Buddha and Jesus

Buddha and Jesus were both holy prophets of God who appeared in their own times for the spiritual rejuvenation of the people to whom they were sent. Buddha appeared in India about six hundred years before Jesus. In both were found a purity of life, sanctity of character and patient endurance under fierce persecution. It appears that they were both very near in resemblance as suggested by the following analogies.

Jesus was born of a virgin without carnal intercourse. (Matth. Chapter 1)

Buddha was born of a virgin without carnal intercourse. (Hinduism by Williams, pp. 82 and 108)

When Jesus was an infant in his cradle, he spoke to his mother and said: I am Jesus, the son of God. (Gospel of Infancy)

When Buddha was an infant, just born, he spoke to his mother and said: I am the greatest among men. (Hardy's Manual of Buddhism, pp. 145-6)

The life of Jesus was threatened by King Herod. (Matth. 2:1)

The life of Buddha was threatened by King Bimbarasa. (History of Buddha by Beal pp. 103-104)

When Jesus was a young boy we are told that the learned religious teachers were astonished at his understanding and answers. (Luke 2:47)

When sent to school, the young Buddha surprised his masters. (Hardy's Manual of Buddhism)

Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. (Matth. 4:2)

Buddha fasted for a long period. (Science of Religion by Muller, p 28)

It is believed that Jesus will return to this world. (Acts 1:11)

It is believed that Buddha will return to this world. (Angel-Messiah by Bunsen, Ch. 14)

Jesus said: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not to destroy but to fulfill. (Matth. 5:17)

Buddha came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it. (Science of Religion by Muller, p 140)

Jesus taught: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you. (Matth. 5:44)

According to Buddha, the motive of all our actions should be pity, or love for our neighbour. (Science of Religion by Muller, p 249)

It is recorded certain of the scribes and pharisees answered, saying, Master we would see a sign from thee. (Matth. 12:38)

It is recorded in the Sacred Canon of the Buddhists that the multitude required a sign from Buddha that they might believe. (Science of Religion by Muller, p 27)

It is written in the New Testament that Jesus said: If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caste it from thee. (Matth. 5:29)

A story is related of a Buddhist ascetic whose eye offended him so he plucked it out and threw it away. (Science of Religion by Muller, p 245)

The basic teachings of Buddha are very similar to those taught by Jesus most of which are contained in his Sermon on the Mount. (Matth. ch 5)

The essence of Buddha's teachings are:

Gautama Buddha taught that all men are brothers, that charity ought to be extended to all, even to enemies; that men ought to love truth and hate the lie; that good work ought not to be done openly; but rather in secret; that the dangers of riches are to be avoided; that man's highest aim ought to be purity in thought, word and deed, since the higher things are pure, whose nature is akin to that of man.

(The Angel-Messiah by Benson)

There are, indeed, also points of resemblance in the history of Buddha and Jesus. It has been declared that history of Jesus, as portrayed in the New Testament, is a copy of the history of Buddha:

The most ancient of the Buddhistic records known to us contain statements about the life and the doctrines of Gautama Buddha which correspond in a resemblance manner, and impossibly by mere chance, with the traditions recorded in the Gospels about the life and teachings of Jesus.

(The Angel-Messiah by Benson, p 50)

The view has been advanced that the similarities found in the lives and teachings of Gautama Buddha and Jesus could not happen by chance and that as Buddha is the older than Christianity then the former is the parent of the latter. This, of course, is speculation as there are many teachings and points similar and common to all religions.

Bashir Ahmad Orchard

The Review of Religions, June 1990

souce: alislam.org

Fears of Indonesia’s Ahmadiyah sect

In the Indonesian city of Bogor, members of a small Islamic sect called the Ahmadiyah tried to ignore the police patrol car parked opposite their mosque as they walked to Friday prayers.

Peering in through the window, I could see them kneeling, facing Mecca, listening to a sermon.

But at any slight noise, several heads turned round nervously.

