CONCEPTUAL INTODUCTION Historically, Buddhism begins with a man referred to as the Original Buddha in person of Siddhartha Gotama. The Peli Canon refers to many previous Budhas. The word” Buhda” means the “awakened” or “enlightened one”.
Overwhelmed by the suffering and pain associated with life, Gotama began to seek after the understanding of the sufferings of life and how to overcome them. His earnest search resulted in his enlightenment, which brought to bear some discoveries. He basically extended thought that was already present and more importantly, his thought was extended by those who came after him.
Christianity on the other hand is rooted in eternity with God and a determination on the Creator’s part to deal with man’s plight casued
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This is in contrast to Christians, who base their salvation on faith in God and His finished work of redemption. Also the Bible does assert that, each person must give an account to God one day for their actions, which is in relation to rewards and punishments, centered on judgment and accountability.
Another key difference between Buddhism and Christianity is the recognition of “sin”. Christianity teaches that, a “sinful nature” has been passed on to mankind, as a result of the fall of the first man Adam. This forms the basis for the need for redemption and reconciliation with God.
Moreover, in Buddhism, the liberation of self is the responsibility of one’s own self. It places heavy emphasis on self-reliance, self discipline and individual striving. But in Christianity liberation is not merely attained through neither good works nor morality but through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, in Buddhism, Buddha is a mere teacher with no godly incarnation but in Christianity, Jesus is much more than a great teacher. In fact, the Bible affirms the fact that, Jesus is the eternal word of God, made flesh and dwelt among
Buddhism and Christianity came about before 600 C.E. and reformed the ideals of social structure and society of their era. Both the Buddha and Christ taught during a large political collapse, focusing on the spirituality and morality of a person in society. These like monotheistic religious views both had a central doctrine but held different positions on how to acquire this truth. Buddhist and Christians teachings both challenged social norms by preaching equality among all both in gender and in statues. Buddhism and Christianity, before 600 C.E. similarly, influenced social structures by introducing social and gender equality, promoted classless beliefs systems, and an emphasis on compassion, in contrast, Christianity held political power and leadership, while Buddhism had no political authority.
If a Christian follows Buddhist traditions, then one must assume that there is an overlapping of similarities in both teachings; a Christian’s worldview must be complementary to that of a Buddhist’s. Though I am arguing the similarities between Christianity and Buddhism, I do not completely shut down the obvious differences between the two traditions. Christians are devoted the Jesus Christ’s teachings, while Buddhists believe in the Buddha’s teachings. Jesus is God in human form while Buddha was a human being who reached supreme insight under the Bodhi tree. Roderick Ninian Smart, a Scottish writer and university educator of religious studies, argues in his book, Buddhism and Christianity: Rivals and Allies, “Jesus saved humanity through his deeds and death, while the heart of liberation for Buddhists is through the Eightfold Path” He then continues to defend
These two religions had very different concepts about divinity, Christians believed in one only merciful god, while Buddhists believed in Buddha’s divinity known as enlightenment and his teachings. Christians had a very complex concept of what divinity is, they believe in only one god who can be manifested in three different ways, as God himself, throughout his son Jesus
Buddhism is a major global religion with a complex history and system of beliefs. The founder of Buddhism is said to be Siddhartha Gautama, the son of an Indian warrior-king. Gautama led an extravagant life through early adulthood, reveling in the privileges of his social class. Gautama became bored with the indulgences of royal life so he wandered into the world searching for understanding. After encountering an old man, ill man, a corpse, and an ascetic, he was convinced that suffering lay at the end of all existence. He then became a monk, depriving himself of worldly possessions in the hope of comprehending the truth of the world around him. The culmination of his search came while meditating beneath a tree, where he finally understood how to be free from suffering, and ultimately, to achieve salvation. Gautama became known as the Buddha, meaning the “Enlightened One.” He spent the remainder of his life
