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 also has the provision of the bodhisattvas who find their purpose in helping other, but only to attain nirvana. Also Buddhism has four noble truths that include: Life is basically suffering, the origin of that suffering lies in craving or grasping, the end of suffering is possible through the ending of craving. However, in Christianity our purpose in life is to have a good relationship with God. Buddhism trying to end their suffering through acts for nirvana and Christianity bonds with God to end suffering and have everlasting life with
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
Buddhism dates back to Nepal, India in the 5th century BCE. The early followers of Buddhism were a community of monks called the sangha. The literal meaning of Buddhism is “those who follow the teachings of Buddha.” The teachings of the Buddha are often referred to as the “dharma”, which also means cosmic law and order.
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.
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
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.
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
Christianity and Buddhism are two religions that have a rich history and millions of devoted followers throughout the world. Christianity is one of the most influential religions in history based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ approximately 2,000 years ago. “This religion is based on the belief that the is one supreme, eternal, infinite God, the Creator of the heaven and earth.” Those who are good will be rewarded by Christ in heaven and those who are unscrupulous will be punished in hell. Christianity also beliefs that there are three persons in the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and that the second person is Christ who died crucified on the cross to save the people. Lastly, “that the seven sacraments were instituted by Christ to give grace; especially, that Baptism is necessary and that the Eucharist is a pledge of the future glory” . Whatever it is that God teaches to the people by his Church cannot be used deceive others or themselves.
Christian has a mankind law to obey God and establish the word and knowledge to have a better understanding of God. It seem like within the Christian and the Buddhism worldview there are morality as to not stealing and killing.
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
Let us begin this comparative theology paper by evaluating the history of both religions, starting with Buddhism. A man with the name of Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism, he was a privileged man known to have given up his prized possessions and wealth in order to chase self-enlightenment. Christianity on the other hand, originated from Jesus Christ, their savior who died for the salvation of the human race. Millions of people are aware of these two religions and millions of people also follow these two religions. Although both Christianity and Buddhism are different from each other, they have their commonalities and share their own uniqueness, which causes more people to join their religion. Christianity and Buddhism both share the same concept of making their believers become a better version of themselves so they can reach their highest potential in spiritual fulfillment.
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.
Christianity and Buddhism are two different religions that developed and spread contemporaneously in during the Classical Period different territories. Both of them share some similarities as well as differences. Both of these religions were founded based upon different principles taught by different people; in Buddhism’s case Gautama Buddha a thinker and in Christianity’s it is Jesus Christ who is a prophet. These two universal doctrines spread in times of chaos, in which citizens of their own territories were looking forward to achieve salvation of any kind. Although alike these two doctrines didn’t have a
When it comes to Buddhism, sins are known as ignorance and are easily forgiven. Sins for Christianity are known for evil. The bible said that a man’s sin is a problem for eternal and infinite consequence. In Buddhism, there is no need for a Savior to rescue people from their damning sins. For the Christian, Jesus is the main method for salvage from everlasting condemnation. For the Buddhist there is just moral living and reflective speaks to magnified creatures for the trust of maybe accomplishing illumination and extreme Nirvana. More than likely, one will need to experience various rebirths to pay off his or her unlimited gathering of karmic obligation. For the genuine devotees of Buddhism, the religion is a theory of profound quality and morals, embodied inside of an existence of renunciation of the sense of self. In Buddhism, the truth is indifferent and non-social;
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