They lived many thousands of miles apart - and at very
different times. But still the life of Buddha is amazingly similar to that of
another religious founder: Jesus of Nazareth. According to tradition, both went
around as traveling preachers, had students and proclaimed a peaceful doctrine.
And the lives of both are accompanied by numerous miracles
that begin at birth: Mary and Maya, the mothers, give birth to their sons
virgin. In Jesus, a star shines brightly in the sky and points the Three Kings
to the crib, where they can offer gifts to the Infant. Even in the Buddha, the
sky shines in the glow of many lights. And wise men predict a great future for
him. But with all similarities, there are also differences between the men.
Jesus turned primarily to poor people. Among his listeners
were the sick and the whores and criminals avoided by their fellow citizens.
Later, his doctrine in Rome spread first among the slaves. The Buddha, on the
other hand, himself a prince's son, mostly taught to the rich. So it is not
surprising that the main promoter of Buddhism was Ashoka - a king who conquered
almost all of India around 250 years before Christ. Thousands of holy places
were built under him, and his messengers carried the teachings to the other
countries of Asia.
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