Was Jesus a Buddhist ?. Were his beliefs based in Buddhism ?

[Egyptian Phoenix]

I have been reading the NT and trying to put it into a Buddhist perspective for a few years now. All the similarities are there, even reincarnation.

"I say to you, Elijah already did come, but men did not know him, and done to him however they wished" Then they understood he was speaking about John the Baptist"

[Odion]

Yes, there is every possibility Jesus was influenced by Buddhist (and/or Hindu) philosophy.

I adhere to the belief that Jesus was Hindu with Buddhist philosophy. There are some similarities between some of the things that Jesus and Buddha say, and I take the mentions of "the evil one" Jesus mentions roaming around to be anthropomorphisms of māyā/general egoism and ignorance.

[Odion]

Originally Posted by Yosef1986

I have been reading the NT and trying to put it into a Buddhist perspective for a few years now. All the similarities are there, even reincarnation.

I've wanted to see a Buddhist commentary of the NT for some time. Is there one already? If not, you should definitely start one.

[Madhuri]

Originally Posted by Odion

I've wanted to see a Buddhist commentary of the NT for some time. Is there one already? If not, you should definitely start one.

Paramahamsa Yogananda does a pretty neat commentary on the NT (or so I've been told). He isn't exactly Buddhist but tends to have an Advaita approach.

[Odion]

Originally Posted by Madhuri

Paramahamsa Yogananda does a pretty neat commentary on the NT (or so I've been told). He isn't exactly Buddhist but tends to have an Advaita approach.

This book? Yoga of Jesus: Understanding the Hidden Teachings of the Gospels

[Nowhere Man]

Originally Posted by joea

But the main similarity is missing....Reincarnation.

Its not addressed in Buddhist practice. Such views are left up to personal interpretation.

[joea]

Originally Posted by Nowhere Man

Its not addressed in Buddhist practice. Such views are left up to personal interpretation.

The big picture I'm talking about is, if Jesus taught reincarnation..then why the bible, and the whole of the Christian faith doesn't believe in reincarnation ?

[Odion]

Originally Posted by joea

The big picture I'm talking about is, if Jesus taught reincarnation..then why the bible, and the whole of the Christian faith doesn't believe in reincarnation ?

Some early Christian sects--including the Gnostics, depending on whether or not you consider Gnostics as Christians or not--believed in reincarnation. Cathars are one such example.

[sandandfoam]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Different people, living at different times and in different societies and cultures have all experienced the same (or very similar) mystery. It is no more surprising that some of the things Jesus said resemble some of the things Buddhists have said than it would be surprising if two people -- one living in the China of 500 B.C., and the other living in the Spain of 1200 A.D. --- said much the same thing about clouds, having both of them observed clouds. That's to say, you don't need to posit that the Buddha influenced Jesus. It's just that the Buddha and Jesus were looking at similar things.

Completely agree

[sandandfoam]

Originally Posted by Odion

Cathars are one such example.

They are fascinating.