Buddhism

A world religion similar to Christianity and Islam in that it has a credal base, Buddhism begins in the late 6th/early 5th century BCE, while the Buddha (Siddartha Gautama) lives 563-483 BCE. The earliest recordings of the myths are in the Pali canon, ca. 80 BCE. It is unlikely to have much historical value. Buddhism shares many myths with Christianity, including the Virgin Birth of their founders. Paradise is guarded in both faiths, but in Judeo-Christianity, the cherubim block reentry, while in Buddhism, people are welcomed past fear and desire. Zen Buddhism furnishes Joseph Campbell's favorite maxim, "Tat tvam asi," — "Thou art that" — the title of this work. One must find God within.

Christianity

The second world religion chronologically after Buddhism, Christianity begins as a reforming movement within Judaism, which is a strictly ethnic religion. A young rabbi accepts baptism from a member of the...