Comparative Essay: Buddhism and Christianity

Compare and Contrast:

Buddhism and Christianity

Comparative Religions, HUMN 448

Buddhism and Christianity are both popular religions with many followers, and both have had an impact on the history of the world. While these religions have both subtle and drastic differences, they also have similarities of the same manner. To see these similarities, we will compare and contrast three sets of articles. The first is an examination of the early lives of both the Buddha and Jesus. The second set is a comparison of “The Lost Son” parables, and the third set is a comparison of the Buddha’s last words and the interpretation of Jesus’ death in the book of Acts. These examinations of Buddhism and Christianity will help to show just how similar the two religions are, for all their differences.

First, we examine and analyze the early lives of the Buddha and Jesus. For the early life of the Buddha—the beginning of his mission—we turn to a story called “The Four Passing Sights.” For the beginning of Jesus’ mission, we read Mark 1:1-13. The Buddha began life as Siddhartha, son of a king. At his naming ceremony, priests foretold that he would grow to be either 1) a world ruler if he followed his father’s footsteps; or 2) a world teacher if he were exposed to the sight of suffering. And so Siddhartha was kept in the palace, surrounded by servants and finery, and was never exposed to the world outside. He asks his father’s permission to go to a nearby park, and his father allows him after going to extravagant lengths in order to decorate the prince’s route. On his way to the park, Siddhartha sees an old man—crippled, toothless, and nearly blind—and learns that all men become old. He returns to the palace, troubled. The second time he travels to the park, he sees a sick man, groaning in pain, and learns that all men can become sick at any time. Again, he returns home troubled, never having visited the park. He goes on a third trip and sees a dead man, stiff on a board in a funeral...