First Sermon in Theravada Buddhism and the Sermon on the Mountain in Christianity

Abstract

Buddha had preached Dhammcakkapaptvattana Sutta or known as the first sermon, it is the first sermon that the Buddha preached to his first five followers at the forest of Isipatanamaligadaya vana, near Varanasi. The core of the first sermon mentioned the Buddha blamed the extreme ways that was popularly practicsed at that time, namely, Self-Indulgence (Kãmasukhallikãnuyoga) and Self-Mortification (attakilamathãnuyoga), and then announced the new way that is the middle way called majjhimapatipada comprises four Noble Truths, and Noble Eightfold Paths, in conclusion, it is the way of practice based on three training (tri-sikkhã), i.e. morality, meditation and wisdom. By following this way, Buddhist people would attain the ultimate goal, that is to say, nibbãna, by themselves.

The sermon on the mountain is the record of the Jesus Christ’s sermon; it is the explanation of Jesus Christ. The main core of this sermon is called The Sermon on The Mount the Christians have to control themselves for the attainment of the ultimate goal, and have to live in the regimentation of Bible and the doctrine LDS Church in order to be the lover of God, ask for God accept and bestows the right to have eternal life, and live with God in the kingdom of heaven. This kind of doing would make all men live together in society peacefully.

From the analytical comparison of the first sermon in Theravada Buddhism and the sermon on the mount in Christianity, it was found that Both of them have both similarity and difference; the different point was that, in Theravada Buddhism, the followers have to prectise for the attainment of the ultimate goal for themselves, whereas the Christians have to practise for having eternal life, and for being the lover and satisfier of God. Both Theravada Buddhism and Christianity have some similar points as follows.

1. The first sermon is on the day that the Buddha started his propagation of his religion, whereas the Sermon on the Mount is record of the sermon of Jesus Christ called “Sermon on the mount” that is the important doctrine of Christianity.
2. The ultimate Goal of both religions has only one way for the devotees of both religions can practise for the attainment, that is to say, Theravada Buddhist people follow three training (tri sikkhã), where Christians have to follow the will of God, and they have to have love, and firming faith, and do all things for God only.