--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact of the matter is that Buddhism…" description: "\"The fact of the matter is that Buddhism has changed a lot. When St. Francis of Xavier arrived in Japan, he wrote back to the Vatican and made a joke. \"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/ninian-smart-29892_buddhism_the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-buddhism_2637804.jpg" --- # The fact of the matter is that Buddhism has changed a lot… ![“The fact of the matter is that Buddhism has changed a lot. When St. Francis of Xavier arrived in Japan, he wrote back to the Vatican and made a joke. "It is unfortunate," he said, "that the Lutherans were here before me." By this he meant that Pure Land Buddhism was so much like Lutheranism.” quote by Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/ninian-smart-29892_buddhism_the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-buddhism_2637804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/ninian-smart-29892_buddhism_the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-buddhism_2637804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/ninian-smart-29892_buddhism_the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-buddhism_2637804.jpg) > “The fact of the matter is that Buddhism has changed a lot. When St. Francis of Xavier arrived in Japan, he wrote back to the Vatican and made a joke. "It is unfortunate," he said, "that the Lutherans were here before me." By this he meant that Pure Land Buddhism was so much like Lutheranism.” [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously notes that Buddhism, especially Pure Land, shares similarities with Lutheranism, highlighting unexpected religious parallels. **In simple terms:** Buddhism and Lutheranism have surprising similarities. Key Takeaway Recognize common ground across faiths. Themes religion comparative theology humor Mood lighthearted thoughtful Type cultural inspirational When to use this quote - interfaith dialogue - academic study - missionary work Key Concepts syncretism cultural exchange Questions to Reflect On - What other religions share unexpected similarities? - How does humor affect interfaith understanding? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex doctrines. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Lutherans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lutherans/) ## Related quotes > [“For me, Buddhism is like a living organism. If it is to flourish outside self-enclosed ghettos of believers, it will have to meet the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/for-me-buddhism-is-like-a-living-organism-if-it-is-to-flourish/) [Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/) > [One day Donald Trump will discover that he is owned by Lutheran Brotherhood and must re negotiate his debt load with a committee of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/one-day-donald-trump-will-discover-that-he-is-owned-by-lutheran/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [That's true that I'm "not religious as that term is conventionally understood," though I've never been an atheist. Atheism is an active faith; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/that-s-true-that-i-m-not-religious-as-that-term-is-conventionally/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [There's this overly friendly sense of community built up by very isolated people, and there's this Lutheran humbleness that keeps people from talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/there-s-this-overly-friendly-sense-of-community-built-up-by-very/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [I have never concealed the fact and said it before the court in 1938 that I came from an anti-Semitic past and tradition... I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/i-have-never-concealed-the-fact-and-said-it-before-the-court-in-1938/) [Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/) > [The Gospel does not require anything good that man must furnish: not a good heart, not a good disposition, no improvement of his condition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-f-w-walther/the-gospel-does-not-require-anything-good-that-man-must-furnish-not-a/) [C. F. W. Walther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-f-w-walther/) > [With social media, you have the chance to be the Lutherans that Luther imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-butler-bass/with-social-media-you-have-the-chance-to-be-the-lutherans-that-luther/) [Diana Butler Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-butler-bass/) > [When I was 18, I went to a Baptist church with my girlfriend, and had a breakthrough when a pastor laid hands on me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-cain/when-i-was-18-i-went-to-a-baptist-church-with-my-girlfriend-and-had-a/) [Jonathan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-cain/) > [I am a Lutheran astrologer, I throw away the nonsense and keep the hard kernel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/i-am-a-lutheran-astrologer-i-throw-away-the-nonsense-and-keep-the/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [“preferred the more informal service of the Methodists to the religious rigor of the Lutherans, who were as ubiquitous in Minnesota as ragweed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/preferred-the-more-informal-service-of-the-methodists-to-the/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [The most wonderful thing of all is that the distinguished Lutheran and Calvinist theologians who belong to our order really believe that they see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-weishaupt/the-most-wonderful-thing-of-all-is-that-the-distinguished-lutheran/) [Adam Weishaupt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-weishaupt/) > [I believe that it is truly important for everyone to confront in dialogue the historical reality of the Reformation, its consequences and the responses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-believe-that-it-is-truly-important-for-everyone-to-confront-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Like the early Christians, we must move into