...Buddha and Christ Similarities and Contrasts A number of recent books have proposed the idea that Buddha and Christ are brothers in spirit. Close to the end of Living Buddha, Living Christ, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh asserted, "When you are a truly happy Christian, you are also a Buddhist. And vice versa." In his controversial book, Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, New Testament scholar Marcus J. Borg asserted that both religious founders espoused a "world-subverting wisdom that undermined and challenged conventional ways of seeing and being in their time and in every time." Borg claims that both were teachers of wisdom, not only regarding "moral behavior, but about the 'center,' the place from which moral perception and moral behavior flow." Both, according to Borg, "were teachers of the way less traveled. 'Way' or 'path' imagery is central to both bodies of teaching." In their article, "Are Jesus and Buddha Brothers?", by Carl E. Olson and Anthony E. Clark (This Rock, Volume 16, Number 5, May-June 2005), the authors note that Jesuit Father Robert E. Kennedy . . . holds Zen retreats at Morning Star Zendo in Jersey City. Further, "the St. Francis Chapel at Santa Clara University hosts the weekly practice of 'mindfulness and Zen meditation.' Indeed, the number of Buddhist retreats and workshops being held at Catholic monasteries and parishes is growing." The article also mentions additional books espousing this viewpoint: * Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit ...
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...particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - were developed in different parts of the world and under different circumstances. But each religion is based upon the teachings and life of a great man. When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common. This essay compares and contrasts the lives of Buddha and Jesus in two areas where they share similarities: conception and birth. The birth of Jesus was revealed to his mother, Mary, by the angel Gabriel, who prophesized, "The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:32-33). Similarly, Queen Maya, the mother of the Buddha, had a vision in which she was carried by the gods to a sacred place and Buddha entered her womb. Both births were in unusual places, which the mother of the child had to travel to. Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, many miles from his hometown of Nazareth. Mary laid him in a manger. Buddha was born in a grove of sala trees at which his mother stopped while traveling from her home to her native city . Jesus' birth was accompanied by divine signs, such as choirs of angels and a new star. Three wisemen visited Jesus sometime in his infancy, worshipping him and presenting him with luxurious gifts. Siddhartha's birth was announced by the earth and heavens singing his praises. Siddhartha was also visited by a total of one hundred eight brahmins...
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...Jesus and Buddha are founders of two of the largest religions in the world. Both of them desire of making the world better, letting people love together, and giving happiness to all the people in the world. However, Christianity unlike Buddhism is unique in that it strips us of our self-righteousness by exposing our sinful nature, and causes us to see that our only hope is for God to reach down to us in mercy. Buddhism is the belief system of those who follow Buddha, the Enlightened One. It was founded as a form of atheism. It is the world’s fourth largest religion. The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama, a prince from northern India near modern Nepal who lived about 563–483 B.C. It is the world’s fourth largest religion; with adherents of 613 million worldwide and one million in the United States. Buddhists regard the United States as a prime mission field, and the number of Buddhists in this country is growing rapidly due to an increase in Asian immigration, endorsement by celebrities such as Tina Turner and Richard Gere, and use in major movies such as Siddhartha, The Little Buddha, and What’s Love Got to Do with It? Buddhism is related to the New Age Movement and may to some extent be driving it. Certainly Buddhist growth is benefiting from the influence of New Age thought on American life. Buddhism is an impersonal religion of self-perfection, the end of which is death, not life. The Buddhist belief system is in the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold...
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...Contrast: Buddhism and Christianity Comparative Religions, HUMN 448 Buddhism and Christianity are both popular religions with many followers, and both have had an impact on the history of the world. While these religions have both subtle and drastic differences, they also have similarities of the same manner. To see these similarities, we will compare and contrast three sets of articles. The first is an examination of the early lives of both the Buddha and Jesus. The second set is a comparison of “The Lost Son” parables, and the third set is a comparison of the Buddha’s last words and the interpretation of Jesus’ death in the book of Acts. These examinations of Buddhism and Christianity will help to show just how similar the two religions are, for all their differences. First, we examine and analyze the early lives of the Buddha and Jesus. For the early life of the Buddha—the beginning of his mission—we turn to a story called “The Four Passing Sights.” For the beginning of Jesus’ mission, we read Mark 1:1-13. The Buddha began life as Siddhartha, son of a king. At his naming ceremony, priests foretold that he would grow to be either 1) a world ruler if he followed his father’s footsteps; or 2) a world teacher if he were exposed to the sight of suffering. And so Siddhartha was kept in the palace, surrounded by servants and finery, and was never exposed to the world outside. He asks his father’s permission to go to a nearby park, and his father allows him after going to extravagant...
