Compare And Contrast Buddhism And Christianity

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

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

Abundant in traditions and culture, Judaism and Buddhism provide a spiritual path for followers. Both faiths are two of the four major religions of the world. The religions’ central belief is to live a fulfilling and deserving life. Buddhism and Judaism identify as two seemingly diverse religions, yet still bear many resemblances to each other within their beliefs and practices.

Every Religion believes in either a God(s), a leader, or supernatural forces. Unlike Christians who believe in Jesus Christ, is the divine savior of God, who died upon the cross to save others from their sins, Buddhists believe in an enlightened man referred to as Buddha. Buddha is believed to have lived between circa 563 to 483 BCE and believed to have taught in northeastern India. Buddha’s teachings are based upon his life, and provide guidance and support to his followers.

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.

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.

Christians believe in Jesus Christ as their savor, while the devil is the enemy of Jesus and try to get Christians to commit evil acts. Angels and demons come into play when good and bad things happen in the world. [Angels=good and Demons=bad] Jesus or God controls Heaven, while the devil controls hell. Heaven is where good souls end up and Hell is where the damned souls end up. People usually use the Holy Spirit as the divine power that enters the person bodies and Virgin Mary is the woman that gave birth to Jesus. Now Buddhist believed in Anatman, Karma, and The Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are: all of life is marked by suffering, suffering is caused by desire and attachment, suffering can be eliminated, and suffering is eliminated by following the Noble Eightfold Path. Anatman is when Buddhism analyzes human existence as made up of five aggregates or "bundles" (skandhas): the material body, feelings, perceptions, predispositions or karmic tendencies, and consciousness. And Karma is a person's acts and their ethical consequences (2007)

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

Both Buddhism and Christianity are a monotheistic religion but buddhism doesn't believe in a supreme creator being a.k.a God, while in the christianity we believe in God being our only supreme creator. Buddhism's goal is to let go of our desires, cravings and attachment, and try to dispel our ignorance. In christianity, the goal is to obtain salvation through christ’s passion, death and resurrection. In christianity our main goal is to love god and obey his commandment, while creating a relationship with jesus christ

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.

Another similar aspect between Buddhism and Christianity worth mentioning is that they both have key religious events. For instance, Christians celebrate Easter, Christmas, … while in Buddhism, there are festivals that are based on Lunar calendar

In present-day society, the globalization, briefly including economics, and culture, has become an unstoppable tendency. With its rapid development and cultural communication, some controversies have emerged. Religious conflicts are characteristic examples showing the detrimental influences of cultural globalization. It is generally acknowledged that Buddhism and Christianity are ancient and global religions; however, whether the belief in Buddhism is credible or not, has sparked spirited debate. The Christian believes the Buddha is a “shadow”, and he is not to be believed. Actually, there are some similarities in terms of histories, main figures, and beliefs between Buddhism and Christianity. In order to solve sources of conflict, the

Christianity and Buddhism exist as two of the predominant religions throughout the world. While Buddhism ranks around fifth in the size of religions, it is the third most widespread religion behind Christianity and Islam. Buddhism and Christianity are arrantly distinct in their principle standpoints: Buddhism rejects the existence of a greater being and Christianity proudly professes the power of a universal God. However, despite this rigid dissimilarity, both religions developed and spread with akin practices and messages due to their analogous founders, mother religions with like social significance, and approachable and appealing doctrine.

Compassion is basically considered to be one of the most virtues in almost all religious traditions such as Buddhism and Christianity. Buddhism and Christianity are two different religions but both of them are interrelated. Both religions have hope of life after death, hope of reincarnation of Buddhists, eternal life of Christians, but live consciously. Both Buddhism and Christianity were founded by spiritual leaders and masters who tried to prove a way of salvation. Based on religious writings, this paper explores the way Buddhism and Christianity are different and in what ways they similar from the point of salvation, life after death, and love.