Introduction
Some historical aspects of Asian countries, especially India and China, like religion and social life, are similar. One can trace these cultures’ parallels to the people who founded or prompted the ideas and lives shared by the two countries. Examples of the ancient people common among Asians are Confucius and Buddha, whom this paper reviews in depth. Notably, the research examines these people and their impact on their period of history, compares and contrasts their contribution to world civilization history, and connects their ideologies to modern-day life.
Buddha
Born initially Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha – also known as Gautama Buddha, was a spiritual leader and the founder of Buddhism. The term “Buddha” refers to “the awakened one,” so it is a title. Buddhists believe there have been countless Buddhas in the past, and more will come in the future. The historical Buddha was born a Shakyas prince on the modern-day border between Nepal and India. Buddha led a luxurious, sheltered lifestyle in the palace that changed when he met a sick man, an older man, and a corpse after leaving the castle. He renounced his princely life and changed his life within six years, looking for teachers and practicing an ascetic lifestyle to get enlightened.
He was unsatisfied with the results but later gained enlightenment after meditating under the bodhi tree, getting tempted by Mara, and realizing the Four Noble Truths. He first delivered a sermon to a group of companions at Sarnath, preaching how the Eightfold Path bridged self-mortification and self-indulgence and spurred nirvana liberation (Nance 543). The first five ascetics who heard Buddha’s preaching became his disciples and arhats willing to enter Nirvana upon their deaths. These accomplishments fulfilled Buddha’s mission, and he died after being served a meal with sour pork, so he did not follow the rebirth cycle. Buddha’s body was cremated, and stupas were built to cover his relics.
Confucius
Confucius, whom the Chinese refer to as K’ung-fu-tzu or Kongfuzi, is an ancient Chinese political theorist, teacher, and philosopher. Although he had humble beginnings, Confucius excellently managed stables and found a job at a bookstore – an opportunity that he utilized to teach himself. Confucius’s mastery of arts such as arithmetic, calligraphy, charioteering, archery, music, and ritual – coupled with his prowess in poetry and history – prepared him for a successful teaching career, which he began in his thirties. He viewed education as a stepping stone to constant self-improvement and the primary tool for noblemen’s (junzi) training.
Since he believed that public service was one of the direct natural benefits of education, Confucius resorted to revitalizing Chinese social institutions such as the kingdom, state, community, school, and family. Confucius served in various government posts and even became Lu’s minister of justice, but his ideas commanded little interest. He took a self-imposed exile for 12 years, during which he expanded his student circle. At 67, he returned to Lu to continue teaching and writing (Zhou 11). Confucius propagated Confucianism, the scholarly way of life and tradition of the ancient Chinese.
Comparing Buddha and Confucius
An intensive review of the lives of Buddha and Confucius reveals some parallels in their approaches to life and personalities, among other factors. One of the similarities between Buddha and Confucius is that both were self-driven and self-motivated individuals with a desire for innovation and knowledge. For example, Buddha renounced his princely life and lived away from the palace for six years, looking for teachers and practicing an ascetic lifestyle to get enlightened. He also had to meditate under the bodhi tree and overcome Mara’s temptations to pursue the Four Noble Truths. Confucius also demonstrated a similar mindset by using his position as a bookkeeper to educate himself. Buddha and Confucius were also innovators who used their knowledge to establish Buddhism and Confucianism, respectively. These innovations also highlight another similarity between Buddha and Confucius – their roles as teachers. Buddhism was a religion and philosophy adapted from the teachings of Buddha, a strategy that Confucius also used in propagating Confucianism.
Despite the parallels and living in the era of what Black (26) describes as “axial” movements, Buddha and Confucius also had many differences, one of which was their scopes of knowledge, with Confucius appearing to have the edge in this area. Buddha’s source of enlightenment was primarily the Four Noble Truths, which dawned on him through meditation and overcoming Mara’s temptations. On the other hand, Confucius educated himself by working in a bookstore to become knowledgeable in at least eight areas – arithmetic, calligraphy, charioteering, archery, music, ritual, poetry, and history. The difference in knowledge also highlights another difference between Buddha and Confucius. Given his scope of enlightenment, Buddha ventured into religious work, preaching to the people about how they could use the Eightfold Path to improve their self-mortification and self-indulgence and gain nirvana liberation. On the other hand, Confucius’s broad knowledge scope saw him venture into politics, philosophy, and other social aspects of life.
Buddha and Confucius in the 21st Century
The relevance of Buddha’s ideologies is based on the fact that Buddhism remains one of the world’s four major religions. In addition, Reddy (215) posits that Buddhism plays an integral role in present-day life because it uniquely propounds interdependence. This concept is closely tied to notions of modern science. He further explains that he adopted this viewpoint from the ideas of the spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, who argued that the 20th Century was full of violence and war. Hence, people need to work towards the 21st Century, the era of dialogue and peace. Achieving Lama’s proposal requires and promotes interdependence between leaders, countries, and other people across the globe.
Like Buddhism, the teachings and ideologies of Confucius have significant value and relevance in modern life, especially in China and other Asian countries. For example, Zhou (11) highlights the importance of Confucianism in modern Chinese education, explaining that many regions and schools in China still teach and practice the concepts of filial piety. For example, students and young people bow to their teachers, parents, and older people when they see them show respect. r
Conclusion
The founders of Buddhism in India and Confucianism in China during ancient times were Buddha and Confucius, respectively. As this paper points out, some aspects of their ideologies and personalities were similar, while others marked the difference. For example, their knack for seeking knowledge, prowess in teaching, and influence in religion were identical in many ways. On the other hand, they were different in their knowledge base and interests in life, with Buddha sticking to faith while Confucius looked to explore his people’s political and social lives. In addition, it is also worth noting that the ideologies of these ancient leaders remain relevant and applicable to modern life in many ways, including religion, science, politics, and social life.
Works Cited
Black, Antony. “The “Axial Period”: What Was It and What Does It Signify?” The Review of Politics, vol. 70, no. 1, 2008, pp. 23-39.
Nance, Richard F. “Book Review: From Stone to Flesh: A Short History of the Buddha.” The Journal of Asian Studies, vol. 73, no. 2, 2014, 543-544. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/docview/1532188227/CBEB6AADAAAE4B49PQ/1?accountid=131773.
Reddy, Ravichandra. “Buddhism and its Relevance in Modern World.” Social Science, vol. 3, no. 7, 2014, pp. 215-217, https://www.worldwidejournals.com/paripex/recent_issues_pdf/2014/July/July_2014_1405513612__84.pdf.
Zhou, Yuanxia. “The Modern Significance of Confucianism.” Asian Social Science, vol. 4, no. 11, 2008, pp. 11-16, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b54f/966333c91e511f82f1e7fbe4ac8d09c70481.pdf.
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