Good Example Of Why Do You Think So Many Followers Of The Buddha Grew To Regard Him As A Savior Essay

Question: Why do you think so many followers of the Buddha grew to regard him as a savior rather than just an enlightened spiritual teacher? Might the same explanation be given for Jesus as Messiah?
Buddhism is the dominant religion in the eastern part of the world. Born of an affluent family in approximately 560 B.C in northern India, Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism. His father ruled over what is today known as Nepal and confined his son to a wealthy life in the palace where he sheltered from the outside world. However, Gautama witnessed four things about human suffering that forever changed his perspective regarding the meaning of life. He soon left the comforts of the palace to explore the underlying meaning of human suffering and pain. It was during his quest for wisdom that he discovered the concept of meditation, which enabled him attain a state of “enlightenment” called nirvana. He began his ministry to teach people about what he had discovered and soon had a large following that spread through all of Asia. Gautama never called himself a deity but rather a teacher. However, long after his death, several Buddhist sects began calling him a savior. The savior concept resulted from his numerous teachings that set him apart from other religious teachers. These teachings had profound effects on his followers, and they included the path to spiritual development, the folly of worldly wealth, and creation of a holy world.
The primary role of the Buddha was to show people the way to spiritual development or enlightenment. Before his ministry, previous spiritual teachers only emphasized an ideal concept of spirituality without offering practical methods for its attainment. Unlike them, Buddha taught people the concept of spirituality using familiar real life situations. These clear illustrations of the folly of human behavior assisted people in awakening from the complacency of their routines. In addition, he taught people the eight-fold practical steps to follow to enlightenment. As a result, thousands of the populace were able to achieve a state of godly consciousness, rather than just cramming abstract concepts that they could not put into practice. Unlike other religious teachers, Buddha’s achievement of enlightenment was in itself a manifestation of the truth of his teachings. In this regard, many considered him a savior who showed them the path to god rather than just an enlightened teacher.
Buddha as a savior stemmed from his teachings about worldly wealth. He emphasized that the preoccupation with worldly possessions disorganizes individuals from fully engaging in enlightenment activities that develop their spiritual consciousness. People adhered to his words because he seemed happy and contented with his modest life despite abandoning his luxurious life in the palace. Buddha also had a gentle and kind nature, a rare phenomenon in a world where selfishness and greed are obsessions. He called taught people to share their material wealth with others without feeling upset. This teaching made others perceive him as a savior because he stood out from the majority of the population, fixated on opulence. Furthermore, there was a sharp contrast between the life of Buddha and those of other spiritual teachers. Though other teachers taught people about spirituality, they indulged in luxury while their followers wallowed in suffering and poverty. Hence, only an extraordinary man like Buddha could resist the wealth, reiterating the concept of a savior.
Buddha taught people how to lead holy lives and translate such holiness into the world itself. His teachings stressed on the role that individuals must play in eliminating their pain and suffering. This individual way rests on countless rebirths until a person attains independent thought and rationality in behavior rather than instinctive responses. It is in this state of high level of intelligence that a person is fit for self-improvement. Buddha prescribed this path for everyone regardless of their physical, mental or spiritual handicap. In this regard, he was a savior who offered universal deliverance. Most people would have zealously guarded the secrets to enlightenment or offered part of it to others at a fee. However, Buddha sought to impart whatever knowledge he had gained from his meditations to anyone who wanted to develop spiritually. He often assisted those who had trouble grasping the concepts he taught through acts of wisdom, compassion, and real life examples. His selflessness appealed to most people, who in turn perceived him as a savior.
The Buddha and Jesus Christ share similarities in their personalities, teachings, and discipleship. Hence, if Buddha is a savior, then perhaps Jesus is also one, because of the similarities in their missionary activities. Jesus had compassion, wisdom and profound knowledge that at the time was new to the people. He preached to all people regardless of class of people and often healed the sick. He associated with those whom the society rejected such as tax collectors, thieves, prostitutes, and lepers. Only an extraordinary man could show such compassion, hence a savior to mankind. The height of his compassion was evident at his crucifixion when he appealed to God to forgive his tormentors. At a time when selfishness, hatred and greed obsessed people, his call for forgiveness distinguished him from others. Christians consider Jesus the messiah because his teachings saves them from the consequences of engaging in immoral actions such as theft, iniquity, and slander. As a teacher, he often spoke to large crowds at a time about leading exemplary lives such as the Sermon on the mountain. Like a savior, he prompted the transformation of individuals from an unholy state to a godly state. In addition, his ministry culminated in his sacrificial death at the cross in order to save mankind from sins and show them the reality of eternal life.
In contrast to the Buddha, Jesus was recognized as a savior from the onset. His birth prophesied in the old testament of the Bible long before his arrival came to pass. He had an immaculate birth, free of mortal sin. His very name means the one who saves people from sins. He is believed to have obtained his authority from God, and often declared himself a part of the godhead. His divine capabilities included the power to forgive sins, represent God on earth, show people the path to salvation, and perform miracles. His main teaching method was the use of parables. Parables were powerful tools because they contained real life examples that people could relate to and apply in their lives. In addition, parables acted as a subtle channel for criticizing the follies of human indulgence and egotistical nature. They also made people comprehend the futility of some of their social traditions and religious practices without being offensive.
In conclusion, Jesus suffered at the hands of man in order to free mankind from sin and show them profound truths such as the futility of death and the existence of eternal life. Such truths had not been heard of in the society at the time. Therefore, being the first person to bring them to light, he was considered a savior, not a teacher. Despite the differences existing between Christianity and Buddhism, both Buddha and Jesus are perceived as saviors. This perception arose because they were instrumental in bringing profound spiritual awareness and taught people the mechanisms of attaining a godly consciousness.