Answer: Buddhism is centered upon the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who came to be known as the Buddha — the enlightened one, or one who is awake — whereas Christianity is centered on the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ. Christianity is a monotheistic religion and believes that Christ Is the Son Of God.
In the face of it, it would be impossible to find two religions more different than Buddhism and Christianity. Christians believe that there is a God, whereas Buddhism has no god. The Buddha pointed the way, whereas Jesus said that he was the way. Christianity promises believers in eternal life. Buddhism's highest state, the state of enlightenment, is freedom from being reborn. On the other hand, there are compelling similarities. The spirit of compassion, bodhicitta in Sanskrit, is as central to Buddhism as that of love is to Christianity. While their objectives may be different, there are prayers in both traditions. Christianity has its saints, who exemplify faith. Tibetan Buddhism has saintlike figures, Bodhisattvas, whose example selflessly illuminates the way, the dharma. But it is at the personal level that these questions take on practical significance.
