Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha, Similarities and Differences
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Dear friends,
I found this on the net and found it very interesting. I have shared it here as the person did interesting research. Please do visit their blog site to see their further writings. I have left the link at the end of this post.
Thank you. May there be more religious harmony and understanding. Religion can be used to harm or help. We should definitely use religion to help others and be more kind. The purpose of religion is to make us much better and understanding people. A measure of spirituality is how kind, understanding and patient we are. Tolerance too. This is the purpose of spirituality. I post articles of this nature to create more understanding and contribute I hope in my small way to more religious harmony. Never criticize another’s faith. Create harmony and be the peacemaker where we go. Thank you very much.
Tsem Rinpoche
Buddha and Christ, the two personalities that have rerouted the course of human history; Both were born in the Asian continent, both destined to instill light and love to this world. One influenced the eastern hemisphere and the other the western hemisphere of earth. The simple human mind sees only the differences in their teachings without realizing that they were dealing with entirely different religious belief and cultural settings. This post is not meant to find the similarities but only plan to compare these two personalities on several aspects. Some aspects of them seems similar and others totally different. But in a bigger picture their purpose was the same; to instill love and light to this world.
Several years back as I was reading the story of Buddha. As I came across the part where Buddha attained enlightenment. I saw striking similarity between this and the story of the ‘temptation of Christ’. That was one incident that sparked interest in me to know more about my own religion; Christianity. This post will compare and contrast the two most influential personalities in the known human history; Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha.
| Lived During | |
| Buddha | Christ |
| 563 BCE to 483 BCE (approximate) | 1 AD/CE – 33 AD/CE (approximate) |
| Prophesies About | |
| Buddha | Christ |
|
As seers and spiritual masters of the land came to pay homage to the new born prince, the hermit seer Asita announced that the child would either become a great king (chakravartin) or a great holy man. Kaundinya the youngest, and later to be the first arahant other than the Buddha, was reputed to be the only one who unequivocally predicted that Siddhartha would become a Buddha (The enlightened one).
Buddha during his last hours tells his disciple Annanta that neither is he the first Buddha on earth nor will he be the last. In due time another supremely enlightened Buddha will arise. He will be known as Metteyya, which means ‘he whose name is kindness’. |
Jewish prophets prophesied the birth of Messiah, the king of the Jews, who will liberate them from their enemies. Bible talks about 3 wise men from the east who came to pay homage to Jesus. They refer to Jesus as the King of the Jews. Jesus must have been between 1 and 2 years old then as King Herod after carefully inquiring about the child to the 3 wise men ordered his soldiers to kill all children under 2 years of age in Bethlehem.
|
| Parents | |
| Buddha | Christ |
|
Father: King Suddhodana |
Father: Joseph (Carpenter) |
| Conception | |
| Buddha | Christ |
|
One full moon night, sleeping in the palace, the queen had a vivid dream. She felt herself being carried away by four devas (spirits) to Lake Anotatta in the Himalayas. After bathing her in the lake, the devas clothed her in heavenly cloths, anointed her with perfumes, and bedecked her with divine flowers. Soon after a white elephant, holding a white lotus flower in its trunk, appeared and went round her three times, entering her womb through her right side. Finally the elephant disappeared and the queen awoke, knowing she had been delivered an important message, as the elephant is a symbol of greatness in Nepal. The next day, early in the morning, the queen told the king about the dream. The king was puzzled and sent for some wise men to discover the meaning of the dream. |
The angel appeared to Mary and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jammanuel (god is with us). He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. 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.” How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. |
| Birth | |
| Buddha | Christ |
| City/Town: Lumbini, in modern day Nepal Place: In a garden beneath a sala tree |
City/Town: Bethlehem, a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, approximately 8 kilometers (5 mi) south of Jerusalem Place: Manger (A Cave according to the gospel of James) |
| Siblings | |
| Buddha | Christ |
| None as Queen Maya died shortly after giving birth to Siddhartha. |
