Student Essay on Buddhism and Christianity

To do no evil;

To cultivate good;

To purify one's mind:

This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

--The Dhammapada

Religion is known as one's service and worship to God or another supernatural being. It is a commitment and devotion to religious faith or observance based on one's beliefs. Religion is a sacred engagement that is believed to be a spiritual reality. The community to which they belong determines the objects that humans consider to be sacred. In some instances a heavenly god may be the center of a religion. In other cases it may be saviors, scriptures, and even the sacraments involved with that particular belief system (Encarta Encyclopedia 2005).

Buddhism is one of the major known religions in the world today. It was founded in Northeastern Indian and is based on the teachings and works of the enlightened one, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha. He was the prince of the Sakya tribe of Nepal, at approximately the time of 566 BC. When he was twenty-nine

years old, he left the comforts of his home to seek the meaning of the suffering he saw around him. Buddha was one of the greatest human beings, a man of noble character, penetrating vision, warm compassion, and profound thought. (Butler 2005, Encarta Encyclopedia 2005).

In Buddhism, there is no central God that should be obeyed and complied with. The Buddha does not believe in an emperor that is omniscient and omnipresent. In Buddhism there are no divine revelations or divine messengers. Since Buddhists do not believe in revelations of a divine being, Buddhism does not claim the control of truth and does not condemn any other religion. But Buddhism recognizes the infinite hidden possibilities of man and teaches that man can gain deliverance from suffering by his own efforts independent of divine help or mediating priests. It is a belief system, which allows its followers to look within themselves for deeper meaning and understanding about who they are and of the world around them (Butler 2005).

The Great Buddha had many teachings that focused on humans and the world around them. These teachings are referred to as the "Four Noble Truths." The first noble truth states that life is indeed painful and can be frustrating. If we look at the world around us and the conditions of others we notice all the suffering in the world through war, starvation, terrorism, and intolerance of others just to name a few. One aspect of this truth that sticks out the most is death. Buddha taught that it cannot be avoided and is part of life. It is one's responsibility to face this fact and live their life to the fullest.

One Beatitude that is similar to this teaching of Buddha is, "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." These can be compared because everyone at

one time or another mourns. Life is filled with suffering and a great deal of pain and as humans we generally mourn over the suffering we go through. Although we tend to mourn Christians are comforted though the gift of the Holy Spirit and Buddhists find comfort within themselves and the teachings of the Great Buddha (Encarta Encyclopedia 2005, Butler 2005).

The second noble truth that is emphasized in Buddhism is that all suffering has a cause. The reason for suffering is that we, as humans are constantly struggling. The Great Buddha had strong beliefs that all humans are defined by humility. The harder one tries to establish themselves and their relationships the harder and more painful our experiences will be (Encarta Encyclopedia 2005, Butler 2005).

This teaching of Buddha relates to the Beatitude, "Blessed is the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." This is because, in our life, humans are constantly struggling and suffering. As Christians we should try to be like God and avoid conflict while at the same time look out for our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we make peace with others there will be less suffering for all.

The third noble truth ties in with the second. It says that suffering can come to an end. Our true struggle in life is to survive and everything else is unnecessary. According to Buddha it is one's responsibility to live simply and not to be distracted by worldly pleasures and affairs. The fourth noble truth is the way or the path to end suffering. The basic principal in this truth is meditation. Through peaceful meditation one becomes mindful and aware of everything that is a distraction in life (Butler 2005, Encarta Encyclopedia 2005).

There are many different branches belonging to the Scriptures of Buddhism. One of the first major components of the Buddhist Scriptures would be the Buddhist Canon. Also referred to as the Tripitaka, this word is credited to the authorship of the Great Buddha himself. "It becomes clear from the foregoing analysis that in speaking of a Buddhist Canon one has to admit that it is both vast in extent and complex in character" ("The Buddhist Scriptures"). As of right now it is difficult to tell of the contents of the Tripitaka. This is because at the time of Buddha it was not common for man to write anything down and thus, the teachings of Buddha, the Tripitaka, was not fully written down until some years after the death of Buddha ("The Buddhist Scriptures," Lopez 2002, Encarta Encyclopedia 2005, Epstein 2001).

Manuscripts were recently founded that are just as important to the Buddhists and the Dead Sea Scrolls are to Christians. These manuscripts were written down on birch bark and are believed to be the earliest surviving Buddhist texts. They include 60 fragments, ranging from the Buddha's sermons, to poems and treatises on the psychology of perception. "The scrolls tell us something about the way Buddhists passed on the teachings, which were for a long time passed on orally. After the Buddha's death, his disciples are said to have gathered in assemblies where they recited his sermons and organized them into what came to be the Buddhist canon, or the Tripitaka" ("The Buddhist Scriptures").

The first part of the Tripitaka is known as the Vinaya Pitaka. The Vinaya Pitaka lays down the important set of rules of discipline concerning the Buddhists, which also relate to the moral codes of the Buddhists. The first section of the Vinaya Pitaka is the

Pæræjika. This consists of a set of rules that prevent four serious offenses. Any transgressor of these rules is defeated in his purpose in becoming a bhikkhu. If one loses this status then they are no longer recognized as a member of the community, which is similar to excommunication of the church (Epstein 2001).

According to "A Guide to Tripitaka:"

Three Pæræjika offences that lead to loss of status as a bhikkhu are:

(i) The first Pæræjika: Whatever bhikkhu should indulge in sexual intercourse loses his bhikkhuhood.

(ii) The second Pæræjika: Whatever bhikkhu should take with intention to steal what is not given loses his bhikkhuhood.

(iii) The third Pæræjika: Whatever bhikkhu should intentionally deprive a human being of life loses his bhikkhuhood.

These three guidelines are similar to many of the Catholic teachings and Commandments. The first Pæræjika offence, states that one must not indulge in sexual intercourse. This is similar to the Catholic moral that one should abstain from sex outside of marriage. The second Pæræjika is similar to the Commandment that one should not steal from another. The third Pæræjika is similar to the commandment that one should not kill or take the life of another being.

All together the religion of Buddhism differs from that of Christianity. Although many of the teachings of Buddhism relate to the Beatitudes and Commandments of the Catholic faith the two are ultimately different. Buddhism does not involve the relationship between the God and man. It does not show the loving creator and Heavenly Host and our spiritual unity with Him. Catholicism is centered on the life, death, and

resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and His teachings. Buddhism is centered on the teaching of one ordinary man Buddha, also referred to as the Enlightened One. In Buddhism there are no divine revelations or divine messengers like that of Jesus Christ.

Buddhism recognizes the infinite hidden possibilities of man and teaches that man can gain deliverance from suffering by his own efforts independent of divine help or mediating priests, whereas the Catholic faith believes that man gains deliverance from the suffering of Jesus Christ and his divine intercession.