List the similarities and differences between early Christian and early Buddhist teachings

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

One of the most interesting historical coincidences is the parallel between the spread of Buddhism in the East and the emergence of Christianity in the West, both of which occurred during the first century of the Christian era. Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha ("Enlightened One"), lived in India some three to five centuries before Jesus, also preaching a message of humility and compassion. The Buddha was an eloquent teacher whose concerns, like those of Jesus, were ethical and egalitarian. Just as Jesus criticized Judaism's emphasis on ritual, so Siddhartha attacked the existing forms of Hindu worship, including animal sacrifice and the authority of the Vedas. Ultimately, Jesus and Siddhartha were reformers of older world faiths: Judaism and Hinduism.
Nevertheless, there were differences between the two spiritual leaders. Buddhism is not a monotheistic religion like Christianity; Buddhists believe that salvation can be achieved in this lifetime, through nirvana, the ultimate release from illusion and from the Wheel of Rebirth. The Buddhist's goal is not, as with Christianity, the promise of personal immortality, but rather, escape from the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. For the Buddhist, "salvation" lies in the extinction of the Self.