Not much information in the bible. Some gospels mention Thomas as Jesus half brother (elder). In the gospel of Mathew Jesus is informed by his disciples about his Mother and Brothers waiting to meet him. Its as follows: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” [Matthew 12:47-50] |
| Names Given | |
| Buddha | Christ |
| Given name: Siddhartha Gautama (he who achieves his aim) Common Name: Gautama Buddha Other: Shakyamuni Buddha |
Given name: Jammanuel (The god is with us) Common Name: Jesus Christ (Christ = Messiah in Greek) Other: Messiah (The anointed one) |
| Childhood & Education | |
| Buddha | Christ |
|
Enjoyed the life of a Prince. Excelled in all Science and Art |
Bible mentions the childhood of Jesus only at the age of 12. Here they talk of a wise Jesus who engages in debate with the elderly in the temple. Life of Jesus from 13 till 29 is missing in the bible. Other historical records claimed that Jesus had travelled as far as India and did his education there. |
| Spouse & Children | |
| Buddha | Christ |
|
Siddhattha choose Yasodhara who was his cousin as his wife; daughter of King of Koli. Yasodhara bore Siddhartha a Son and they named him Rahula. NB: Its still a practice among many Hindus to marry their younger cousin sister. |
According to the popular belief Jesus was single. But some claim Mary Maglane is the wife of Jesus and that the wedding of kanna was Jesus own wedding. Mary Maglane accompanied Jesus almost everywhere even at his death and was the first to witness that Jesus had resurrected. |
| Religion | |
| Buddha | Christ |
| Gautama was born as a Hindu as it was the dominant culture of Indian subcontinent at that time. | Jesus was born a Jew, as descendant of King David. |
| Initiation to Spiritual life | |
| Buddha | Christ |
|
Siddhartha was brought up like a prince and was kept ignorant about the prophesizes about him so as to not let him become a holy man but rather a great king. |
Jesus knew who he was and what he was to accomplish right from childhood. Many historical records claims that he had set out to the far east traveling and learning from the then spiritually advanced eastern civilization. |
| Enlightenment | |
| Buddha | Christ |
|
Siddhattha had mastered meditation better than anyone else, even his teachers but failed to attain his goal of Supreme enlightment. The ascetic ways of the Shramana teachers had failed to work. Finally he told himself that he would not get up until he had found enlightenment. He meditated under the bodhi tree for 49 (some claim 40) days. Six years after he began his path, Siddhattha found Enlightenment, and became a Buddha.At Bodh Gaya, on the full moon day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, Siddhartha seated himself beneath the Bodhi Tree in the meditation posture and vowed not to rise from meditation until he had attained perfect enlightenment. With this determination he entered the space-like concentration on the Dharmakaya in which he focused single-pointedly on the ultimate nature of all phenomena. As dusk fell, Devaputra Mara, the chief of all the demons, or maras, in this world, tried to disturb Siddhartha’s concentration by conjuring up many fearful apparitions. He manifested hosts of terrifying demons, some throwing spears, some firing arrows, some trying to burn him with fire, and some hurling boulders and even mountains at him. Through the force of his concentration, the weapons, rocks, and mountains appeared to him as a rain of fragrant flowers, and the raging fires became like offerings of rainbow lights. Seeing that Siddhartha could not be frightened into abandoning his meditation, Devaputra Mara tried instead to distract him by manifesting countless beautiful women, but Siddhartha responded by developing even deeper concentration. In this way he triumphed over all the demons of this world, which is why he subsequently became known as a “Conqueror Buddha.” Siddhartha then continued with his meditation until dawn, when he attained the varja-like concentration. With this concentration, which is the very last mind of a limited being, he removed the final veils of ignorance from his mind and in the next moment became a Buddha, a fully enlightened being. NB: In some higher teachings Mara represents ones-won delusions and wining Mara as overcoming and conquering ones-own delusion. |
At the age of 30 Christ get baptized by John the Baptist. From there Christ sets out straight for the Wilderness to pray (meditate) for 40 days. Sometime in between he is tempted by the devil and at last emerges victorious. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. NB: The above account can only be considered a layman’s explanation. To understand what really happened we have to compare this to Buddha’s enlightenment. |
|
Major Teachings |
|
| Buddha | Christ |
| Cause and Effect (Karma) He was against the Hindu idea that some cast or races are superior than others especially the Brahmins. He taught that all are equal and that life is to be valued and honored. He provided the five precepts for the layman 1. I observe the precept of abstaining from the destruction of life. 2. I observe the precept of abstaining from taking that which is not given. 3. I observe the precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct. 4. I observe the precept of abstaining from falsehood. 5. I observe the precept of abstaining from intoxicants that cloud the mind and cause carelessness. |
