Jesus vs. Buddha (A Detailed Comparison)

Throughout history, different perspectives about Jesus and Buddha have been present. They are the founders of two of the largest religions in the world. But how do their lives compare? What is the difference between Jesus and Buddha?

Jesus and Buddha are two of the most influential figures in the history of religion. Jesus is the central figure of Christianity and is considered by Christians to be the Son of God and the Messiah. In contrast, Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, is the founder of Buddhism and is considered by Buddhists to be the Supreme Buddha or the Enlightened One.

Both Jesus and Buddha are known for their teachings on love, compassion, and the importance of living a spiritual life. However, there are significant differences in their beliefs and practices, as Christianity and Buddhism are two distinct religions. The essential religious truth claims of Jesus and Buddha differ radically. To think otherwise is to ignore history, logic, and the well-being of one’s soul since Jesus and Buddha proposed radically different spiritual paths.

General comparison between Jesus and Buddha

Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ, was a Jewish teacher and religious leader who was the central figure of Christianity. According to the Christian Bible, he is the Son of God and the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. He was crucified by the Roman authorities around 30 A.D. However, his followers believe that he rose from the dead three days later, an event known as the Resurrection.

Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism. He lived in what is now Nepal and northern India in the 5th century BCE. Buddhists consider him to be the Supreme Buddha or the enlightened one. The Buddha taught that suffering is caused by desire and that enlightenment is eliminating desire and attaining inner peace. He is also considered to be a teacher of meditation and mindfulness.

Jesus was born in a low-income family, whereas Buddha was born as a prince in a royal family. Jesus was born when Virgin Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit, one of the three Holy Trinities. He is believed to be the son of God Himself, whereas Buddha remains a spiritual leader at best who attained enlightenment or Nirvana through meditation or the Middle path.

Jesus and Buddha are both religious figures who are considered to be influential spiritual leaders. Below are some of the comparisons between Jesus’s and Buddha’s life.

	Jesus	Buddha
Date of birth	Approx. 07-04 B.C.	c. 563 BCE
Place of birth	Bethlehem in Judea	Lumbini, Nepal
Parents	The Virgin Mary, God the Father, and his earthly father, Joseph, the carpenter	King Suddhodana and Queen Maya
Where they were raised	Nazareth in ancient Israel	India
Languages spoken	Aramaic	Pali, Sanskrit
Date of death	Friday, April 3, A.D. 33	483 BC
Cause of death	Crucifixion	Unintentional food poisoning or natural causes
Ethnicity	Palestinian Jew	Indian
Religion	Judaism	Hinduism
Religion founded	Christianity	Buddhism
Resurrection	Affirmed in Christianity	No claim
Islam	Jesus was just a prophet but also revered as the Messiah who would return to save the world from the tyranny of the antichrist.	Islam does not mention the Buddha.
Incarnation	Affirmed in Christianity	Buddhism believes in reincarnation until one achieves enlightenment, after which one escapes the cycle of birth and death.
Christianity	Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Son of God and Saviour of the world. Jesus was the founder of Christianity.	No mention of the Buddha in Christianity.
Judaism	Not accepted as a prophet, the Jewish people still wait for a Messiah to come.	Judaism predates Buddhism and does not discuss the Buddha.
Marriage	Christ is married to His Church.	Before Buddha renounced his family, he was married to Yasodhara and had a son Rahula.
Hinduism	Not applicable	Many Hindus believe the Buddha was a reincarnation of Vishnu, just like Krishna.
Buddhism	Not applicable	Buddhism teaches Gautama was the Enlightened One. He attained enlightenment through meditation without the benefit of a teacher or teachings. His teachings are meant to enlighten his followers.
Monotheism	God is Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit	The Buddha encouraged people to follow his teachings: the noble eightfold path. He did not teach about deities, an omnipotent God, or prayer. Instead, he encouraged finding the truth yourself through meditation.
Religious symbol	The cross, because of His passion and death. It is a symbol of love.	The wheel
Kind	Preacher, the Messiah	Philosopher, Phenomenologist, Monastic, Meditator
Name of God	Aloi, Jehovah, Father, Lord	Brahma
Doctrine	The Eight Beatitudes, the Coming of the Kingdom of Heaven.	The Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path
Present day	Recognized as the Founder of Christianity and the Son of God.	Recognized as the founder of Buddhism
Honored in	Christianity, Islam, and Baha’i.	Buddhism, Hinduism, and Baha’i
Relation with God	His Son	Did not believe in a Creator God. Did accept non-creator gods, however.
Children	Not applicable	Rahula (son)
Betrayed by	Judas Iscariot	Devadatta
Ethical views	Charity	Existentialism, Asceticism, Nonviolence, Humanism, Animal Welfare
Original ideas	The Beatitudes	Dependent Origination
Godhead role	The second person of the Christian trinity	Buddhists believe that Gautama Buddha was higher than a god.
The highest good and ultimate goal	The Kingdom of Heaven	Nirvana

Comparison between Jesus’ and Buddha’s teachings

Founding beliefs

Jesus and Buddha were two religious figures who lived centuries apart and taught in different parts of the world. Jesus was a Jewish teacher who lived in ancient Palestine and is considered the central figure of Christianity. Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, was a prince who lived in old India and is regarded as the founder of Buddhism.

