favors) and jen which suggests human heartedness.
The next paragraph we have Christianity. This to is falsely portrayed. This is what happens when you take a metaphor in a literal sense. I do believe Jesus would have reached out his hand if we were willing to seek it. However he does not jump in the pit every time we get ourselves into a situation. Otherwise how would we learn our lessons? In every one of these instances I feel a hand would be offered to help. These stories represent one aspect of what each religion is trying to get across and in that other important aspects are left behind. So in one sense where it seems accurate it's portrayal to others is made inaccurate by the context that surrounds it.
Footprint of the Buddha. 1st century, Gandhara, wi...
religion
(Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mohammedanism),...