If the teachings of Christ is summarized into one word then its “LOVE”. Jesus talked against the fallacies of the Jewish priests and Strengthened the 10 Commandments of the Jews by saying that not only have one committed a sin when engage in the act but also by harboring the thought to do so. Christ added what could be called the 11th commandment “Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself” |
| Death | |
| Buddha | Christ |
|
Buddha died at the age of 80. When Buddha announced his death to his disciples, they were sad and depressed. When the time came Buddha along with his most trusted disciple went to Pava. Chunda, a metal worker on hearing that Buddha was in his mangrove came to invite him for meal. Chunda prepared rice-cake and a dish of dried boar’s meat. After finishing the meal Buddha was struck with a dire sickness and sharp pain that eventually resulted in his death. NB: Buddha was not a vegetarian. He ate any food that he was offered. He only preached not to kill or torture living things. |
Christ Died at the age of 33. Jesus announced his suffering and death to his disciples and they couldn’t understand it till the last minute. Jesus was charged with false claim to be the messiah of the Jews and for misleading the people. Christ’s crucifixion is seen by Christians as a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins man had committed. Jesuses disciples deserted him during the trial and crucifixion. |
Source: http://www.blokeish.com/2011/07/jesus-christ-and-gautama-buddha-similarities-differences/
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Siddhartha promised a second buddha right before he died. Why? Because in his last moments alive God spoke to him and woke him up completely so that he could see, know, and understand what was truly happening in this world. He was deceived. And therefore, he did not accomplish what he was looking for and so he promised a second Buddha. And where he failed I will succeed. My name is Zidartha Gahudana Boquilla…. And I came here to help save the world. #27 of the 144,000 WE MUST UNITE.
How would you know if the god spoke to him which you weren’t even there and you are saying god spoke to him. This is so not true and I am highly against this comment as buddhist
something surprising – Shakyamuni Buddha born into Royalty – who was afforded every luxury, & Jesus born into a carpenter’s family (a skilled manual trade, so would have been middle class) – & yet they didn’t write anything they taught, nor was anything either of them taught transcribed until many many many years after they passed away, each of their prospective languages existed in a written form, Buddha’s life story said he was academically gifted . . . merely a simple question
they both taught people to love and to leave behind all that is unskilful, to leave behind ignorance and superstition, sadly they both became objects of superstition
I was raised Catholic, attended Catholic Primary School then High School, I have so many questions that have remained unanswered – and yet – engaging in metaphysical speculation is something that Buddha Shakyamuni advised against. We can all learn something from others – we all have a unique path to tread, also – some people have different dispositions and as such different “means of transport” for their journey towards spiritual fulfilment –
I could travel by horse, car, bicycle or helicopter, I can’t get off my horse then go back to the start because I want to use the car, then abandon the car, go back to where the horse was, trot on for a bit, decide to try bike – no, where’s the helicopter? Maybe I could try a submarine? Hot air balloon? Ride an elephant?
I won’t get anywhere at all – like there isn’t 1 single universal medicine for all illnesses, could be useless or disastrous, and we can’t mix all medicines together either – that would also be useless or disastrous – 1 man’s medicine is another man’s poison – you’d encourage an obese person to lose weight, you’d encourage an anorexic to gain weight
All religions teach us to be good people. Whichever is our chosen path, we should practise it well and not condemn, insult or harm others who have decided to follow another religious system or have a different viewpoint than ours. I like what the Buddha said, i.e. if we can’t help others, at least don’t harm them.
I love this article of showing the similarities/differences of Buddha and Jesus. I thought it is quite an interesting comparison. I specially like the “If the teachings of Christ is summarized into one word then its “LOVE”” part, because the major religions which has survived hundred or thousands of years, are those who spread the teaching of love. It is just unfortunate that some people misused religions for their political motive, and some for personal gain.
