Buddhists who follow the Dalai Lama see Jesus as a bodhisattva.
Both Jesus and Siddhartha, the very first Buddha and founder of the movement, began their spiritual teaching journies at around age 30. Both taught to treat your follow human as you yourself would like to be treated. How much alike are Siddartha and Jesus? How different are they? First, let us examine the Buddha's 8 Steps To Enlightenement and then let's see how they compare to Christ's own teachings.
The 8 Noble Steps of Enlightenment
1.Right Understanding: Buddha says: To reconize that life as we know it is impermant and that the obsessing for the want of material things, covetting them, and being gluttonous in desires leads to unhappiness. Jesus says: Present life is impermanent. But...""I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again." John 11:25; Acts 3:21. Christ also says not to be overly obessive over material things~ Matthew 6:25-34. New Living Translation.
"Don't worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.
28 "And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!
31"So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. 32Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, 33and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
34"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for
2-6 Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Liviehood, Right Effort : Buddha says: My thoughts and motives should be pure and not tainted by selfish desires. I speak honestly and kindly, in positive ways, avoiding lies and hash words. My liviehood does no harm. With moderation I constantly try and improve. Jesus says:
Matthew 7:12; "The Golden Rule
12 "Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
Matthew 5:1-10; The Sermon on the Mount
1 One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them.
The Beatitudes
2 This is what he taught them:
3 "God blesses those who realize their need for him,[a] for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them.
6 God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.
7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Matthew 6:2-15 (New Living Translation).
2 When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do--blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.
Teaching about Prayer
5 "And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.
7 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.
10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.
11 Give us our food for today,[a]
12 and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
13 And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
14 "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Exodus 20:13-17.
13 "Do not murder.
14 "Do not commit adultery.
15 "Do not steal.
16 "Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.
17 "Do not covet your neighbor's house. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns."
[b]7 and 8. Right Mediation, Contemplation & Prayer:
Buddha says: I use mediation and focused awareness to contemplate the nature's of reality more. I cultivate inner peace.
Jesus says: 1 Corthians 13 The Living Translation
1 If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth[a] but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 6 It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
8 Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[c] and special knowledge will all disappear. 9 Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! 10 But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.
11 It's like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[d] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.
13 There are three things that will endure--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.
Philippians 4:6-7.
Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.
Buddha's Teaching of No Harm & Christ's Teaching of the Golden Rule
One of Buddha's chief teachings was and is ahimsa, which translates into English as meaning do no harm to any living thing, neirher oneself, one's follow human, animals nor nature. Likewise, Christ's chief teaching was and is The Golden Rule, which is found at Matthew 7:12 and reads, "Treat others as you yourselves would like to be treated." The apostle Paul said that both sexes and all races become equal through Christ~ Galatians 3:28. Psalm 36:6 tells us to take care of the earth and all living things upon it.
Buddha's 5 Life Questions & Christ's 5 Answers
The book Experincing the World's religions by Michael Moly on page 104 of chapter 4 explains how Siddhartha asked the following questions and Jesus answers them
[b]Buddha's Question (1) Why do people grow old and die?
Jesus' Answer: Romans 5;12; 5:17-21; 6:11.
17 The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight.
20 God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful kindness became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. 6 Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life. 9 We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
Psalm 116:7-9 (New Living Translation)
7 Now I can rest again, for the LORD has been so good to me.
8 He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9 And so I walk in the LORD's presence as I live here on earth!
Buddha's Question (2) Is their a divine supreme being?
Jesus' Answer:
Psalm 83:18 (King James Version)
18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Buddha's Question (3) Is their possible life after death?
Jesus' Answer:
John 3:16 (New Living Translation)
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Buddha's Question (4) Is their an answer to suffering?
Jesus' Answer:
Romans 5;12; 5:17-21; 6:11.
17 The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight.
Buddha's Question (5) Is there an end to suffering?
Jesus' Answer:
Revelation 21:3-5 (American Standard Version)
3 And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God:
4 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away.
5 And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true.
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