Introduction

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Heavenly figures heralded his birth, which took place on a journey, far from any home: “Rejoice,” they proclaimed to his chaste mother, “a mighty son has been born to you.” We know little about his childhood, except that at least once he exhibited signs of being a spiritual prodigy. At about age 30, the holy man’s spiritual quest began in earnest. Consorting with thieves, murderers, prostitutes—the lowest stratum of society—he revolutionized the religion of the day by minimizing class distinctions in worship and eliminating animal sacrifice. He encountered resistance from the rulers. A miracle worker, a healer, a wisdom teacher, his message was one of love 019and compassion. “Consider others as yourself,” he taught his followers. He promoted an alternative wisdom, or way, which required following a path of renunciation and transformation.

And he lived 500 years before Jesus.

Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, was born in what is now southern Nepal in about 566 B.C. According to tradition, his early years were spent exclusively within the walls of the palace of his father, the king of the Shakya people. At age 30, Siddhartha, who had become increasingly curious about life outside, was permitted to leave the palace. Three sights transformed his worldview: an old 020person, a sick man and a corpse. When Siddhartha later saw a wandering ascetic, he vowed to follow in his path. Rebelling against his father’s wishes, Siddhartha renounced both worldly goods and his family name (and thus the throne) and became a “wanderer.” After nearly dying from starvation, the Buddha opted for what is known in Buddhism as “the Middle Way”—a path between self-indulgence and self-denial.

One day, sitting beside the Nairanjana River, under what came to be known as the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Awakening), Siddhartha was assaulted by the evil god Mara. By withstanding him and by meditating, Siddhartha finally became aware of the truth of human existence and became a true Buddha (Enlightened One). He spent the next 45 years as an itinerant preacher, wandering about with a handful of followers. He died in about 486 B.C.

Siddhartha Buddha was not considered a god, but a man who had discovered (and was willing to teach) the solution to the deepest dilemmas of human existence. After his death, however, he came to be considered the manifestation on earth of the cosmic Buddha. In some Buddhist literature, he is even called “God of Gods.”

Over and over again in the ancient Buddhist scriptures and in the New Testament, we discover striking parallels between the lives, deeds and teachings of the Buddha and Jesus. Indeed, the correspondences are at times eerie, as illustrated in the handful of parallel sayings and deeds highlighted in the boxes on the following pages.

But it took scholars centuries to notice the similarities.

In the essays that follow, Ray Riegert, in part I, recounts the history of the search for parallels; then Marcus Borg, in part II, contemplates the essence of the parallels, how they came to be and what they might signify.^a

A remarkable child, his birth hailed by visitors from afar, grows into a miracle worker who spreads a faith of love and compassion. Jesus? Yes, but also Buddha. Our authors explore the uncanny parallels in their lives and whether there are any connections.