I feel that another thing which religion should teach is the concept of acceptance. It is the concept of love and accepting which make harmony in this world, because everyone is different and people will have different religions. It is through accepting the difference which makes people harmony.
Whatever we chose to believe in and practice is good, whenever we encounter others who have chosen a different path it is much more beneficial to see similarities than focus on the differences. Then we can maintain our friendships with others and have harmony.
Good advice and word of wisdom is the same whether it comes from a Catholic, a Muslim, a Hindu, a Christian, a Buddhist, an atheist or whatever your beliefs may be. Words without actions are meaningless. People ultimately follows by example not by what you preach. You can say the sweetest, most convincing, flowery wisdom but if you actions are contradictory, eventually people will see through you. Lead by examples, not by talks. That is the striking similarities I see in Buddha and Jesus. Act of compassion and kindness is what leaves the deepest imprint in the human mind.
There is no conflict between true practitioners of any religion. Conflicts arise from insecurity, doubt, fear and ego. A person who truly embrace any religion are free of these negative state of mind. When we do not indulge in the negative state of mind, we do not create conflict within ourselves, we do not create conflicts for others.
Embrace your religion whatever suits you and go all the way. Some people are still searching and hence there will always be people who switch between religions. It doesn’t reflect one religion is better or more superior than the other, it just reflect the state of mind the person is in. Whatever religion you choose to practice, respect others and embrace that there should be no boundaries to compassion and kindness.
Personally, I think that all religion are the same. We humans made the labels and categorise the religions sorry for lack of a better word, that is why we all have the names like Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism etc. Practising religion or having a faith should make us a better person, this is what our beliefs do, they change peoples’ perspectives and even lives. But none of this could happen if we do not apply dharma into our daily lives.
Although I am a Buddhist, but ever since young I’ve always liked to read about Christianity and I love churches. A couple of years ago, I visited a church and I was totally at awe. My mother was a Christian many years back, probably this is why I’m sort of attracted to churches but later she became a Buddhist after she conceived my younger brother.
To me, all religions are equal, every single religion practitioner should be treated with equality and respect. There are times where I just don’t understand why some people anti other religions and only accept religion of his own. I personally feel that it’s a very wrong thinking, if this religious discrimination issue were to continue until the next generation, I believe that the society will split apart and there’s no way we can ever live in peace. Can you imagine riots happening everywhere and every day? It’s painful.
This is a very informational blog post, though we may perceive these two religions differently but it’s good to know that there are so many similarities between these two great saints. Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thanks for sharing this interesting articles.
There are so many similarities between Jesus and Buddha. These 2 great man taught the followers on love, compassion and forgiveness.
However, the basis or fundamental of Christianity and Buddhism is different. The most obvious is Christianity believe in one God.
I believe the reason that the worlds has different religion/belief is to cater to various people needs. We should not critise each other but learn to respect everyone’s belief as most religion teaches us good spiritual values.
There are so many similarites between the two regions . both have shown us the path way of life should be. Whatever Religion we belongs to we must always never say bad things about each other. Religious harmony is very important for now a days , people are fighting and killing each other, I don’t think Jesus or Buddha wanted this.. Thank you Rinpoche for the beautiful article,, very much indeed
Given the popularity of Buddhism in the West and around the world, there have been many articles in the media and books comparing the teachings of Jesus and Buddha.
Thich Nhat Hanh in his book “Living Buddha, Living Christ” said that, “When you are a truly happy Christian, you are also a Buddhist. And vice versa.” Both Both and Jesus were great spokesmen for ethics, compassion and non-violence.
Both religions stress ethical living, and both taught their followers to overcome the forces of hate through the power of love/compassion. Both seek to transcend the material world and believe that real happiness is to be gained from spiritual values and spiritual consciousness.
Having said that, there are also inherent and fundamental differences between Buddhism and Christianity, for example, one significant element being that while Christianity is at its core monotheistic and relies on a God as a Creator while Buddhism is generally non-theistic and rejects the notion of a Creator God. However, both offer a path of liberation or salvation, and both believe that life continues after death.