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...The goals of Eastern and Western religions may differ greatly, but specifically Buddha and Christ share similar stories. Before Buddha and Christ reached their destiny their names were Siddhartha (Buddha) and Jesus (Christ). The comparison and contrasts of Buddha’s and Christ’s teachings, birth, and death can show us the linkage and disconnections between the Eastern and Western religions. The similarities of Buddha and Christ's’ existence began with their mothers’ mysterious births. Before the mothers’ conceived their baby, they had a dream forth-telling their child’s life mission. This quote shows Christ’s understanding of who he is at such a young age within the church, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Unlike Christ, Buddha was sheltered from...
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...that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness. Upon his realization of the “pain of illness,” Siddhartha left home. He began to explore dissimilar traditions and religions (Duiker and Spielvogel 46). Daily, he made a practice to search for and explore difference ideas, philosophies, in search of finding the key to human happiness. Through meditation he finally found 'the middle path’ and was enlightened. “By observing the activities of mankind in real life, the Buddha mastered the principles of human behavior. He then taught the two characteristics of the Middle Path” (Buddhism - The Middle Path). What is Christianity? When discussing Christianity and defining what is a “true Christian” or “which definition is correct” there are several different definitions and versions as to describe Christianity. Therefore, for the purpose of this essay, I will focus on the movement of early Christianity. “To many in the very early Christian movement, a Christian was defined as a person who was baptized and proclaimed ‘Jesus is Lord’. Their definition perspective (you are overusing the word “definition.” People did “define” things back then) was ‘true’ to them because it agreed with their understanding of their religious belief at a...
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...The Buddha and The Christ During the course of the semester, our class has covered the many religions in the world. Two of the religions are Buddhism and Christianity. In Phillip Novak’s book, The Worlds Wisdom, the founders of these two religions are covered. Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, was the creator of Buddhism. On the other hand, Jesus of Nazareth, also known as the Christ, constructed the religion of Christianity. Although the Buddha and the Christ never encountered each other, there are some similarities both religions. However, there are also differences that put the religions in a distant context The origins of the Buddha and the Christ share some similar aspects. The births of the founders are from a virgin mother. For example, the mother of Jesus was Mary, who was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. Also, the mother of Siddhartha was Maya, while before her conception had a dream about an, “elephant enter her body without causing her any pain” (Novak 50). In addition to the virgin mothers, the two had at least one wise man visit them after birth. For example, the Buddha had a great seer named Asita visit the palace. Likewise, the Christ had three wise men visit him at his manger. Supplementary, the pair embarked to the forest where they experienced starvation and pursued salvation. For example, the Buddha withdrew from the palace against his father’s wishes in order to free himself. While in the woods he tested starvation but realized it was not...
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...Christians believe that: * Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. * Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. * God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins. * There is only one God, but that there are three elements to this one God: God the Father, God the Son, the Holy Spirit * One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion) and rising from the dead on the third day (the Resurrection). * The Christian holy book is the Bible, and consists of the Old and New Testaments. * Christian holy days such as Easter and Christmas are important milestones in the Western secular calendar * Priests and Ministers shines the holy light in Churches which give the worshippers hope in the world. Background of the birth and death of Jesus Christ The traditional story of Jesus tells of his birth in a stable in Bethlehem in the Holy Land, to a young virgin called Mary who had become pregnant with the son of God through the action of the Holy Spirit. The story of Jesus' birth is told in the writings of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament of the Bible. His birth is believed by Christians to be the fulfilment of prophecies in the Jewish Old Testament, which claimed that a Messiah would deliver the Jewish people from captivity. Jesus' ministry After the story of his birth, little is known about Jesus until he began his ministry at...
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...Jesus & Mohammed Paper Catherine A. Johnson HUM/130 Religions of the World September 21, 2014 Roy Shaff Jesus & Mohammed Paper The two most influential men in religious communities and throughout the nation are Jesus and Muhammad. Many individuals are followers of these men for reasons of their own particular beliefs and rituals. Nations have used their words as the foundation of their countries cultures and laws. During the 1st century Jesus’s teachings to the world’s inhabitants were the root of beliefs. At the beginning of the 7th century, Muhammad’s words are most familiar as teachings were sacred among his followers. Who were these men and what changes did they make to our world; that people today compare them to one another. Today, 1.8 billion Muslims revere Muhammad as one of the great prophets. Whose name is well known in the Arab lands, for the reason of uniting a disparate group of nomad Arabs into a powerful force for their God; six hundred years earlier, a man by the name of Jesus Christ was known as the greatest of all prophets. In just three short years Jesus Christ had changed the world with his presence. Within a few generations after he left earth, the power and might of the Roman Empire was enveloped by the phenomenon of Christianity, and today it is the world’s largest religion with over 2 billion followers. Life of Jesus Christ In an obscure village in the Roman province of Palestine, Jesus Christ was born about 6 B. C. in Bethlehem. During...
