Amazing wisdom! Superb narrations!

Explains very clearly in captivating presentation of a lovely storyline. Smooth and engaging narrations that is easy to listen to.

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Hopelessness to Hope

The ultimate hopelessness of Buddhism expressed in the simple, poignant story of a Thai girl driven to prostitutution by the people and circumstances around her. As she's riddled with AIDS, Buddha can only comment that she brought it all upon herself, and now she has to spend an eternity paying off the karma she created with her actions in this life. And even if she succeeded in this impossible task and paid off her karmic debt for her life as a prostitute (a life which was not even her free choice, because it was practically forced on her) what about the new karma accumulated in the journey of however many more births to cancel off her current karma? For such is the pitiless heart of Buddhist doctrine. How could the Buddha ever feel compassion for someone, anyone, when that compassion would be an attachment of his heart to that person...ergo, by definition a negation of his blissful detachment in nirvana?
Buddhists are wonderful, admirable people committed to virtue and discipline. But they have set off on a path with no possible hope of an end. Karma is a debt that will never be paid off; it has to be written off. And only God can do such a thing. Karma (sin) is as cosmic debt that could only be erased by someone above and beyond the cosmos. God is the only one who can deal with such a cosmic force as a gift of His love and compassion. We will never be able to earn it. And this is why the Christian message makes more sense than all alternatives.

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3 people found this helpful

Interesting but extremely biased

First of all, this is read very nicely by Simon Vance (one of my favourite readers of audiobooks).

I was expecting a stimulating and balanced discussion between two of the most famous people in history who have a continuing influence on the World today. However, the Christ presented here is pompous, arrogant and self-righteous. He spends the whole book attacking Shakyamuni Buddha and Buddhism. Christ never mentions antinomianism - a major failing of Christianity.

The author is clearly a Christian and clearly does not understand or respect Buddhism. However, I would recommend this audiobook to anybody because it is thought provoking if flawed and irritating at times.

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