Buddhism and Christianity emerged individually of each other, separated as they were by nearly 3,000 miles and a minimum of 500 years. In terms of religion systems they are even further apart. Lots of Buddhists, for instance, don’t believe in a supreme being. Christianity is based on such a belief. The Buddha bewared to reject any efforts to identify him a divine being. Christ claimed to be one with God. The Buddha taught his followers to discover the Middle Method in between poles of opposites such as good and evil. Christ encouraged his disciples to choose the great and decline the evil.
However regardless of the distinctions there exists an uncanny resemblance in how an underlying mythology shaped the stories of the founders of these 2 world religious beliefs. We can’t assist however question if writers shaped their origin story to fit a mythological pattern of some kind. The principle texts of both religions were documented just after decades, and in some cases centuries, had actually passed because the founder’s death, leaving lots of time to arrange oral tradition into familiar and acceptable frameworks. How else can we explain such an uncanny similarity?
Both Left Home & Faced Down Evil
Think about the following:
Both Siddhartha Gautama, who was to become the Buddha, and Jesus of Nazareth, who was to become the Christ, are said to have actually left their houses in the prime of their lives, looking for truths that exist beyond the scope of most people’s interest. Both were ultimately led into a wilderness where, alone, they dealt with the devil and his traditional three temptations.
Scene of the Buddha’s Great Departure from palatial life. Gandahara 1-2nd century. Guimet Museum. Individual photograph 2005. This scene illustrates the “Great Departure” predestined being, he appears here surrounded by a halo, and accompanied by many guards, mithuna caring couples, and devata, concerned pay tribute. (CC BY-SA 3.0 )
Siddhartha sat beneath the Bo tree where Mara, an old Hindu god and devil figure, challenged him.
Mara illustrated in the Burmese style, trying to tempt Buddha (CC BY-SA 3.0)Jesus, in the wilderness, faced Satan, the fallen angel previously known as Lucifer.
Lucifer depicted in The Temptation of Christ, by Ary Scheffer, 1854.(Public Domain) It’s thought that both were lured by the cravings of the flesh, the spirit, and worldly pride. Both emerged from that experience with a new teaching and immediately declared their insights.