2 years, 3 months ago
Is it possible that Jesus and Buddha were the same person?
Their teachings were strikingly similar.
The Bible and Buddhism teachings both support reincarnation.
Any details in scriptures that might lend credence to this idea?
The Bible and Buddhism teachings both support reincarnation.
Any details in scriptures that might lend credence to this idea?
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M$1 Answer
Their teachings were quite similar (and indeed, there are monasteries, complete with monks and nuns, devoted to both). But they were indeed two different men. Both existed as real human beings (though their legends were greatly exaggerated). Jesus is not only mentioned in Roman records, but also in the works of Josephus, a Jewish historian of roughly the same time period (he was about a generation or so younger than Jesus of Nazareth). The Buddha was a man named Siddhartha Gautama, the son of a regional chieftain in the foothills of the Himalaya mountains in India. He lived approximately five centuries before the man called Jesus. If Buddha was in fact Jesus, this would have to have been accomplished by re-incarnation, which I suppose is a possibility. (The Dalai Lama, it is said, is the reincarnation of a Buddha as well.)
More likely, though, the beliefs of Jesus were merely influenced by pre-existing religions. Trade between the Levant (Palestine) and India was not entirely unknown at the time, particularly with Roman influence stretching as far as Armenia and the Caucasus, and ideas are traded just as freely as commodities are. There were other religions at the time which also might have exerted an influence upon the beliefs of Jesus, such as Mithraism, or even the cult of Tammuz, which also shares a belief in resurrection.
So in answer to your question, I would probably say that Jesus was more of a theological great-grandson of the Buddha than he was the Buddha himself.
By the way, on a somewhat related note, I think it's interesting how Kong Fu Zi (literally "Master Kong", westernized as "Confucius", the founder of Confucianism) was born only 15 years after Buddha. (Siddhartha was born in 566 B.C. and Kong Fu Zi was born in 551 B.C.) The fact that those two major religions, Buddhism and Confucianism, developed literally on opposite sides of the Himalayas at about the same time has always fascinated me. I have often wondered if the two had possibly ever met each other. Trade between the various kingdoms of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of China and the various kingdoms of India was not unknown either.
More likely, though, the beliefs of Jesus were merely influenced by pre-existing religions. Trade between the Levant (Palestine) and India was not entirely unknown at the time, particularly with Roman influence stretching as far as Armenia and the Caucasus, and ideas are traded just as freely as commodities are. There were other religions at the time which also might have exerted an influence upon the beliefs of Jesus, such as Mithraism, or even the cult of Tammuz, which also shares a belief in resurrection.
So in answer to your question, I would probably say that Jesus was more of a theological great-grandson of the Buddha than he was the Buddha himself.
By the way, on a somewhat related note, I think it's interesting how Kong Fu Zi (literally "Master Kong", westernized as "Confucius", the founder of Confucianism) was born only 15 years after Buddha. (Siddhartha was born in 566 B.C. and Kong Fu Zi was born in 551 B.C.) The fact that those two major religions, Buddhism and Confucianism, developed literally on opposite sides of the Himalayas at about the same time has always fascinated me. I have often wondered if the two had possibly ever met each other. Trade between the various kingdoms of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of China and the various kingdoms of India was not unknown either.
source(s):
Knowledge of ancient history
Knowledge of ancient history
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M$
Thank you. Glad to help.
Perhaps you're not looking with the right keywords. It's important to remember that "Jesus" is not the name he actually was born with. His birth name was Yeshua ben Yosef (Joshua son of Joseph). Yup, that's right. Jesus was actually a "Josh".
Here's a site on the Nazarene dynasty that you might find interesting. http://www.biblesearchers.com/hebrewchurch/primitive/primitive16.shtml#Dynasty
This is not at all to suggest that he did or did not resurrect from death and ascend into Heaven. Everyone has their own beliefs on that one (my own belief is that I think Jesus lived and died, and that was the end of it. But regardless of divinity or not, the "alleged" Jesus, the "Love your Neighbor as yourself" guy, seems like quite a guy.)
Good answer. Your knowledge of history is most impressive. I watched this movie "The Man From Earth," last night. It sparked this question, as the lead character claimed something close to my question.
I can't find any actual references that show Jesus was a real person. The Wikipedia entry on Jesus, for instance, says that the only records of him are from the Gospels. Then there's the shocking similarities between Jesus and the Astrological Sun. I don't know if I'd trust such records anyway, unless they were directly from the original source and it was clear that no one tampered with any secondary records...
I read this book that suggested Jesus/Buddha were the same avatara. It was interesting.