Spiritual Friendship

[Jhanon]

On one occasion the Venerable Ananda, the Buddha’s attendant, came to the Buddha and said that in his view half the spiritual life revolves around spiritual friendship. The Buddha immediately corrected him and said, “Do not say this, Ananda! Do not say this, Ananda! Spiritual friendship is not half the spiritual life. It’s the entire spiritual life!”

The first few paragraphs are useful and can be found here:
http://bodhimonastery.org/spiritual-friendship.html

It's true. Spiritual friendship is rocket fuel. I have you all. I am fairly certain i would be doomed without you. I read and studied and researched and searched and practiced so much on my own, but it was like swimming upstream and for many years this went on. Slowly, I began being open about it, and opening up my heart. Friends came from the strangest most unlikely places. Then more and more came, until I found my way here. My fulfillment, progress, and unfolding has multiplied manifold since coming here. Thank you so much. The more spiritual friends I am gifted with, the faster and faster and more magical it becomes.

The article brings up some things I've noticed. It is most important to have "horizontal friendship", which is individuals with a similar past, in a similar stage, and on the same path as you, with the same goal. And it is most important to have "vertical friendship", which I would consider my friendship to Jhananda, for example, to be.

Thank you so much. If anyone else would like to share their view on this, please do.

[Jhanananda]

The Pali term for a "spiritual friend" is 'kalianamita'.  It refers to brotherly love.  Yes, it is important.  I wish I had such friends when I was seeking.

[Jhanon]

I am sorry you didn't. I know you weren't seeking pity, but perhaps helping us be grateful and more inclined to utilize spiritual friendship so easily available to us.

I like that term, Jhananda. As I have expressed to Cal, I feel I closest resonate with the brotherly love of Jesus. I hope I could adopt it as a pseudonym without any issues.

Thank you

[Jhanananda]

There is another Pali term that relates to Jesus' brotherly love.  It is 'Metta'. It is often translated a "Loving Kindness." The name of the future Buddha in Buddhism is called Maitreya, which is a personal name that is based upon the term 'Metta.'  Since Jesus' mission was based upon brotherly love, then we could say that he was the Maitreya Buddha.

[Jhanon]

"Metta" I'm familiar with. But it's a really popular terms these days.

Also, I thought I saw the Buddha predicted his teachings would be gone in 5000 years, and Maietria Buddha was supposed to revive them. Since most sources find the Buddha lived around 600bc, and his teachings never fell away from the world...well, you see the inconsistencies. It would suggest that the Buddha of brotherly love is to come around in the year 4400, which coincidentally appears to coincide with the Bible's timeline for the "return of Jesus." But I'm unsure why the Buddha would predict 5000 years into the future.

I can't seem to straighten this out.

[Jhanananda]

Actually, Jhanon, it was 500 years, not 5,000 years, and Buddhism has been corrupted for about 2,000 years.  So, in my opinion, Jesus was the Maitrey Buddha.  His teachings have been corrupt for about 1700 years.  This is why we have mystics coming all of the time here.

[Jhanon]

That makes more sense.