I have no idea, but I’ve always thought as the eastern religions as more introspective and thinking of inner peace, etc. (eyes shut).
Whereas in Christianity there is the great commission (make disciples of all nations...), which may be represented by the open eyes. Add in the thought that those who are not disciples will spend eternity in Hell - that may lend to the wild eyed look.
Your observations are correct.
There are three stages to all religions that correspond to the level of spiritual development a soul is experiencing at that moment. Every soul eventually goes through all three stages.
1. Dependency... people at this stage tend to be legalistic, rule/consequences oriented and cling to their own religious interpretation as though it is the only and complete truth. They are prone to black and white thinking.
2. Self or Ego Identity... these people use their religion as part of their individual identity, much like one would wear a new suit or drive a fancy new car. They rely on peers to validate their identity, thus allowing them to feel good about themselves.
3. Transcendent Identity... These people tend to not attend church or religious services, but talk with God every day. They can wear plaid pants with a striped shirt and care less what other people think. Their identity is as a servant, dependent upon God. Their religion is experiential. These people often are considered the mystics and others don’t understand them, and that does not bother them. They begin to perceive directly with their consciousness beyond the physical body senses.
These three stages exist within all the world’s religions. The stages of spiritual development exist individually and at a society level.
As a whole, USA is just finishing stage two and about to experience a mid life crisis or tribulation to crush the ego identity and create despair as they let go of the old stage #2 to make room for the new stage #3. The Dark Night of the Soul experience divides these two stages.
As people begin to experience this dying daily or no-self in this tribulation transition, the fear will become very great.
Before people surrender within to God in a higher level of consciousness, they will surrender externally and give their free will to another human being, going all the way back to stage #1. People do this when the fear becomes great causing emotional irrational consciousness that is easily manipulated. This sets the stage for the anti-messiah.
When I observe individuals going through this, it appears as though they are in a hypnotic trance.
They will swear on a Bible that they are “Born Again” in Christ. It is the false process that imitates the real. It is temporary.
The real process can only be attained by surrendering within to a higher level of consciousness or God. The false process is an external surrender.
Everyone is going through this and it will be chaotic and both emotionally and physically painful. Those who turn to God for their strength will rise above the turmoil. Those who don’t will just experience increasing despair until they do the same.
God is in control and everything is unfolding exactly as it is supposed to happen. Even satan is under God’s control and is being used as a tool to assist in the diminishing process to facilitate transcendence.
It’s all good, just some difficult learning experiences.
🙏🙏🙏
The Buddha,in many places I've been, recedes a little into the background. In place of him you will find the Bodhisattva of Compassion, variously Avalokiteshvara, “He who hears the cries of all the world,” and Kuan Ying, or Kannon in Japan.
As far as I know, one doesn't hear much of Hindu missionaries. But Buddhism did spread, and on purpose. So there is a “missionary” side to it.
Buddhism is HUGELY various! In some traditions the Buddha definitely is presented as a savior who came to deliver us from bad karma. Now THAT’s a religion in competition with Christianity!
But in others while there is an agreed upon metaphysical starting point, which you can develop with scholastic intricacy, it's really all about the “practice,” about zazen. There are ethical precepts and they're considered in Buddhist communities. But the presentation is quite different from that in most Christian communities.
I hope that's useful.