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...Essay topic: Compare and contrast the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama as the founder of Buddhism with either the teachings of Jesus as the founder of Christianity or Muhammad as the founder of Islam. Guidelines: In topic 8 we deal with New Religious Movements and the fact that each of the major world religions was once a New Religious Movement. In topic 9 we dealt with the role of the founder in New Religious Movements. Use the material of topics 8, 9, 10 and 11 to present an overview of the teachings of the founder in the two traditions. What are the similarities and differences in the teachings of these two founders? Word Count: 2746 Virtually every major Christian doctrine is denied in Buddhism and vice versa, yet many consider that there are similarities between the two religions. From looking at the founding figure of each, it is clear that these two religions emerged from two vastly different times and each taught opposing values for their followers to abide by. Although there are some values and ideas that the founders both taught as important, the major aspects of the religions differ greatly and suggest that following the other religion will only result in suffering or eternal punishment. By examining the founding figure of each of the religions and how each began, it illustrates the opposing ideas of each religion. The initial similarity of the two religions is that both of the founding figures existed in the flesh and lived among their followers and disciples...
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...Buddhism is a philosophy, meaning ‘love of wisdom’. Buddha was not a god either. He was just a simple man encouraging peace and wisdom amongst humanity. Buddha was born in 563 BC and died in 483 BC. At age 35, Buddha ‘found’ the ‘middle path’ and he was enlightened. Buddha was a teacher of many things including The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold path. So, what are The Four Noble Truths? In the first Noble Truth, Buddha explains that life has its hardships and that pain, suffering, frustration, sadness, death, disease, etc. is all apart of life and is a fact that cannot be contradicted. Although these things happen, Buddhism teaches ways to avoid the suffering and to find ways of one being truly happy. In the second Noble Truth, Buddha claims that every human being has the want rather the need for something. He instructs us to stop wanting things. To turn away from craving and aversion, and to accept what we have been given so that we will have eternal peace. In the third Noble Truth, Buddha reminds us to not worry about the hardships in life and see things in a positive way. That way we reach ‘Nirvana’, meaning we are focusing less on ourselves and more on others. In the fourth and final truth, the Noble Eightfold is the path that leads to happiness and...
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...share some major points of difference. Circa 500 BCE, a prince named Siddhartha Gautma sat under a tree discovering peace and Buddhism. The religion in which everyone is socially equivalent. On the other hand, Jesus invented Christianity which revolves around respecting your God, yourself and others. To better understand how Buddhism and Christianity are similar, you should compare the Eightfold Path and the 10 Commandments. Buddhism and Christianity both share similar concepts, such as their God(s) and morals. E.G., Buddhism and Christianity believe in one or several omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Gods. Ergo, they are extremely loyal and respectful to that God or those Gods. In Buddhism, they believe in Buddha and some other Hindu Gods. In Christianity, they believe in Jesus (whom is practically God). Christianity is monotheistic because they only believe in one God, unlike Buddhism whom believes in several Gods. However, both of the Gods that they believe in were once mortals. Buddha was Siddhartha Gautma, until is changed his name to Buddha. Jesus once was mortal and when he died and rose, he was seen as God. People called Jesus the Messiah, which meant savior, which is like how Siddhartha was known as Buddha. Each savior had their own teachings also. Jesus' teachings were known as the Gospels while Buddha's teachings were known as Tripitaka. Correspondingly, the two religions believe in similar books and ways of life. Each religion has a set of codes and moral...
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... |Christianity |Buddhism | | | | | | | |General Beliefs/ Symbols |There is only one God. |There is not any God: Buddha was a man. | | | |God created the universe. |Abandon of privilege to true nature of life. Monks are | | | |Jesus, the son of God died on the cross to save mankind |expected to live in the most extreme poverty. | | | |from death and sin. |Tradition of personal spiritual development. | | | |They believe in the Trinity-God the father, son and the |The 3 Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha). | | | |Holy Spirit. |The 5 Moral Precepts. | | | |There is life after earthly death and they will join God |The 5 Parts of a Person. | | | ...
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...This paper is a comparison between two very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory. The Christian religion, like all other religions has its strengths and weaknesses in our modern society. Perhaps the strengths out weight the weaknesses as this is one of the largest religions in the world. Hundreds of people follow the Catholic/Christian religion yet still a greater number follow yet other religions. Perhaps this is because they see the weaknesses or perhaps it is simply because their parents have taught them that it is a sin to follow this religion. The Christian religions do however present much more of an appealing atmosphere...
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...This paper is a comparison between two very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how Christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory. The Christian religion, like all other religions has its strengths and weaknesses in our modern society. Perhaps the strengths out weight the weaknesses as this is one of the largest religions in the world. Hundreds of people follow the Catholic/Christian religion yet still a greater number follow yet other religions. Perhaps this is because they see the weaknesses or perhaps it is simply because their parents have taught them that it is a sin to follow this religion. The Christian religions do however present much more of an appealing atmosphere...
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