Between the two religions they both had a different start. Buddhism started when Siddhartha Gautama, who previously lived a rich and luxurious lifestyle, decided to make a change in his life. He wanted to be able to feel pain and suffering that was felt all around the world by everyone else. After being able to find it, he decided to try and find a cure for it through meditation. Siddhartha Gautama, otherwise known as Buddha created the “Four Noble Truths,” as well as the “Eightfold Path” to help people live a peaceful life. Buddhism was modified later on to create three main versions of the religion which are Theravada, also known as the “Way of the Elders” or the “Small Vehicle.” Mahayana Buddhism, which was called the “Great Vehicle” and finally Tibetan Buddhism which also goes by the “Diamond Vehicle.” Yet Christianity formed in a different way,
Buddhism is very different from the Christian worldview. The first question ask about the origin of Buddhism. The Buddhism faith could be viewed as being atheistic. According to Buddha life was never here to begin with so it is a waste of time to think of where we came from. Also Buddha says if God exists then it is irrelevant, impersonal, and agnostic. However, the Christians faith believes the opposite. Christians believe that life began when God created life. “In the beginning God created everything in the world. God has an image and created all of what we see today. (King James Version, Gen 1:1-31)
In comparing Buddhism to Christianity, Buddhism predates Christianity by 500 years and could have influenced the beliefs that resulted in Christianity. In the Christian faith it is believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died for our sins then was resurrected from the dead. Buddhist does not believe in an immortal soul or a supreme being. Christianity believes that there is only one life with one soul, whereas Buddhism believes in countless lifetimes of progression towards enlightenment. Christianity believes in consequences of good and evil, also following the 10 commandments in everyday life. Buddhism follows an eight fold path of universal suggestions to a more content life.
Buddhism has been around for over two thousand years, and continues to do so in many countries around the world. This religion originates in Asia and has a very unique adversity, much of its structure arose from the end of World War II, predominantly Asian nations needed to restructure society (RoAT 167). The word ‘Buddha’ means one who has awakened and will no longer be reborn. Thereafter, one who will enter nirvana, the state of being free from suffering.
A difference between Christianity and Buddhism is their Spiritual leader. One was Jesus the Christ and the other Gautama Buddha. They were two men who lived at different times, different places, and followed by a different ethnicity and culture as it continues today. As both
In this way Christians must strive to imitate the Heavenly Father by following the example of Jesus the Son of God. God gives the individual one life to prove that they are worthy of eternal life. In contrast, the Buddhist religion, life is relived over and over as it is only the separation of the mind from its body. "one life ends and another begins p.92" Therefore in contrast to Buddhism, Christianity does not accept the notion of reincarnation which provides the evidence that there are fundamental ideological differences between the two religions.
Christians also believe in such polarities as good and evil, God and Devil, Heaven and Hell -- none of which form an important part of any Buddhist teachings. Christianity is likewise authoritarian and dictatorial -- "you must believe this or you will be condemned" -- whereas Buddhism tends to be more liberal and allows people to believe more or less whatever they like. Christians ban certain teachings as heretical, evil and harmful, but
At first glance the traditions of Christianity and Buddhism appear very different from each other. One centers around a God that was at one time physically manifest on earth in the human form of his "son" Jesus Christ, the other primarily worships a historical figure that gained divine status through enlightenment. This assessment is broad at best, especially in the case of Buddhism where the Theravada and Mahayana traditions differ significantly. Christianity also has division within itself, the most prominent being between the Roman Catholic and Protestant systems. There are however, despite obvious differences, some very interesting similarities between Buddhism and
Christianity and Buddhism are two very prominent religions dating back from early years up until today. Both are offshoots of other religions-- Christianity from Judaism, and Buddhism from Hinduism. The Buddhists follow the teachings of Gautama Buddha, while Christianity is centered upon the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christianity is monotheistic while Buddhism is nontheistic. Christians believe that Christ is the son of God, while Buddhists do not believe in God as the creator of the universe.
More importantly, the main beliefs in both religions have points in common. Buddhism and Christianity teach people and help them to escape the sufferings, and both of them
How would you compare the lives and teachings of Jesus and Buddha? Well, Buddha never considered himself to be a god of any type. He just thought of himself as a person to shower other people with gifts and wealth. As far as Jesus, he was looked at as “The way, the truth, and the life.”.