According to the Helmuth Von Glasenapp, “Buddhism believes in the existence of great numbers of impermanent gods (devas) and of men who became gods (buddhas). It believes in a moral world order (dharma), but emphatically denies the existence of an eternal creator and ruler of the world.” Who is Buddha? According to Henry Clarke Warren Buddha is
“A human being, male of sex,
Who saintship gains, a Teacher meets,
As hermit lives, and virtue loves,
Nor lacks resolve, nor fiery zeal,
Can by these eight conditions joined,
Make his most earnest wish succeed” and through those characteristics they were able to recognize the true Buddha (Warren 33). Through the discourse of this paper I will be touching on the creation of the world, belief in gods, the ultimate goal in Buddhism and how it compares to Christianity.
Usually when people hear about Buddhism they associate it with monks which is correct but there are many other different forms of Buddhism. According to World Religions Today, “High in the Himalayas, a Tibetan monk wearing a warm red woolen robe seals himself into a cave retreat for three years and three months of meditative solitude”(Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 392). So do Buddhists believe in gods or goddesses? According to Buddhism, “Buddhism is a philosophy of becoming; consequently it cannot acknowledge the existence of an eternal, permanent, and personal god” (Glasenapp 35). Glasenhapp also goes into the character of Buddha, where he says “He was regarded not as a mere formulator of dry metaphysical propositions, but as a very wise and compassionate friend of his fellow-men” (1). According to Henry Clarke Warren, “The term “Buddha” means “Enlightened One” and signifies that the person to whom it is applied is resolved the ...
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...wo separate entities where the mind is still present when the body dies. Since the mind and the body are separate they believe that the mind has been acquiring karma through lifetimes. It is said that the mind is just going through cycles of birth and death; the mind never dies. I believe that the ultimate goal of Buddhism is to find a positive state of mind in which you as an individual are able to control.
In conclusion, Buddhism and Christianity both explain the world and the things of the world. They both teach a message of peace and non-violence. I learned that the two religions have so much more in common than I thought. I have come to have a greater understanding and interest in Buddhism that I did not have before because of my experience. I have learned that there is an importance in not only being open to new ideas but also to be able to new experience.
Buddhism is a philosophy of life, it was started by Siddhartha Gotma , who is more commonly known as Buddha. Buddha isn’t god to them however he is well respected for passing down knowledge of how to find true happiness. The Buddhists major aim in life is to find enlightenment (true happiness).Buddhist monks live by a strict moral code, in which they are given food, they live a life structured around the teachings of Buddha.
Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, meaning that practitioners of the Buddhist religion do not recognize or worship a God. Instead, practicing Buddhists follow the teachings of a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who is more commonly known as Buddha. The term “Buddha” can be translated to mean “the awakened one”. Buddha’s followers recognize his as the enlightened teacher who would be able to help them let go of human wants, desires and ignorance to the goal of reaching a state of nirvana. The two different major branches of Buddhism are ...
Buddhism is a religion of the Buddhist. Buddhist are non theistic meaning they don't believe in or worship a God or Goddess. Buddhism originates from northern India between 1000 and 5000 years ago. As of today there are between 488 and 535 million Buddhist throughout the world.
It is said that history is shaped by the lives of great men. Great men are leaders. They bring about change; they improve the lives of others; they introduce new ideas, models, and theories to society. Most of the world's religions were founded, developed, or discovered by great men. Two particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - developed in different parts of the world, under different circumstances, and in different social atmospheres. But each religion is based upon the teachings of a great man. When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common. This essay aims to compare and contrast the lives of Buddha1 and Jesus in two key areas: conception and birth. In these two areas, one finds that the Buddha and Jesus share many similarities.
This paper is a comparison between two very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory.
Buddhism is a religion that offers a spiritual path for transcending the suffering of existence. Samsara, the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth to which all beings are subject, results from the consequences incurred by an individual’s karma, the sum of good and bad actions that accumulates over many lives. Release from this endless cycle is achieved only by attaining enlightenment, the goal for which Buddhists striv...
What first comes to attention is the relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism. In many aspects it can be compared to that of the relationship of Christianity and Judaism. Some believe and accept that Buddhism became popular in India due to his teachings giving some aspiration to those who were being oppressed by the caste system that subjugated society of that time period. In the eyes of the Hindus, it was accepted that Buddha was seen as another life of one of their prominent gods, Vishnu, who was seen as the provider, giver, and preserver of the Hindu people. But disagreement between the followers of Buddha and followers of the Hindu god, Shiva, who was seen as the destroyer of things to renew and regenerate the world and spirit and also the male and female aspect of God, arose even in ancient times. Despite some disagreement of beliefs, both religions influenced each other as well as have similarities and differences that make each unique. Firstly, both religions believe in the concept o...
