Throughout human history, there have been attempts to understand the unknown, the Supreme Being, and the creator of the world. This is why there are so many religions that attempt to teach us the way to reach the almighty God. Christianity and Buddhism are two examples. Although there are more Christians than Buddhists in the world, Buddhism is an older religion or faith than Christianity. At first glance, there seems to be no connection between Jesus and Buddha, the two enlightened ones. However, there are both similarities and differences between Jesus and Buddha, and this article aims to highlight those differences.
Jesus
Jesus is believed to be the savior and messiah of mankind by millions of Christians, the followers of Christianity. He was the son of God himself, sent by God to liberate humanity by sacrificing his own life at the altar. He was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. His father on Earth was Joseph, a carpenter, and Jesus worked as a laborer for 30 years before starting on his mission and establishing the church. His life and works and all his sayings are contained in the Bible, the holy book of the Christians. He ascended to heaven after crucifixion, briefly returning to give sermons, and followers of Christianity believe that there will be a second coming of Jesus to liberate humanity once again.
Buddha
Buddha is the name or the title given to Siddhartha Gautama, a Hindu Prince who achieved enlightenment and founded the order or religion called Buddhism. It is believed that Siddhartha saw pain and suffering in life at an early age, becoming disenchanted and disillusioned with this world. Astrologers predicted that the prince would one day either become a great king or a great holy man. To shield him from religious knowledge and human suffering, his father gave him all the wealth and grandeur that money could bring. He was married off to Princess Yashodhara at an early age and also fathered his son Rahul. Siddhartha, despite all the facilities at his disposal, soon realized that material wealth was not the ultimate goal of his life. He was depressed to see disease and old age and decided to lead the life of an ascetic. However, he chose the Middle Path when he found that self-mortification or depriving the body of food did not bring enlightenment.
Key Takeaways
- Jesus was born in a poor family, whereas Buddha was born as a prince in a royal family.
- Jesus was born when the 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.
- Buddha died a peaceful death at a ripe old age of 80, whereas Jesus had to die a violent early death through crucifixion.
