Christmas and Buddhism: it doesn’t seem to be an obvious combination. “Nothing could be further from the truth”, responds Paul van der Velde, Professor of Comparative Religious Studiesat Radboud University. “Christmas may not be a Buddhist festival, but it doesn’t stop many Buddhists in Vietnam, for example, from celebrating it anyway. This is partly because Christmas is nowadays a global celebration. And also because Buddhists recognise various elements from the Christmas story. Indeed, the stories about the birth of Jesus and the birth of Buddha contain striking similarities.”
Special child
While Jesus came into the world in a stable, Buddha was born in the wilderness. An important detail: Buddha's mother, Queen Maya, was also on a journey when the baby was delivered. Van der Velde: “In keeping with Indian tradition, Maya was travelling with her sister to her parents' house to give birth to her first child. During pregnancy, she had already dreamt of a white elephant, which was seen as an auspicious omen. After she gave birth on the way, several miracles occurred – just like when Jesus was born. While the shepherds, angels and three kings came by to visit Jesus, all the heavenly beings showed up for Buddha’s birth. Moreover, lotus flowers and three streams of water fell from the sky and large snakes appeared, which were considered auspicious animals.”
Buddha's subsequent life also has several similarities with that of Jesus, according to Van der Velde. This started from the moment that Queen Maya returned to Buddha's father's palace with the child to have his physical characteristics interpreted. “You can compare that story with the story of Jesus' circumcision. For Buddha too, all the signs pointed to him being a special child. Another similarity is the story of Buddha getting lost at a young age and being found meditating under a Bodhi tree, while the sun stood still to keep him in the shade. That story is very similar to that of Jesus, who got lost at the age of 12 and was found in conversation with the elders. And both Jesus and Buddha eventually died in great pain: Jesus on the cross and Buddha due to a bloody intestinal infection, which was accompanied by tremendous pain.”
Compassion
There are not only similarities in the stories of Buddha and Jesus. There are also parallels between Buddhist values and our traditional Christmas spirit. “Buddhism is all about wisdom, compassion and mercy. These are also values we associate with Christmas within Christianity”, Van der Velde explained. “At Christmas, for example, we pay extra attention to the lonely and disadvantaged: groups that have a harder time. This is very much in line with Buddhist values. Especially in Asia, donating to charities is a main theme within Buddhism, and it is even more important than meditation. Thus, as a Buddhist, you show societal commitment to the beings around you, based on the idea that you aren’t the only one suffering in this world.”
This compassion, according to Van der Velde, is mainly encouraged within Buddhism due to the emphasis on rebirth. “Buddhists realise that in a past life, they may have been an animal, a criminal or a beggar, for example. As a result, every Buddhist knows that they are not perfect and that it is important to help others. In fact, every individual has lived many lives, so every living being you encounter may have been your mother at some point in a past life. And so may have cherished you. For example, a fly might land on your arm because it recognises you from a past life. The realisation that you are connected to all beings should prompt an all-pervading compassion for all who suffer in this world.”
Imperfection
According to Van der Velde, Buddhism has values we can learn from while reflecting by the Christmas tree. “First of all: don’t be quick to judge. Buddhists should never let their initial feelings prevail: they take their time to come to an informed consideration. And furthermore, when reflecting, never play the blame game, but think: How can I do something differently next time?”
