Buddhism and Christianity?

Question

Some people say they have read books about Jesus and Buddha's diciple monks met somewhere in the forest around BC 500. So most teachings in Buddhism and Christian are similar. Anyone can explain to me well?

Answer 1

I've heard a Tibetan story about a young Westerner who had traveled great distances and found himself in their land...he lived with the monks for many years and eventually moved back to home land...some think that person was Jesus but who's to say...but the similarities in teaching, word for word almost, are the sometimes the same...it does seem probable that Jesus did have some Far Eastern experience and learn from that much older and advanced civilization. This might also explain the unbelievable gap in Jesus' life story.

Answer 2

Buddhist Religion is 2500 years older than Christianity. Some of the teachings of Jesus specially in human spiritual development have similar aspects like "Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you". The only thing that Christianity did not cover is the teachings about Reincarnation. While Hinduism and Buddhism touches on the said subject, Judaism and Christianity did not so much made emphasis on that and Christain religion totally abandoned the idea specially the Catholics who replaced it with resurrection and one life affair.
I would conclude therefore that since Hinduism and Buddhism have their own proof to their belief in reincarnations, I would think that the Bible was written for most souls who have reincarnated many times but still imprisoned by their ignorance that its purpose is to hasten their spiritual evolution or progression by following the middle path which is going straight up rather than graciously winding upwards experiencing the journey of its ups and downs. This is just my feeling about it. So do not take this seriously but maybe just a thought worth considering. I am a Christian but I believe more on the Buddhist way of life for a simple reason that I cannot really just accept that some of us are born and be what we are then die. I find it quite unfair that I have to be born poor and struggle to find a way to get out of the miseries and die without success while others are born rich and powerful graced with so much happiness in life till their death even without working hard for it. I know also that our fate is not necessarily God's design but by our choices in life and other's choices that affected our condition and situation in life.

Answer 3

Scholars have hilariously attempted to equate Buddhism with practically every religion.
Presently, certain scholars have even began to claim that Christianity is not its own religion and was actually made up by Jews in Israel who got wind of the Buddha’s teachings, or even propose that Jesus himself traveled to India and studied Buddhism.
Much more length would be required to tell if these theories are true, but it is certainly obvious that practitioners shouldn’t fall for believing everything western scholars propose.

Answer 4

That's about where the similarity stops. Buddhism does not threaten you with hell and is non-judgmental. It's more of a philosphy than a religion. It is beautiful. Christianity is sinister, despite all the Pollyanna of accepting Jesus into your heart and it's smooth sailing from there on out.

Either belief system is just that -- a human construct to try to explain the unknown. Since humans have no clue, why put stock in any of it? Study cosmology. At least you will get an idea of what's really out there that's open to observation. It's amazing how much science has discovered since the time of Galilleo.

Answer 5

So, 500 years before Christ was born he met with Buddha's monks? That would mean Christ was Pre-existent. That would mean he is God. But Buddhists don't believe in any 'god' per se, but they met the Christian God...
Sorry, it makes no sense. These are two entirely different religions. The parts that agree must be common sense.
That must mean where other religions reject those agreed-upon parts must be common nonsense: such as violence for the sake of religion.

Answer 6

i find that difficult to believe that Buddhism is similar to christianity, but i do not dispute the notion that God might have talked with buddha's miss guided monks. But Jesus could not have been in physical form as Christ at 500BC simply because that's not the it happened.

Answer 7

Perhaps consider the possibility that Jesus and Buddha where simply masters that have achieved enlightenment thru many life times of experience and are much closer to God than we are at this stage. Perhaps there are many more like them that just haven't exposed themselves to all the people of the world for obvious reasons.

Answer 8

Some mention of Jesus/Isa is made in the book autobiography of a yoga. Tells a story about how he was trained by Tibetan masters, and was even rescued by them at the Crucifixion.

It's not much but it sounds believable.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 9

Hi Thomas O. You will not find any reference to Jesus meeting with Buddhists anywhere in the Bible. When God was finished writing the New Testament He was done with the Bible. God tells us this in Revelations 22:18-19:

" For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

That means we can only find God's Holy Word in the Bible. Any books that say there is more to God's Word than the Bible are false and are in violation of God's Laws.

Answer 10

Jesus wasn't born in BC 500 So how could they meet???.......Buddhists don't believe in God in heaven or the devil in hell, they are nothing alike. The Buddist belief is one of good living and good condition of the heart, to be compassionate and kind to all living things, animal, vegetable and mineral and of an energy that lives on after death to be reborn. That is nothing like christianity.