Religion and Theology

Religion is an important part of a persons being. Adhering to religion or having no religion at all may dictate how one person relates to other people and how he goes through his life. Religion is important in order to maintain a certain order in a persons life and in the world as a whole. The major religions practiced in the world include Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism (CIA, 2010). This paper is intended to compare Christianity and Buddhism which are two of the major religions and which are somehow similar in principles or in teachings.

Christianity and Buddhism were taught or preached to people by Jesus Christ and Siddhartha Gautama, respectively. Siddhartha Gautama also known as Gautama Buddha was a Prince in Nepal (Hooker, 1996). His father, the King, became bothered by the prophecies about his son, which claimed that he would grow to be a monk. With his desire that his son succeed his throne, he provided him with all the luxuries and kept him inside the palace. However, the Kings plan backfired and eventually, the Prince, upon venturing the outside world, was awakened to the dismal fact of suffering. He saw an old man, a severely ill man and a corpse being carried to the funeral. The prince was saddened by these sights but when he saw an ascetic who seemed to be serene and composed (ORIAS), he was in awe. He then set off to resolve the dilemma of human suffering. He became an ascetic himself and eventually became the awakened one, achieving Nirvana. He began his teachings and gave rise to the religion of Buddhism.

Jesus on the other hand was the son of God, who was since birth or even before it, destined to redeem man of their sins. He was born of divine conception and he did not need an awakening to the fact that he is the son of God for he already understood this even from childhood but his ministry began when he was baptized by John the Baptist (The Committee on Bible Translation, 1984). His baptism was described in the following Biblical Passage (The Committee on Bible Translation, 1984)
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven You are my Son, whom I love with you I am well pleased. At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

In contrast to the start of Christianity, there was no divine intervention that led Siddhartha to search for his mission. It was plainly of his own accord that he went into exile but just like Jesus, was able to resist temptation by the Mara (ORIAS). While Siddharthas resistance to temptation marked his awakening, Jesus resistance marked the start of his mission.

Both personas then started preaching their teachings. Their teachings were composed of parables. One of the most common parables of the two religions is the Parable of the LostProdigal Son. Both stories start off the same way but heads off in different tones. The Buddhist version (The New York Times, 1884) states that the lost son, due to the sufferings he has encountered, forgot his father so that upon returning to his fathers estate, his father made him a servant in the estate in order for him to learn, and also to educate and discipline him. The story ends with the son learning of his true condition - that is being the heir of the estate for which he works for and is overjoyed to see his father again. In the Christian version, the father instantly takes his son back and gives all the things he used to have with a bat of an eyelash. His homecoming which was a sign of repentance was gladly accepted by his father for that is how God the Father works, he readily accepts his sons who have once gone astray but who repent for their sins. These parables ultimately show the purpose or direction of each religion. Buddhism is to discipline as well as diligence while Christianity is to the repentance of sins.

Eventually, death took its toll on both personages of these religions. Siddharthas last words were translated into different meanings that are not exactly the same. I found this translation most fitting Indeed, bhikkhus, I declare this to you It is in the nature of all formations to dissolve. Attain perfection through diligence (Wisdom Books). The death of Jesus on the other hand became a call for the repentance of sins. The people of the time according to the Bible realized what they had done to the Son of God and therefore realized their mistakes. They repented and were baptized, receiving the Holy Spirit. This marked the expansion of Christianity.

In order to make the clearest distinction between the two religions, it is important to note that the main difference relies on the fact that Buddhism has no God. This fact made people relate Buddhism as a philosophy rather than a religion. Buddhism also calls for the achievement of Nirvana, which is the state at which suffering and its causes cease. This is Buddhisms ultimate goal, thus, the call for diligence by Buddha in his last words. For Nirvana can only be achieved through diligence and discipline. On the other hand, Christianity is centered on the holy trinity - God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the ultimate being of the universe and his mercy for his sinful sons can be acquired through proper conduct toward fellow men as well as for the repentance of sins. Just like Buddhism, it requires diligence and discipline but with the added faith to the Supreme Being. As said earlier, comparison is also seen in this way Buddhism is to discipline as well as diligence while Christianity is to the repentance of sins. While both religions are different in some ways, they are similar in preaching good demeanors towards fellow men as well as to the self, thus both religions help in maintaining order in a persons being and in the world as a whole.