The diversity of religious traditions and cultures is everywhere in today’s world. However, diversity can and often has meant isolation—the various religious groups exist on their own with little communication or traffic between them. Hence, the new approach is not just to tolerate the diversity, but to embrace pluralism where it encourages knowledge/meeting/exchanges of (other) religions.
在学校上课的时期，宗教课题都被编入在课本里,但只是轻轻的带过而已。如果要深入了解，那么就要跟随着父母的伐步去探讨。等踏入了社会才随着个人的喜好来选择适合自己的宗教。
马来西亚是个多元种族的国家。因此，不同宗教信仰是在所不免。就如上师尊贵的詹杜固仁波切曾经说过宗教其实只是一个标签来分辨不同的宗教信仰。而最主要的是，此宗教信仰是可以和有能力的帮助我们如何可以将一个从来未曾替他人着想的人，而因为有了坚定的信仰，改变成为一个时常为他人着想和更有忍耐与慈悲的好人。
有时，我会在想，佛教、基督教或其他宗教的高成就者，都有可能拥有相同的心识、慈悲心与智慧。只是在他们在扮演着不同的角色或呈现不同的形象来就渡众生。
感谢仁波切的分享，可以让我更了解有关耶稣基督的背景。
Dear Rinpoche ,
This is certainly an interesting comparison between the 2 historical saints. It seems that the teaching of Buddha Gautama and Jesus are in fact similar in reaching the ultimate goal which is to spread love, kindness and do no harm.
I believe that all religion that spread love and peace is legitimate and we should not compare them. I also believe that the reason why there are so many types of religion is to approach different groups of people. Although the culture, rituals, and the way it is being presented to the people are different, the ultimate goal is still the same. So, we should respect and not discriminate other religions.
Chris
i always believes that the sole objective of religion is to help us to become a better person, developing loves, care and compassion for others.
Its interesting to see the comparison between the 2 great figures in human kind, who they are and how are they doing. In this articles, the author mentioned that life of Jesus from 13 till 29 is missing in the bible. Other historical records claimed that Jesus had travelled as far as India and did his education there. i have watch some similar documentary from BBC, (please click link below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmCS7P-vdRM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAaW6BYhfNM
A good religion is to bring love, peace, harmony and ceased all suffering. It doesn’t matter who we are and where we from, the most important is how we can benefit others through our kind and compassionate action
The similarities of both Jesus and Lord Buddha are quite interesting.
Both of them went away in pursuit of their spirituality.
Both of them enforced vows so that practitioners do not degenerate.
Both of them were tempted and tested by maras when they were meditating.
Both of them announced their death in advance.
Both of them told their disciples not to blame the “culprits” for their death and to forgive them.
Both of them taught about compassion and being all accepting.
The above are some of the traits that made them have such huge impacts in people’s lives that their teachings still exist till this day. These are universal truths that applies to everyone regardless of the labels that resonate in our mind. They are both historical examples that prove that we can all be liberated if we follow their teachings with consistency.
Dear Rinpoche,
From this article, it is quite clear that both Buddha and Jesus have the similarity. They both have clairvoyance, which they could predict their death. They both practice equanimity. Both talk about loving kindness.
Jesus mostly hold by western whereas Buddha more to eastern people. But their teaching is about love, about humanity. Religion, most of the time do not separate people, ask people go for war and so on. Harmony is what the religion wanted human to do.
Very interesting article.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing.
With Folded hand,
Freon
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post , I think however we think the different between this two great being I think their ultimate goal is to benefits others and all they want is to spread their teaching to impact more living being in the world.
With the similarities and differences set out in such a manner it is so interesting to note that the history of Buddha has no missing links while with Jesus there seem to be.
I guess in the era of Jesus there were political issues and that is the reason why Jesus departed life on a crucifix, whereas Buddha entered nirvana in a peaceful manner.
Whatever the differences, the most impactful thing for me on these two men is the manner they taught of love and compassion and forgiveness. Practices which will develop virtuous qualities in human beings. And most of all their impact on human beings on the spiritual journey who have the guidance of the greats.
An interesting research into the lives and teachings of two of the greatest men who lived. If only more people would practice the beneficial teachings of Buddha, Jesus and other great religious teachers and spiritual masters this world would be a better place to live in.