COMPARISON OF JESUS CHRIST AND BUDDHA'S LIFE

Comparison of Jesus Christ and Buddha's life



Comparison of Jesus Christ and Buddha's life

Introduction

The lives of Jesus Christ and Guatam Buddha are very similar from birth to death. Both Jesus Christ and Guatama were founders of their particular religions: Buddhism and Christianity and had perfect birth stories. For many centuries, Buddhism has been the popular religion in the eastern parts of the world. Because of the increase of the Asian population, in the United States, Buddhism has had a large impact on this country also. Buddhism is the largest religion in Hawaii, and many Americans have accepted this religion. There are many contrasts between Christianity and the teachings of Buddhism (Abe, Christopher, 2000).

Comparison of Jesus Christ and Buddha's life

The core of the original teachings of Buddha - which the "Hinayana" Buddhism is still based on - is to liberate oneself more and more from everything that does not belong to one's essence. The desires of the senses and the mind, leading to suffering, shall be recognized as "not belonging to the self" ("anatta"); and shall finally vanish and lead to the state of Nirvana. This can be achieved by an adapted way of life and training, including meditation etc. Especially the later school of "Mahayana" Buddhism - which also made progress, such as the empathy with all beings instead of withdrawal from the world - often misunderstood this concept of "not self". They interpreted it as if no "I" would remain at all after one leaves behind the low, egoistic qualities. So they tend to interpret Nirvana as "nothing" too. Buddha himself, however, even spoke about his highest experiences (ninth step): "And I ... saw (also) through the misery of the area of 'Neither Perception Nor Non-perception'. In the course of time it became fully clear to me and (I) penetrated into the happiness of the abolition of Perception and Feeling. I have had my fill of it... And so since that time I gain - after full elimination of 'Neither Perception nor Non-Perception' - the 'Abolition of Perception and Feeling' and stay in it; and, after I recognized that all wisely, the influences became exhausted" (Arraz, 2005).

In so far one can recognize that Jesus Christ also inspires people to purify their qualities, and to begin with themselves instead of immediately criticising others (see the main text of ways-of-christ.net). He does not identify himself and his disciples with the world or any secular activities, but describes them as not belonging to the world; but - more clearly than in the original Buddhism - as living and working in the world, transforming the world like leaven (Barciauskas, 2005).

Anyway, sayings of Jesus and Buddha concerning questions of life show such a large number of similarities that for decades some people thought that Jesus was teaching Buddhism. But this is not correct. We could just as well say he taught another one of the old religions. In our main text it is explained, ...