Buddhist Christian distinction 

The Christian “God” by definition, is “one who exists.” His immortality is through “being eternal.” On the other hand, a Buddha is, by definition, “one who does not exist” even though the body is living; “His” immortality is through a paradigm shift, which is a change in perspective from existence to “non- existence.” Christians believe that God is the Creator of the world. Buddhists believe that God is a human potential, which when actualized by human effort, man becomes God (Brahma bhuto). Such a person who has actualized the human potential is called a Buddha (the awake one), which means, one who has awakened from the dream of existence and entered the reality of impersonal experience – Tathagata (Tatha = Reality + gata = gone to, or arrived at). 


The foregoing statements are somewhat confusing to most readers. Therefore, they need further clarification. Let us begin by explaining the meaning of (1) the birth of a Bodhisatta, (2) the Awakening of a Buddha, and (3) the passing away of the mortal body that appeared to be a Buddha. 

                                 (1) Buddha never existed 

                                 (2) Greatness of the Buddha was that He did not rise from the dead. 

                                 (3) The immortality of the Buddha is through non existence 


(1) Let us first define the word existence. To exist is to occupy space and time. What occupies space and time is the body. When we are born what is really born is the body. When some people see me and call my name, it is the body that they see and name. When the government gives me an identity card, it is my body that they photograph. Even my passport or drivers license considers my body to be me. What is objectively experienced by others as me is my body. What is objectively experienced by me as myself is my body. What are subjectively experienced by me as myself are my sensations, emotions, and my thoughts, which I call my mind.


The Buddha was a person who depersonalized all that He experienced as Himself. Thus He lost his identity as a person and so became a “non-person” from His point of view, from His subjective experience of personality or “self.” Once He had done this, He ceased to exist as a “self.” He also lost his self-centered behavior and all selfishness. He could be existing, from other people’s points of view, but as far as he was concerned, He did not exist as a “self.” This was why we said, the Buddha never existed. 


(2) Buddhists believe that every person who dies is re born. That is rising from the dead. The aim of Buddhism is to stop rising from the dead. The Buddha is one who achieved this. Therefore, He did not rise from the dead. 


(3) The Buddha discovered the way to immortality. This immortality is not eternal life. It is the freedom from the delusion of existence. Thus the immortality of the Buddha is due to non-existence through enlightenment. 


When a Bodhisatta is born the body continues to be personalized. But this body is soon to be depersonalized when the Bodhisatta becomes a Buddha. This is why it is correct to say that a Bodhisatta is born as a person. This birth is seen as the birth of an individual personality identified as the Bodhisatta. Yet this is not the birth of a Buddha. A Buddha can never be born, because he has ceased to exist by depersonalizing the body.