What are some similarities and differences between Jesus and the Buddha?

[Austin]

Similarities

Both world historical founders of a major religion.

There are images of Jesus and Buddha all round the world.

People venerate Buddha and worship Jesus all round the world.

Both exhibited profound compassion and gathered followers to themselves.

Both are recorded in sacred scriptures.

Both emphasise the need to find enduring peace within oneself and with others.

Both taught some basic moral teaching about love and respect.

Differences

Buddhism has a very large body of texts which appear four or five hundred years after the life of the man called Buddha. With Jesus we have documents written just a few decades after the life of Jesus. With Jesus there are multiple authors and the texts which are well preserved over time.

With Buddha miracles are not central to the message of Buddha while miracles are essential to Christianity. Jesus also raised people from the dead, a wonder-working prophet and teacher; he was raised from the dead.

Buddhism embraces nirvana , a sniffing out of the personality by ceasing to crave anything. Suffering due to craving and ignorance. With Jesus these deep yearnings and longings for fulfilment and love and the deepest level can be fulfilled and satisfied through Jesus and His church.

With Buddhism you come back in another life but they don’t believe in the idea of a unified self that exists and then can exist in another lifetime. They believe we are a collection of parts. With Jesus with have eternal life with Jesus.

[Austin]

Similarities:

• world historical founders of major religions
• exhibited profound compassion and gathered followers to themselves
• their lives are recorded in sacred scriptures
• emphasize the need to find enduring peace within oneself and with others
• taught basic moral teachings about love, respect

Differences:

• Buddhism has a large number of texts / Christianity has one with multiple authors that all align to the same message
• Buddhism: ultimate reality is nirvana (what’s left when you blow out a candle); 4 Noble Truths: Life is suffering, Suffering is craving, Cessation of craving leads to liberation, The way of liberation is through the Eightfold Path / Christianity: Love God with entirety of being; Love neighbors as self; We live in a fallen world, tainted by sin; afterlife = with God or apart from God

Both cannot be true as they have contradicting concepts of the ultimate reality, the human condition, spiritual liberation, and the afterlife.

[Austin]

Similarities:
Both Jesus and Buddha are founders of major religions.
Both are worshipped around the world.
Both Jesus and Buddha exhibited profound compassion.
Both had followers.
Both lives are both recorded in sacred scriptures.
Both emphasized peace within oneself and with others.
Both taught some basic moral teachings about love and respect for all.
Differences:
The sacred writings of Buddha are not contemporary with his life. They were recorded roughly 500 after his death. The Gospels were pinned within a few years following Christ’s death, which leads to a sense of their reliability.
Sacred writings of the Buddha do not record miracles. On the other hand, much of the foundation of Christ’s teachings is His miracles which are evident of His deity.
In terms of his basic teachings, the Buddha taught that all longings and desires were to be snuffed out. All wants were to be eliminated from one’s life to reach a sort of mind set that was above the human mindset. Christ taught that God is the source of our deepest needs. He is also the one who meets our needs. Christ did not teach that we should deny being human or human thinking or longs. We were created in image of God.

[Austin]

Similarities:
Both Jesus and Buddha are founders of major religions.
Both are worshipped around the world.
Both Jesus and Buddha exhibited profound compassion.
Both had followers.
Both lives are recorded in sacred scriptures.
Both emphasized peace within oneself and with others.
Both taught some basic moral teachings about love and respect for all.
Differences:
The sacred writings of Buddha are not contemporary with his life. They were recorded roughly 500 years after his death. The Gospels were pinned within a few years following Christ’s death, which leads to a sense of their reliability.
The sacred writings of the Buddha do not record miracles. On the other hand, much of the foundation of Christ’s teachings are His miracles which are evidence of His deity.
In terms of his basic teachings, the Buddha taught that all longings and desires were to be snuffed out. All wants were to be eliminated from one’s human mindset. Christ taught that God is the source of our deepest yearnings. He is also the one who meets our needs. Christ did not teach that we should deny being human in our longings. Our desires have their source in God our Creator, who is the one we look to to meet our needs.

[Austin]

They are both founders of major world religions, people venerate/worship them both, they were both profoundly compassionate and drew followers to them, their lives are recorded in sacred texts, they both teach the need for love, respect, and peace. However, their fundamental worldviews differ. The Buddha claimed that nirvana is the ultimate goal, the idea of not desiring anything and achieving enlightenment. Jesus teaches instead that the forgiveness of sins is what leads to “enlightenment” (so to speak), and that a relationship with God is what will bring fulfillment.