Doctrine

The teachings of Jesus and Buddha share some similarities, such as the emphasis on love, compassion, and forgiveness. However, there are also significant differences in their teachings. For example, Jesus’ teachings focus on the belief in one God and the concept of salvation through faith in Jesus as the Son of God. In contrast, Buddhism does not involve the worship of a creator God but instead emphasizes attaining spiritual enlightenment through the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

Ethical views

According to Jesus, human beings were created by God (Matt. 19:4) and ought to worship and obey God with their whole beings and love their neighbors as themselves (Matt. 22:37–39). Jesus taught that humans possess immaterial souls that persist after death and that will one day be reunited with resurrected bodies (Matt. 12:26–27; John 5:28–29). Jesus, however, also referred to humans as spiritually “lost” (Luke 19:10) and corrupt at their core (Matt. 9:13; Mark 7:21–23).

Buddha did not speculate about human origins but focused on the human condition as suffused with the suffering brought about through unfulfilled desires (the first two of the Four Noble Truths, the essence of Buddhism). He taught that people could not satisfy their souls with anything because they do not have souls. Just as a chariot has no sense, but is only a collection of individual parts, so the human person has no essence or substance; it is only a collection of components or states called skandhas. There is no personal essence or soul and no personal afterlife. Buddha did not deny the Hindu doctrines of transmigration and reincarnation, but he denied that any individual soul comes back in another form.

The ultimate goal

Another key difference is that Jesus’ teachings center on personal salvation and redemption. In contrast, Buddha’s teachings focus on attaining enlightenment and releasing from the cycle of rebirth. Additionally, the view of the afterlife is different; Christianity’s view of the afterlife is heaven and hell, whereas Buddhism teaches that after death, one is reborn in other realms based on one’s actions.

The essential teachings and ministries of Jesus and Buddha cannot be reconciled or synthesized. No religious tolerance or pluralism can erase the significant and sharp differences between these two identities, their worldviews, and their actions. By accurately defining these differences, we do justice to both religious leaders while communicating the truth in love to those who would place them on the same plane.

In summary, while Jesus and Buddha shared some common themes in their teachings, they also had significant differences in their beliefs and practices.

Comparing Jesus’ vs. Buddha’s philosophies

Jesus and Buddha are two crucial figures in the history of religion and philosophy. While they lived in different times and places, they both profoundly impacted the beliefs and practices of millions worldwide.

Jesus, considered the central figure of Christianity, is believed by Christians to be the Son of God and the savior of humanity. He taught about love, forgiveness, and the importance of living a moral and ethical life. He also emphasized the importance of faith and the afterlife.

On the other hand, Buddha was a spiritual teacher and philosopher living in ancient India. He is the founder of Buddhism, one of the world’s major religions. He taught that suffering is an inherent part of human existence and that the way to end suffering is to attain enlightenment through meditation and follow the Eightfold Path. He also emphasized the importance of non-violence, self-control, and detachment from material possessions.

In summary, Jesus’ teachings emphasize faith, love, forgiveness, and the afterlife, while Buddha’s emphasizes suffering, enlightenment, non-violence, and detachment from material possession.

What does Buddhism teach about Jesus?

Buddhism, as a religion, does not have a specific teaching or doctrine about Jesus. Buddha lived roughly 500 years before the birth of Jesus, and his teachings were focused on achieving enlightenment and ending suffering through the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Therefore, Jesus is not a central figure in Buddhism, and his teachings are not considered to be directly related to the Buddhist path.

However, some modern Buddhist teachers may have their own beliefs or opinions about Jesus or Christianity, but they are not considered an official part of Buddhist doctrine.

Additionally, some forms of Buddhism, such as some forms of Mahayana Buddhism, have a concept of bodhisattva, which is a being who has attained enlightenment but chooses to remain in the world to help others achieve enlightenment too; some Christians consider Jesus as a bodhisattva.

What does Christianity teach about Buddha?

Christianity generally teaches that Buddhism is non-Christian, and its teachings do not align with Christian beliefs. However, some Christians believe that there are elements of Buddhism compatible with Christianity and that the two religions can be complementary.

Some Christian denominations also believe that Buddhism is a form of “natural revelation” that can be helpful for Christians seeking a deeper understanding of spiritual practices. It is a complex topic, and opinions may vary between Christian denominations and individuals.

Who came first between Jesus and Buddha?

The question of who came first between Jesus and Buddha is difficult to answer as both religious figures lived in different historical periods and parts of the world. Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, is believed to have lived in India around the 5th century BCE. Jesus, on the other hand, is believed to have lived in Palestine around the 1st century C.E.

Therefore, it can be argued that Buddha came first, as he lived around four centuries before Jesus. However, it is essential to note that the exact dates of their births are unknown.

References

Buddha

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Jesus vs. Buddha

Jesus vs. Buddha philosophy

Buddhism vs. Christianity