What if the Temple Leaders Had Studied Buddhism ....Would Jesus Be Killed?

On the Third Sunday of Lent, the Gospel reading is about Jesus’ radical action of cleansing the Temple (John 2:13-25). The narrative tells that the religious leaders, who managed the Temple, were upset about Jesus, as they were threatened by him and his action. 

In fact, these leaders cemented their decision to kill Jesus in response to his prophesy against the Temple’s existence: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19).  

But, I wonder if they would be so upset to the point of feeling like killing Jesus – if they had studied Buddhism.

In Buddhism, there is a paradoxical teaching on impermanence.  Everything is finite and thus subject to change. Yet, through this constant change, there is something permanently consistent. Buddhist scholar, Brook Ziporyn explained this with a metaphor of a wave, as a wave shows a constant change while maintaining its continuation. Whether you view a wave as a propagation of particles, as Newton had thought or non-particle conduction of energy, such as electric-magnetic wave, it is a good analogy to understand this Buddhist teaching. 

Thus, the Temple was prophesized by Jesus to be destroyed. But, it is to be transformed for its fulfillment. Thus, the Temple is not lost.

Obviously, those who became angry at Jesus for his such a radical prophecy could not understand this Buddhist teaching. But, imagine if they did, perhaps, they would not get angry at Jesus as they would not see him as a threat.