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on the earth -- he had that magic touch. And he created them out of nobodies.
Buddha created many enlightened people, but those were very very grown-up souls. A Sariputta was already a very grown-up soul; the fruit was ripe. My own feeling is that even if Buddha had not come into the life of Sariputta, he would have become enlightened sooner or later; Buddha was not very essential. He helped, he speeded up things, but was not very essential. If Sariputta had not met him, maybe in one life or two lives he would have come around the comer by himself; he was already coming, he was just on the verge. So was Mahakashyap, so was Moggalyayan, and so were Buddha's other disciples.
But Jesus really did miracles. He touched ordinary stones and transformed them into diamonds. He moved among very ordinary people. A fisherman throwing his net... and Jesus comes, stands behind him, puts his hand on his shoulder and says 'Look in my eyes. How long are you going to catch fish? I can make you a catcher of men. Look into my eyes.' And the poor, ordinary fisherman -- uneducated, unsophisticated, uncultured; has never heard about anything, may not have ever been interested in spiritual growth; was contented with catching fish and selling them, and was happy in his day-to-day life -- looks into the eyes of Jesus, throws his net and follows him. and that fisherman becomes an enlightened person. Or a farmer, or a tax-collector, or even a prostitute, Mary Magdalene...
Jesus transforms ordinary metal into gold. He is really the philosopher's stone. His touch is magical: wherever he touches, suddenly the spirit arises.
Buddha enlightened many people, but those people were already on the path. Buddha moved with sophisticated people: learned, virtuous, special. Jesus moved with very ordinary people: down-trodden, oppressed, poor. This was one of the crimes against him put by the priests: that he moves with gamblers, with drunkards, with prostitutes. He stays with prostitutes, he stays with anybody, he eats with anybody. He is a fallen man. And on the surface, to all appearances, he looked like a fallen man. But he was falling only with those people to help them
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