The Ahmadiyah are afraid and it is obvious why. Hardline Islamic groups want the sect to be banned - they say it deviates from the tenets of Islam, and therefore has no place in Indonesian society.

Over the past few months these hardliners have become increasingly vocal in their demands - holding rallies in central Jakarta and airing their views in the media.

But some have taken it even further. In February, a violent mob bludgeoned three Ahmadis to death. Since then, houses and mosques have been attacked and protesters have vowed to escalate the violence if they do not get their way.

And it is not just hardliners who want the Ahmadiyah disbanded.

In TV talk-shows and internet chat-rooms, it is obvious that an increasing number of Indonesians, while not condoning the violence, would like to see an end to the Ahmadiyah in their country.

One man we spoke to, who lived opposite the Ahmadis’ mosque in Bogor, said he thought it would be better if they just went away.

Even the local authorities are making life difficult for them.

In common with some other provinces, officials in West Java - which includes the city of Bogor - have recently issued a new set of decrees restricting the Ahmadiyah’s activities.

The Ahmadiyah are not allowed to promote any of their activities, or convert anyone to their faith. They are also being encouraged to attend meetings to re-integrate themselves into mainstream Islam.

Low profile

So what have the Ahmadiyah done that is causing so much offence?

When I watched their prayers through the window, there did not appear to be any obvious differences between the Ahmadis and the mainstream Sunni Muslims who make up the majority of the Indonesian population.

The men were modestly dressed, and the women - confined to the balcony - wore the hijab. The format seemed virtually identical to Islamic prayers I have seen in other mosques.

Afterwards, when I spoke to Muhammad Harris, the local Ahmadiyah leader, he agreed that his faith was actually very similar to that of his Sunni neighbours.

“The prophet Muhammad is the last prophet - there is no other prophet after him,” he said.

“But unlike other Muslims, we believe our founder was a loyal disciple who was chosen to continue the teaching of Islam that came through Muhammad.”

Hardline Islamic groups, though, insist the Ahmadiyah faith disputes that Muhammad was the last prophet, and is therefore nothing short of blasphemy - an offence against Islam and a violation of Indonesian law.

And Mohammad Harris is suffering for it.

There used to be a sign outside his mosque saying it belonged to the Ahmadiyah, but that has been taken down now, after officials asked for it to be removed.

People he knows have had to flee their homes after being threatened, and having their mosques and homes attacked.

His own mosque has not been affected, but given the presence of the police patrol outside the building - one plain-clothed officer was even inside, mingling with the congregation - it is obvious that it might be a target.

‘Took an oath’

While local authorities have been announcing decrees against the sect, the national government has so far shied away from making any definite pronouncements against the Ahmadiyah.

After all, although Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country, it has a secular constitution - including the right to freedom of religious expression.

Nasarudin Umar, the religious ministry’s director general for Islamic guidance, said he wanted to explore other measures before banning the Ahmadiyah.

“We’re asking Islamic groups, clerics and experts to give comprehensive guidance to both Ahmadiyah members and mainstream Muslims. We believe that the more they understand their religion, the more co-operative they’ll be.

“In terms of whether the Ahmadiyah should be banned, we’re still studying whether it will be the best.”

Other officials, though - including the religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali - have already decided that the sect should be disbanded.

For human rights groups, this is a very worrying sign. In the past, Indonesia has often been praised for its religious tolerance, allowing many different faiths to live together side by side.

Poengky Indarti, executive director of the rights group Imparsial, said that if the government decided to ban the Ahmadiyah, other minority groups might meet the same fate.

“In the near future I think that it’s also dangerous for the Shia groups here in Indonesia, because many Indonesians are majority Sunni - I’m afraid this will become a clash between Islam versus Islam,” she said.

But whatever the government tries to do to limit the Ahmadiyah, the one thing it will not be able to do is convert the faithful, Muhammad Harris among them.

“God willing I’ll always be an Ahmadiyah,” he said. “I took an oath to follow it and I’m going to stick to it.”

Source: thepersecution.org