Nim in Thailand

This month's story comes from a Christian worker in Thailand. The story centers around Nim and his Buddhist worldview.

I teach at a weekly English Club on a university campus in Bangkok. One week the material went quickly so I decided to make the most of the opportunity and share my testimony with my Buddhist students.
 
One of the students, Nim, asked, “What is the difference between Buddhism and Christianity? They both teach people to do good things.” He explained that Buddhism is about separating from the world, detaching oneself from both good things and bad things in life, and embracing suffering. He explained that his focus was building good karma so that in his next life he would have a good family, a nice house, high status in society, a good job, fortune, money, and success.
 
I asked him, “If Buddhism is about suffering and detachment from earthly things, then how can your reward be money and success? Why must you detach from pleasures, yet karma results in greater comforts, ease, and status?” I continued, “What is the goal of Buddhism?”
 
“To be reborn at a higher level in the next life.”
 
“Okay,” I said, “Let’s say you do good in this life. You are reborn and do good in the next life. You do this over and over until you finally gain enough good karma to reach nirvana. Then what? What is nirvana?”
 
“I will be non-existent. I will cease to exist in the world.”

I responded, “Nim, that is the difference between Christianity and Buddhism! You believe that when you reach nirvana you will cease to exist. I believe that when I die, my life truly begins. When I die I get to spend eternity with God, and the peace, purpose, and joy that I now have on this earth will never go away—in fact they will be even greater when I get to live forever with God.”