Are the words of Jesus plagiarism of the Buddhist Somadeva?

Question

I realize this may be too long, pick out 1 or 2 and then answer

Somadeva: a Buddhist ascetic's eye once offended him, so he plucked it out and cast it away.
Matt 5:29: If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away...

Somadeva: One day a disciple of Buddha meets with Matangi, a woman of the low caste of the Kandalas and asks for some water. She tells him what she is, and that she must not come near him. He replies: My sister, I ask not for your caste of your family, I ask only for a draught of water. She afterwards became a disciple of Buddha.
John 4:7-9: There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her give me a drink. For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him: How is it that you a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

Somadeva: {When Buddha died} The coverings of [his] body unrolled themselves and the lid of his coffin was opened by supernatural powers.
Matt 28:2: {When Jesus died} And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat upon it.

Somadeva: In the year 217 B.C. Buddhist missionaries were imprisoned for preaching; but and angel, genie or spirit came and opened the prison door, and liberated them.
Acts 5:18-19: They arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out.

Somadeva: Hide your good deeds and confess before the world the sins you have committed.
Matt 6:1: Beware of practicing your piety before men to be seen by them;...
James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins one to another and pray one for another, that you may be healed...

Somadeva: To Buddha, he said: Go not forth to adopt a religious life but return to your kingdom, and in seven days you shall become emperor of the world, riding over the four continents. (Buddha: Get away from me)
Matt 4: All these [kingdoms of the world] I will give you, if you fall down and worship me. (Jesus: begone Satan!)

Answer 1

I think that the fact that the two teachings are almost identical--word for word--is not just coincidence. The question is whether or not Jesus received those teaching, thought that they were wise, and then passed them on, or whether or not he actually said the things he's credited with saying AT ALL. Those gospels were written after his death, and there's a possibility that those who wrote them heard the teachings, thought that they were wise, and then attributed them to Jesus. There's a lot of theories surrounding this.

Answer 2

Some people believe that Jesus spend his so called "lost years" in India where he learned the philosophical aspect of religion. Of course, this might just be pure speculation. There are a few books out there on this topic such as Jesus and Buddha by Marcus Borg and Living Buddha,Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh.In my opinion it should not be strange for enlightened beings expressing themselves in similar ways. Just be open minded.

Answer 3

Everyone reaching a higher state of spirituality becomes almost one in their experience of meeting or encountering with their own devil.
Jesus may not have plagiarized Buddha's works. Even you would find yourself agreeing with them when you come to reflect within.
Pick up any spritual Books written by different sages from different places and times; whether they are ancient or modernly written, you will find that in many ways they seem to have come from one source. It is because the ultimate or higher achievements in spiritual journies becomes one with all those who have reached the top. In the esoteric level, there is no distinction given, there is no condition existing, you are detached to the wordly things. You are one with everything.

Answer 4

In my beliefs, both scriptures are conveying the same spiritual reality and meaning, but in different cultures to different people. So, I don't believe they're plagarising eachother; they're reporting the same thing, so to speak.

This is just my opinion as a "Swedenborgian" (a school of thought within Christianity) though; I'm not trying to proselytize or force my views on you. =)

Answer 5

There's much discussion along such lines... however what's MOST important is to actually FOLLOW the teachings. Doesn't matter who said 'em, just follow them.

_()_

Answer 6

Honestly, Probably not. These things are mirrored in every major religion. They are ideas people like to hear, so they get said a lot by people who developed them independently.

Answer 7

More believable than thinking it is simply a coincidence (as the first two answers do).

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Answer 8

They could be. You have to remember, virtually nothing in the christian religion is original. 99% of the religion is a plagariazation from older religions.

Answer 9

I applaud your efforts. I find it true. Buddhism came first as did many other religions. Christianity has only survived by stealing stories from other religions. It is a way of conversion. If they did not steal it, they would not have survived.