Buddha and Jesus Christ in Literature Essay - 1828 Words

Buddha and Jesus Christ in Literature Many pieces of literature and characters in literature are based off of religious figures or beliefs. In the literary pieces that we have read this semester, Buddha, Jesus Christ, and their religions have often been motifs. Buddha and Christ have many striking differences, but also quite a few similarities. They have both been very influential in many of the worldly religions of today, and in literature throughout the years. The man commonly known as Buddha was born in 560 B.C. and died at the age of eighty in 450 B.C. He was born to Suddhodana, king of the Sakhyas, and Maya. He was born in Lumbini, near the city of Kapilauastu in the Himalayan mountain ranges. His real name is Siddhartha†¦show more content†¦The king did not want this for his son, so he had guards make sure these four types of people remained out of Siddhartha’s sight. At the age of sixteen, Siddhartha married a woman named Yasodhara. Together they had a son which they named Rahula. At the age of twenty-nine, Siddhartha abandoned his home. He managed to leave the palace and go into town, where he saw a decrepit old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a monk. Siddhartha decided to renounce his world of miseries and sorrows so that he did not become prey to old age, disease, and death. Siddhartha first started to live as a hermit and practiced Yogic (discipline of action and devotion). He was determined to attain supreme peace by practicing self-mortification. He ate next to nothing and almost starved himself to death. One day Buddha heard some young girls singing a song. The lyrics in the song changed his life. They sang, â€Å"The string overstretched breaks, the music dies/ The string overslack is dumb and the music dies† (Sivananda). This made Buddha realize that he didn’t need to go to extremes. He realized that he should adapt to a happy medium. One day Buddha fell into a dejected mood and did not know what to do with himself. He sat under a tree and said, â€Å"Let me die. Let my body perish. Let my flesh dry up. I will not get up from this seat till I get full illumination† (Sivananda). He spentShow MoreRelatedChrist in Catholicism and Other Religions1684 Words   |  7 Pagesthe increasing diffusion of religions around the world (Himma 51). Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the ultimate saviour, and no one can get to God through any other way apart from Christ alone. Therefore, it is impossible for a person to be a follower of another religion and receive Christ salvation because salvation lies in the Grace of God that was expressed through the death of his son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for the sins of human beings. The bible is the final authority in mattersRead MoreEssay on Why Is Religion Important?579 Words   |  3 PagesJust as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life. -- Buddha So I say to you, Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. --Jesus Christ Whether you consider yourself a religious person or not, or whether you think religion has played a positive or negative role in history, it is an incontrovertible fact that from the beginning of time, humans have engaged in activities that we now call religionRead MoreContrast the Life of the Heian-Era Courtier with That of the Kamakura Samurai.783 Words   |  4 Pagesexamples from three levels of society. †¢ The feudal system of Japan and the feudal system of Europe shared similar structures and values. †¢ The two feudal systems differed in many ways. These differences can be seen in the areas of religion, literature, and the role of women. †¢ The impact of both Japanese and European feudalism is still felt today. ESSENTIAL QUESTION What similarities did the feudal societies in Europe and Japan share? Japanese and European feudalism shared a number of similarities—bothRead MoreThe And Divine Nature Of The Bible1393 Words   |  6 Pagesultimate goal of the Bible. This paper will also discuss the two arguments known as the inerrantist and infallibilist views. â€Å"Some in the movement saw the Bible as a human book that was to be studied using methods common to the study of any other literature, while others continued to uphold the divine authority of Scripture and sought to understand the Bible as a theological book.† (Pocket Dictionary, 1999, p 20) This is the definition of the human and divine nature of scripture according to the PocketRead MoreEssay about Compare and Contrast the Lives of Buddha and Jesus3767 Words   |  16 Pagesdifferent 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.   Sources on the Buddhas life indicate that he was born around the 6th century BCE.   The eventsRead MoreThe Reign of Great Ruler1599 Words   |  6 Pagestaken care of, they began looking to take from others through conquest. 2. Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is also known as Jesus of Nazareth and was born around the year 6 b.c.e.. Jesus was raised jewish but would be known as the central feature of the Christianity. By some he is also thought of as a teacher, healer and prophet, and preached publicly about God. He is said to have preached love, humility and charity. Jesus was put to death by the Roman authorities around 30 c.e. by crucifixion becauseRead MoreThe Hippie Movement of the 1960s Essay example646 Words   |  3 Pagesfrom the 1940s. The hippies inherited their cultural dissent from bohemians and beatniks of the Beat Generation in the late 1950s. The hippies’ philosophy that had been originated, credits the religious and spiritual teachings of Jesus Christ, Hillel the Elder, Buddha, St. Francis of Assisi, Henry David Thoreau, and Gandhi, as well as others. Some people considered the hippie movement to be a religious reform. Following in the footsteps of The Beats, the hippies also used marijuana, consideringRead MoreAfterlife Essay996 Words   |  4 Pagescategorize the locations after death: Heaven and Hell. As Christians, we have guidelines in which to receive eternal life and we follow the life as Jesus Christ, and according to the Bible, through Him we are saved. Pretty simple to concept, but in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India, the afterlife is not so easy to grasp. Polytheism, pharaohs, and Buddha will all be prevalent in this exploration of the afterlife in ancient civilizations. Mesopotamians also called Sumerians believed that the afterlifeRead MoreReligion And History Of Religion2764 Words   |  12 Pagesreligion and history. Once the topics are compared and contrasted I will then end the essay with a conclusion. The three topics revolving around religion and history have their own unique journey, but without a doubt share likewise details. The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, founded Buddhism in India during 500BCE. Siddhartha Gautama did not initially set a journey out to spread Buddhism. Instead, he set a journey out for himself to begin with. Siddhartha came from a wealthy family and from a fatherRead MoreIs The Human Mind?1592 Words   |  7 Pageswalking in water(pg. 24). Such symbolic piece of literature diverts back to the Biblical scriptures when Jesus Christ dominated what was around him and walked on water... paradoxically speaking, Siddhartha himself would soon need to dominate his inner/outer surroundings to listen and become one with such phenomenon (the river). As the two young ascetics roam the streets in search for what the rumors had been: that the illustrious one...the Buddha...was near, Siddhartha recognizes him amongts the