Jesus and Buddha: Compare and Contrast

We went to a Unity service in Berkeley today. I was impressed by the alter which sported statuettes of both Buddha and Jesus. No wonder they call it Unity. Of course, Jesus and Buddha have a lot in common. They were both Awakened Ones trying to enlighten the world. They espoused similar principles that emphasized transcendence from the delusions that inevidably dog a self-centered self-concept. Compassion was also a favored theme of both masters as was nonviolence and the renunciation of materialism.

They were both skilled teachers that excelled in the instructive techniques of parable and metaphor. They understood that to become truly enlightened one must at some time abandon a conventional lifepath and "go forth" in solitude to seek deeper understanding of the human condition in order to become one with a higher intelligence. They both left their families to find a deeper realization and founded spiritual communities dedicated to this realization.

It is also important to note that most of what was written about the two is unverifiable historically and so many myths and fantastical stories have naturally accumulated around these two magnetic figures like charged particles might around two great dynamos. There is very little we know for certain.

For example, it is unknown whether Jesus was actually crucified, although I suspect it is likely he was since he lived under a repressive regime that would have felt threatened by anyone that could fill a town square like he could. Also nothing real or fictional was written about his life beyond his mid-thirties which indicates that he was either dispatched around that time or had to go underground rather hastily to avoid such a fate.

In contrast Buddha supposedly lived to be eighty and founded many sanghas that were enthusiastically and generously supported by the potentates of the time (with perhaps one conspiratorial exception). Buddha's story has many more chapters than Jesus'. Also Jesus was supposedly born of common folk, while Buddha was of the priviledged class and chose the life of a humble seeker voluntarily.

These differences are superficial. The important thing is that they both tapped a common source of wisdom beyond words residing in the realm of spirit. And they dedicated themselves to guiding others along the path toward this realm with unparalleled skill.

Historians will never know what was real and what was invented about there lives but the authenicity of each detail of their biographies is not nearly as important as the authenticity of their messages. And if we do have a spark of the divine within us, as both teachers claim, then we should in time be able to divine their truths from the tall tales of others by asking some simple questions like: "What did they say that resinates for me? Which message helps quench the fires of hatred, ignorance and greed within me?" Then it doesn't matter if the water springs from an oasis in the Sinai Desert or an artesian well in a forest in Bodh Gaya, a fountain in Mecca or a falls in the Sierras. A thirsty soul knows what it needs.