Although Buddhism and Christianity show several parallels, their three key differences are that Buddhists do not believe in one divine being, and have different views about both the purpose of life and the concept of afterlife. Buddhists do not believe in a Supreme Being, God or Creator, though many Buddhists today worship the Buddha - the central figure of Buddhism - and his teachings. They view him as someone with a universal spirit, an essence that can be attained by everyone rather than only a higher deity that rules over the world (Brown). Especially in Mahayana Buddhism, the concept of the Buddha nature is fundamental (“Pure Land”).... ...
Siddhartha Gautama is famously known as Gautama Buddha and was the founder of the idea of Buddhism. The Buddha was known to possess supernatural powers and abilities. He was born in the holy land of Nepal and his journey began in India when he decided to travel and teach himself about life. In the midst of his journey, he discovered Buddhism after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. Buddhism became a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama and since then Buddhism has been popular throughout many civilizations. Buddhism is now one of the most ancient religions in the world, where people follow Buddha, which stand for “awakened one,” and Buddhism which has gained popularity because of the teachings of the Buddha.
one"), who lived and taught in northern Inda in the 6th Century B.C. The Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world-view. The teachings of the Buddha are aimed solely to liberate sentient beings from suffering.
Buddhism and Christianity are different religions. Both have numerous similarities as well as differences that one might find really interesting to look at in details. These two religions have certain beliefs, values and traditions which are really compatible. On the other hand, some of these values, beliefs and traditional practices are quite contradicting and conflicting. This makes the study of these two religions an inevitable and pleasurable task. Theology historians have raised adequate concerns and issues relating to connections between Buddhism and Christianity. They claim that there is strong comparability between the characters of Jesus and Buddha, especially their lives and teachings.
Buddhism is centered upon the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, whereas Christianity is centered on the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ. Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, i.e., it does not believe in a supreme creator being God. Christianity is a monotheistic religion and believes that Christ Is the Son Of God. In Christianity, they believe in Jesus. Christianity is monotheistic because they only believe in one God, unlike Buddhism whom believes in several Gods. First and foremost, I will start by looking at the various similarities between Buddhism and Christianity. Both religions are based on the golden rule which concerns individual wellbeing as well as the interests of other people. Both Lord Buddha and Jesus Christ taught their disciples about the welfare of all human beings. They encouraged their followers to do good to others the same way they would like others do unto them. Jesus and Buddha preached the importance of social values and ethics. Both Buddha and Jesus rejected and highly condemned excessive asceticism and emphasized on self-liberation. Both Buddhism and Christianity doctrines lay emphasis on equal love for all human beings. According to Buddhism, this love should be extended to human beings as well as other living things. Similarly, Christian doctrines are based on the principle of loving a neighbor as much as one loves him/herself. This special kind of love, usually referred to as Agape by Christians, begins at individual levels and should be extended to all people, including friends and enemies. Both Buddhism and Christianity entail worships that involve use of rosaries, incense and performance of rituals among other spiritual practices. Buddhists and Christians worship through personal confessions, monasticism, bowing before holy images and mediations. Often, bells are rung to indicate transitions within prayer
A comparative analysis of salvation in Christianity and Buddhism exposes stark contrasts between the grace of Jesus Christ and the self-saving action and enlightenment of Buddha. I attempt to compare the Christian and Buddhist concepts of salvation in this essay to emphasise on the significance of each founder's roles in salvation, and to extract similarities and differences between them both.
The founder of Buddhism was not a divine being, prophet, or messiah, like many people today believe. He was an ordinary man. Siddhartha Gautama helped revolutionize the world, by discovering Buddhism, and helping his followers find true peace in their lives through the path of enlightenment. The Hindu word, “Buddha”, means “One who is awake” (Pauling 5). Towards the end of his life Siddhartha became “awake”to the world around him. This enlightenment would be the building blocks for Buddhism, and would change the world forever.
Buddhism is unlike any other religion I learned about throughout my time in this class. There is no god in Buddhism and Buddhist do not worship any supernatural being. Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. His teachings, the Dharma, are a guide to follow to reach ultimate liberation. Understanding the four noble truths and following the noble eightfold path would lead to nirvana. As with any religion there are a few different types of Buddhism such as Theravada, Mahayana, and modern day Buddhist. Starting in Asia, Buddhism has spread to the west and all over the world. I hope to convey my thoughts on Buddhism’s past, present and future.