has anyone noticed the similarities between Jesus and Buddha?

Question

I found a few quotes from a websites
* Buddha: "The avaricious do not go to heaven, the foolish to not extol charity. The wise one, however, rejoicing in charity, becomes thereby happy in the beyond." (Dhammapada 13.11)
* Jesus: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." (Matthew 19.21)

* Buddha: "Consider others as yourself." (Dhammapada 10.1)
* Jesus: "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6.31)

* Buddha: "Let us live most happily, possessing nothing; let us feed on joy, like radiant gods." (Dhammapada 15.4)
* Jesus: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." (Luke 6.20)

* Buddha: "If anyone should give you a blow with his hand, with a stick, or with a knife, you should abandon any desires and utter no evil words." (Majjhima Nikaya 21.6)
* Jesus: "If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also." (Luke 6.29)

can anyone give me any more similarities?

Answer 1

Yes. These are too numerous to type out. Check out "Jesus and Buddha: the Parallel Sayings", ed. by Marcus Borg. Also, check out "The Teaching of Buddha" by the Society for the Promotion of Buddhism which has more obvious parallels than I have seen elsewhere in Buddhist writings.

While Buddha and Buddhism predate Jesus, some think that Jesus may have studied Buddhism in Alexandria, Egypt or in India.

However, there is Amida Buddha and Pureland Buddism. This post-dates Christianity and is so very close in belief. If you pray to Amida the sins of all of your lifetimes are forgiven and you can pass directly on to the Pureland without going through cycles of reincarnation. It could well be Christianity in a Buddhist dress. The people who translated these texts for use in Japan were Christian priests, from what I've read.

If you are thinking of becoming Buddhist I would try Amida Buddhism so you can get rid of your bad karma all at once! (Same thing is achieved with Christianity!) I went into one of these temples in Tokyo not knowing what it was but woke up each day wanting to go back as the energy was so good and so peaceful. I read about it when I got home.

In the introduction to "the Parallel Sayings", Marcus Borg argues that the primary difference is that "There was a social and political passion in Jesus which we do not find in the Buddha". But, Amida was very liberating in its on way as it said that those who could not pray and meditate all day can still go to the Pureland by calling upon Amida and gets rid of bad karma which is often used to oppress the poor by justifying their poverty. And, you have found texts showing that Buddha and Jesus both had concern for the poor.

Answer 2

Buddha offers some great advice for living that is also like some of Jesus' teaching. However, the central premises of the teachings are very different.

Buddhism does not require a belief in god, heaven, hell, afterlife or anything else. While the Buddha did discuss heaven, he seemed to imply that there were many heavens, and each one also meant residents died once again to re-enter the cycle of death and rebirth, which meant ongoing suffering. Many Buddhists believe in reincarnation, but such belief is more peripheral than central. The CENTRAL BELIEF for Buddhists is that all life is suffering and that the release from suffering can be achieved in this life through the attainment of enlightenment.

Christianity, instead, points to a reward in heaven that is eternal. What happens in this world is seen as peripheral, although many parts of the New Testament encourage charity. The suffering of this planet is assumed to continue until we get to the next world, which flows entirely counter to Buddhist teaching.

Answer 3

Yep. Thich Nhat Hanh, an exiled Vietnamese Buddhist monk, has written extensively on the subject.

I recommend his "Teachings of Love," "Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers" and "Living Buddha, Living Christ" if you'd like to explore this subject further.

And I don't need to play a game of one-upsmanship. But the teachings of the Buddha predate Christ by about five centuries.

P.S. You can study the Dharma within any faith; one need not be a Buddhist to benefit from the study of the Dharma.

Answer 4

i've a few, but the differences are the important ones:

jesus never married.
buddha left his wife and newly born child because he decided he didn't want the responsability of family weighing down his spiritual life.

jesus said that his way is the narrow path. meaning his way is harder than the rest. he also said that his was the only way to heaven.
buddha said his way was the broad path and that there are many ways to heaven.

about your first point, you are right. both of them did say the same basic idea but with different motives. buddha was to become a 'good person' and a 'happy person'.
jesus told the rich man to sell his possesions, give the money to the poor, take up his cross and follow jesus to jerusalem. basically, jesus calls us to give our lives to him, the only way to go into heaven and become perfect. but he never said that just selling our possesions makes us perfect. he doesn't expect us to become bums, he's not here to physically follow any more. but sometimes to follow him now we have to give things up, like certain jobs, or a certain lifestyle....
I think you have a screwy translation, get the original king james version if you want to know exactly what jesus said.

you are right, they did say similar things. but, there were some very dividing issues. jesus spoke more on hell than anything else. buddha doesn't talk much about hell because he didn't believe there was one. jesus talked about sins and how to get them forgiven, buddha didn't believe there was any such thing as sins. jesus taught that people are born filthy sinners, buddha taught we are basically good inside. those are very pivital issues making them ENTIRELY different religions and ENTIRELY different philosphies.

Answer 5

If you think there are parallels with Buddha, check out the pre-Abrahamic religion of the Arabs called ZOROASTRIANISM.

PS: Hey Pixiepaperdoll...the agreed founder of Buddism, Gautama Buddha, lived about 500 years BEFORE Christ. Not after.

Answer 6

One: Buddah continues to come back and try to help, not only was he resurected, but he came back to the earth to try to help until everyone could achieve nervana.

On another note: The teachings are very simmilar. But Buddah lived something akin to 500 years post christ. They're both men who preached peace and forgiveness and understanding. Whatelse do you need?

Answer 7

yeah. Two human beings who were very enlightened, tried to do the right thing, and tried to teach others how to do the right thing. Seems that a lot of people have followed their examples, but many like to view them as central religious figures.

Answer 8

i can tell you an opposition... jesus claimed to be god and had come to save the world from sin... buddha was not a god but wanted to obtain nirvana to end human suffering

Answer 9

dude....almost every religion preaches morality. ethics are a tool of just about every religion out there.

As for the otherwise differences between Buddha and Christ, they are VAST.

Answer 10

did Buddha die for his creation? Jesus did!
did Buddha come back from the dead? Jesus did!

all I can say is that Satan is a great counterfeit to the true light, Jesus.