a sometime hostile world armed with the revolutionary gospel of Jesus Christ. With this powerful gospel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/like-the-early-christians-we-must-move-into-a-sometime-hostile-world/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Under the constitution, as the Danish queen I am bound to the Lutheran faith, but that does not exclude people of other faiths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/under-the-constitution-as-the-danish-queen-i-am-bound-to-the-lutheran/) [Margrethe II of Denmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) ## More by Ninian Smart > [I think the Buddhist ethic is clearer and more systematic in some ways. The Buddhist notion is that our chief problems are greed, hatred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/i-think-the-buddhist-ethic-is-clearer-and-more-systematic-in-some/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [Buddhism and Christianity are incompatible because there is no God in Buddhism - particularly in Theravada Buddhism. But they are also allies because their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/buddhism-and-christianity-are-incompatible-because-there-is-no-god-in/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [I often say that I'm a Buddhist-Episcopalian. I say that partly to annoy people.I like to annoy people who think that a religion can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/i-often-say-that-i-m-a-buddhist-episcopalian-i-say-that-partly-to/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [Life is very difficult and we owe it to our fellow human beings to be as cheerful as we can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/life-is-very-difficult-and-we-owe-it-to-our-fellow-human-beings-to-be/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [One of the effects of religions getting together is that they borrow from one another. An example is the growing number of Catholics who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/one-of-the-effects-of-religions-getting-together-is-that-they-borrow/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [I've often admired the way many Catholics who have left the priesthood, for example, have nevertheless remained sincere Catholics. They voted with their feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/i-ve-often-admired-the-way-many-catholics-who-have-left-the/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [A central feature of the ceremonial associated with Mithras was the taurobolium, the ritual slaughter of a bull which commemorated and repeated Mithras' primeval…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/a-central-feature-of-the-ceremonial-associated-with-mithras-was-the/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [People now have their own particular religion - a denomination of one. I suppose it's a part of the new age phenomenon, but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/people-now-have-their-own-particular-religion-a-denomination-of-one-i/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [Children become more liberal partly as a reaction to their parents and partly through education. Education tends to make people a bit softer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/children-become-more-liberal-partly-as-a-reaction-to-their-parents/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [Syncretism can be disturbing to people. They have often been taught, "You have to have solid faith and must be sure of your religion,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/syncretism-can-be-disturbing-to-people-they-have-often-been-taught/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [I don't regard fundamentalism in the United States or in Europe as a terrible threat, partly because it is a self-curing disease. The younger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/i-don-t-regard-fundamentalism-in-the-united-states-or-in-europe-as-a/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [I would like to see an agreement that recognizes that we live on the same planet and that some interests, such as human rights,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/i-would-like-to-see-an-agreement-that-recognizes-that-we-live-on-the/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [I don't think religions will merge into a great global faith. But I do believe we're moving toward a global ideology that has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/i-don-t-think-religions-will-merge-into-a-great-global-faith-but-i-do/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [Tolerance has been a very important feature of Christianity from its very roots, despite all the other things that have gone on since. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/tolerance-has-been-a-very-important-feature-of-christianity-from-its/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) > [If you were going to be attracted to a mystical faith which involved the contemplative life, Buddhism would be quite reasonable. But then, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninian-smart/if-you-were-going-to-be-attracted-to-a-mystical-faith-which-involved/) [Ninian Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) [Explore all 18 Ninian Smart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninian-smart/) ## More Buddhism quotes > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sorensen/the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d-teachings-from-their-broader/) [Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sorensen/) > [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“That's all there is, enlightenment on the end of a cock. It doesn't get any more Zen than that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-wilkes/that-s-all-there-is-enlightenment-on-the-end-of-a-cock-it-doesn-t-get/) [Jaden Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-wilkes/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) [Browse all 6,100 Buddhism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The fact of the matter is that Buddhism has changed a lot. 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