Buddha and Jesus Christ in Literature Essay -- Buddha Jesus Christ Rel

Buddha and Jesus Christ in Literature Many pieces of literature and characters in literature are based off of religious figures or beliefs. In the literary pieces that we have read this semester, Buddha, Jesus Christ, and their religions have often been motifs. Buddha and Christ have many striking differences, but also quite a few similarities. They have both been very influential in many of the worldly religions of today, and in literature throughout the years. The man commonly known as Buddha was born in 560 B.C. and died at the age of eighty in 450 B.C. He was born to Suddhodana, king of the Sakhyas, and Maya. He was born in Lumbini, near the city of Kapilauastu in the Himalayan mountain ranges. His real name is Siddhartha (meaning â€Å"one who has accomplished his aim†) Gautama (his family name). Unfortunately, Buddha’s mother died a week after he was born, so he was raised by his aunt, Mahaprajapati. Buddha was born during a time of cruelty, degeneration, and unrighteousness. He had a very important purpose—to save the people and spread the message of equality, unity, and cosmic love everywhere. Some strange things happened on the day Siddhartha was born—flowers bloomed and it rained even though it wasn’t the right season, music was heard from the heavens, and delicious scents filled the air. His body was covered in strange marks which indicated his future greatness. When his son was born, Suddhodana went to an astrologer to see what kind of person Siddhartha would grow up to be. This was a common practice of the time. The astrologer said that when Siddhartha became a grown man, he would become either a universal monarch or would leave home to become a monk, â€Å"a perfectly enlightened soul for the salvatio... ... Drummond, Richard Henry. A Broader Vision: Perspectives on the Buddha and the Christ. Virginia: A.R.E. Press, 1995. Fajardo-Acosta, Fidel. â€Å"Atsumori.† World Literature Website (2002). 2 Oct. 2002