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Assuming Christ Jesus existed (there is no independent verification besides the Bible of this), then I would say both preached virtuous things.
Buddha preached, more than anything, to just be human and accept the fact that you will get angry, feel lust, feel jealous, and hatred towards your fellow man. But do not let those feelings control you.
Jesus Christ preached the same, nearly.
Both are idealized versions of humankind, and can be seen in numerous other texts before and after their purported existences.
I think it is all in the implementation and that is where I think Christianity has gone awry, but so has Buddhism. Both threw in too much mysticism in their early years, but that can't really be blamed as the scientific revolution didn't really start until the 1700s, centuries after the religions had been around.
In the modern times, so long as you throw out the mysticism BS, then you're left with good rules for life:
1) Don't let strong emotions overtake you
2) Don't kill others
3) Don't steal
4) Don't get addicted to sex
5) Don't let material possessions get out of hand
6) Share with others and learn to love others
So, in the modern context, both are good guidelines, and therefore in the context of which was more "noble" as measured by the collective output, I'd argue both are equal.
I wasn't attempting a comprehensive list. Your post assumes I was.
Another point I could have made would be "Don't get addicted to . . . " If you have found a way to avoid getting addicted to things, please let us all know. The world is desperate for that knowledge.
Another point I could have made would be "Don't get addicted to . . . " If you have found a way to avoid getting addicted to things, please let us all know. The world is desperate for that knowledge.
The world already has it - it's called "being responsible." Look it up. I'm sure you'll find some very interesting things.
The difficulty in that though is that there are masses of people who don't want to be responsible.
The world already has it - it's called "being responsible." Look it up. I'm sure you'll find some very interesting things.
The difficulty in that though is that there are masses of people who don't want to be responsible.
I think you have a very serious misunderstanding of either addiction or sex. People who are addictive, acquire an addiction from a very slight exposure to the addictive agent. Sex is sex. (Look it up.) Are you saying that it is irresponsible to expose oneself to sex, lest it become an addiction?
I wonder how the Buddha and the Christ would have felt about being in a contest for "most noble man?"
"If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Jesus - Matthew 19:21
"The avaricious do not go to heaven, the foolish do not extol charity. The wise one, however, rejoicing in charity, becomes thereby happy in the beyond." Buddha - Dhammapada 13:11
"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Jesus - Matthew 5:45
"That great cloud rains down on all whether their nature is superior or inferior. The light of the sun and the moon illuminates the whole world, both him who does well and him who does ill, both him who stands high and him who stands low." Buddha - Sadharmapundarika Sutra 5
"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." Jesus - John 8:7
"Do not look at the faults of others or what others have done or not done; observe what you yourself have done and have not done." Buddha - Dhammapada 4:7
"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Jesus - Matthew 5:39
"If anyone should give you a blow with his hand, with a stick, or with a knife, you should abandon all desires and utter no evil words." Buddha - Majjhima Nikaya 21:6
"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Jesus - Luke 6:31
"Consider others as yourself." Buddha - Dhammapada 10:1
"Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God." Jesus - Luke 6:20
"Let us live most happily, possessing nothing; let us feed on joy, like radiant gods." Buddha - Dhammapada 15:4
"And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." Jesus - John 11:26
"Those who have sufficient faith in me, sufficient love for me, are all headed for heaven or beyond." Buddha - Majjhima Nikaya 22:47
While I enjoyed the quotes, I am not sure how that applies to my post. I was not wondering what Jesus and the Buddha thought about nobility, but rather what they would have thought about being in a contest for the most noble man.
They would look at each other and congradulate, regardless.
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