Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I ask this becuse over my many years of studying buddhism i've noticed that there are way too many similarities between the story of the life of buddha and that of jesus christ. Most can't even be called similarities becuse they are identical. for example buddha's mom Maya conceived buddha immaculatly as did jesus's mom Mary (even the mothers names are similar.) buddha meditated for 40 days and 40 night's before being enlightened all while being tempted by demons as did jesus christ (demons being just one in jesus's case) buddha had 12 original desiples as did jesus christ. And, both returned after there deaths buddha as a spirit and jesus in the flesh but both returned nonetheless. Both where extremely tolerant and peaceful and taught accordingly. Mind you buddha lived 500 years BC. was jesus the future buddha that buddha said would come?
Undoubtably the 'message' of the Christian hero mirrors that of the Buddha. It would seem that Christianity plagiarised their 'Christ' just as the Jews plagiarise the stories from preceding religions.
I ask this becuse over my many years of studying buddhism i've noticed that there are way too many similarities between the story of the life of buddha and that of jesus christ. Most can't even be called similarities becuse they are identical. for example buddha's mom Maya conceived buddha immaculatly as did jesus's mom Mary (even the mothers names are similar.) buddha meditated for 40 days and 40 night's before being enlightened all while being tempted by demons as did jesus christ (demons being just one in jesus's case) buddha had 12 original desiples as did jesus christ. And, both returned after there deaths buddha as a spirit and jesus in the flesh but both returned nonetheless. Both where extremely tolerant and peaceful and taught accordingly. Mind you buddha lived 500 years BC. was jesus the future buddha that buddha said would come?
Yes . . . Jesus is the Maitreya that Buddha expected to come after him and PERFECTLY manifest the maitri (universal love).
It could be that there have been many advanced spirits who have manifested in our reality over the centuries. I think that when your consciousness gets to be that expanded you probably cannot just 'fit' into one earth human body but have to spread yourself out a bit..... It would be like putting a 12 volt electrical device on the end of a 240 volt wire. You would blow it up or fry it.
I am sure there are some people who like to think their religion is the best, would also like to discount your theory. Mainly due to them wanting 'the only son of god/expanded awareness' for themselves and their religion, but I feel you are probably on the right track.
I see a few major differences. Buddha was a person (not a deity) who could be documented in history, while the Jesus character can not be documented other than in a book which is not much more than mythology. The other main difference was Buddha preached peach and the christian faith's preaching is filled with wars, killings, intolerance, child abuse, slavery, rapes, prejudice, and genocide. With the differences I would say the Jesus figure does not come close to being a Buddha figure in history.
I ask this becuse over my many years of studying buddhism i've noticed that there are way too many similarities between the story of the life of buddha and that of jesus christ. Most can't even be called similarities becuse they are identical. for example buddha's mom Maya conceived buddha immaculatly as did jesus's mom Mary (even the mothers names are similar.) buddha meditated for 40 days and 40 night's before being enlightened all while being tempted by demons as did jesus christ (demons being just one in jesus's case) buddha had 12 original desiples as did jesus christ. And, both returned after there deaths buddha as a spirit and jesus in the flesh but both returned nonetheless. Both where extremely tolerant and peaceful and taught accordingly. Mind you buddha lived 500 years BC. was jesus the future buddha that buddha said would come?
Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr, and countless other Men and women were just that men and women.
However, they were in touch with something, something more than human. Something that everyone feels from time to time, they were just in tune with it. It is love, it is peace, it is better then we are. If you choose to call the "it" God, so be it.
Undoubtably the 'message' of the Christian hero mirrors that of the Buddha.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticPhD
Yes . . . Jesus is the Maitreya that Buddha expected to come after him and PERFECTLY manifest the maitri (universal love).
Now this is interesting...June doesn't see too many similarities between Jesus or the Buddha at all. (An occasional parallel, perhaps, but that's about all.) For one thing, the Buddha never claimed divinity, whereas Jesus claimed to be sent by God the Father, who (reference Genesis 1) was the creator of all mankind and the world at large. Buddhists do not adhere to any such notion or belief. Buddhism is fundamentally non-theist.
In looking at the underlying theology of Christianity, and the precepts/philosophy of Buddhism, the 'similarities' become that much more obscure, if not altogether non-existent. The two have incredibly different 'world views' if not messages. Buddhism is not the most positive of mindsets, as compared to Christianity. Buddhism underscores the 'pain and sorrow/suffering' of the worldly condition and emphasizes the means by which to escape that. Christianity, on the other hand, would appear to emphasize the more positive attributes; one emphasizes the ways and means by which one can escape the world, the other, those ways and means by which one can better engage in this world.
As a result of Buddha's life and teaching, nirvana is the ultimate goal to be attained by Buddhists. Jesus, on the other hand, advocated for eternal life. There is no concept of "eternal life" in Buddhist mindset, thought, or philosophy; there is reincarnation, instead. Unless one wishes to make the (very broad) leap that Jesus somehow advocated (if not existsed) as a means by which to break the chain of samsara, June's just not getting the similarities between the two figures.
Buddha attained at "oneness" in his achieving nirvana, just as Jesus reunited with the Father in his resurrection. While this could perhaps be perceived as a similarity, there nonetheless exists such a vast difference between the two concepts, beginning with the very definition of 'mankind' in terms of orientation and mindset. The ultimate goal as advocated by Buddha entails an "inward" directiveness, as opposed to the 'outward' message advocated by Jesus.
If nothing else, the negation of the Divine would stand out in June's mind as the greatest dissimilarity. While both Buddha and Jesus advocated for, and taught similiar messages of love/loving-kindness and the means by which mankind could be 'redeemed' that concept of "redemption/salvation" is SO dissimiliar in both orientation and underlying philosophy.
So at the end of the day, June sees far more of that which Jesus and Buddha did NOT have in common than she does the similarities...
This post is filled with misspellings and poorly written, as June is late for work.
Buddha, as with all other religious teachers, focus on the purification of our souls through natural love. This purification does not bring about immortality.
Jesus was the true Messiah and first divine man and his focus is on the purification of our souls through the process of God's Divine Love. With this process, we become immortal.
The bible story about the Virgin Mary is based on paganism and mythology and is incorrect.
I see a few major differences. Buddha was a person (not a deity) who could be documented in history, while the Jesus character can not be documented other than in a book which is not much more than mythology.
You believe the Buddha can be documented in history and Jesus can't? This should be interesting explain it.
Note: After I posted this I realized that "Buddha-hood" is something claimed by many people, some living today, so in that since yes you can prove that a Buddha was documented in history. However I was assuming you meant what's sometimes termed "The Buddha" ie Siddhartha.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This should be interesting explain it.
