What do you see as notable about the birth of the Buddha? How does Siddhartha’s birth differ from Christ’s birth? How are they similar?
The birth of Buddha is associated with a miracle. It is said that Queen Maha Maya had a dream, and in the dream, there appeared a beautiful white elephant that encircled her and entered her right side. The Queen was a strict observer of all religious vows, and consequently, she was perplexed and consulted the King over the issue. Afterward, the King summoned the wise men, also known as Brahmin, to assist in the interpretation of the mysterious dream.
The wiremen’s interpretation of the dream was that there was going to be born a son to the royal family. According to the tradition of people, such a son was to become a Universal Monarch, incase he remained in the palace. Traditionally, the Queen had to return to her parents to give birth. However, while on the way to her parent’s home, she gave birth to a baby boy. The birth was an extraordinary event and was celebrated in the country.
The birth of Siddharta differs from that of Christ in a number of ways. Whereas Christ was born in a manger, Siddharta was born under a giant Sal tree. Furthermore, the birth of Siddharta occurred when the Queen was going back to her parent’s home. On the other hand, Christ was in Bethlehem as his parents had gone for a census. Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, Siddharta was a son to the Queen. As such, Christ was born from a humble background, whereas Siddharta from the royal family. The only similarity in the birth of Christ and Siddharta was that both their births were predicted by angels.
What do you see as the main ethical concerns of the historical Buddha? How do these ethical concerns overlap with the ethical concerns of Christ? In what ways are the ethical approaches of Buddha and Christ different?
The ethical concern in the birth of the Buddha was that it was predicted by angels. Normally, the birth of a child is supposed to be known by the parents. As such, the fact that four angels appeared and predicted this to the Queen goes against the conventional ethics of society. Additionally, as a child from the royal family, he was supposed to be born at home. Consequently, it becomes an ethical concern if the Buddha is born on the way under a Sal tree. There is an overlap between the Buddha’s birth and that of Christ in that Christ was born of a woman who was a virgin.
However, the birth of Christ also occurs away from home. The birthplace of Christ, the manager, was against societal ethics. Given the pivotal role that Christ was to play at the start of the Christian faith, one would have imagined that he would have been born in a decent place. Thus, there is a difference between the ethical approaches of Christ and Buddha. Here, it did not matter so much where the Buddha was born. On the other hand, the birthplace of Christ was significant in the Christian faith.
What is the cause of suffering, according to the Buddha? What is the cause of suffering, according to Christ? How does the Buddha see suffering overcome? How does the Christ see suffering overcome?
According to Buddha, there is a belief that suffering is an occurrence through a chain of endless rebirths. As such, Buddha believes that suffering is a desire. Here, there was a concerted effort among the Buddhists to desire this aspect. According to Christ, suffering is caused by men’s deviation from the teachings of the Bible. Among Christians, there is a belief that suffering is caused by Satan (the devil), who does not want to see God’s people live in peace. As such, the devil makes people commit sins resulting into suffering. To Christ, desires cause one to sin. Man’s body desires need to be fulfilled thus resulting into sin.
The Buddha believes that one could overcome suffering by eliminating the desire within. Here, the elimination of the desire is followed by the Noble Eight-fold Path. According to the Buddha, the Noble Eight-fold meant that one had the right views, the right livelihood, the right speech, the right conduct, the right intent ,the right effort, the right mindfulness and the right concentration. On the other hand, Christ believes that suffering can be overcome by trusting in God. Christians do believe that God is the giver of strength and offers refuge meaning that God helps during times of trouble. Remaining faithful in God’s teachings means that one receives eternal reward. This is in a place where no suffering occurs.
What is the view of atonement according to Christ? How are meals important? How does the view of Christian communion differ from the view of Buddhist enlightenment? How is Christian atonement the same as Buddhist enlightenment? How is it different?
According to Christ, atonement was meant to satisfy and reconcile sinners with God. It was through the atonement that redemption of sinners occurred. Christ obeyed and died in order for sinners to be reconciled with God. A number of theories have been proposed to explain the concept of atonement. The theory of Ransom states that atonement was as a result of Christ offering himself as a ransom. Early Christians believed that the ransom was paid to Satan.
On the other hand, the governmental theory explains that atonement was to demonstrate to men that sin did not please God. Christians view the Holy Communion as a sign of reunion with Christ. Christians practice the Holy Communion from time to time to celebrate their union with Christ. Whereas Christians do not have exceptions when it comes to the consumption of foods, Buddhists do not eat fish and meat.
Buddhists do not fully believe in the concept of atonement as expressed in Biblical teachings. To them, emphasis is not on forgiving. Buddhists value the act of following the right path rather than forgiving. They believe that there is a need to for one to look at the foolishness that leads them to commit an act of sin. The concept of enlightenment according to the Buddhists refers to the aspect of awakening.
By enlightenment, the Buddhists realize the truths as it concerns the teachings of Buddha. Christianity is achieved through faith by way of grace. On the other hand, Buddhism stresses on the concept of enlightenment whereby people seek to alleviate ignorance. As such, the two religions display clear differences in the concepts and doctrines they believe in their teachings.