The Religious Founders of Sikhism and Buddhism Religions are seen as beliefs that people have surrounding their lives, with the belief in the existence of one or more deity. Religions are also seen as very different from one another. Taking into consideration how different are the two religions of Buddhism and Sikhism; it’s hard to think that they have anything in common. However, one similarity are the very men who what spiraled the entire existences of these faiths into being: their Patriarchs. Both Guru Nanak and Siddhartha Gautama were meant to be great, having been prophesised to be great men from a young age. They also chose to lead a humble life, away from riches and the luxuries by choice. Each man also went on a journey to find the
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Siddhartha was born around 563-483 BCE to King Shuddhodana and Queen Maya. Queen Maya claimed to have been visited by a white elephant, a sign that her child will be a great person (Ganeri 4). The symbol of the white elephant shows how, even in the womb, he was destined to be an important person with great wisdom. “…a wise man named Asita came to the palace to visit the baby…He told the king that his son would grow up to be either a great ruler or a great teacher, depending on what he discovered about suffering in life (Ganeri 5).” Similarly, Guru Nanak, who was born in 1469, was predicted to be a great teacher. When Nanak’s father called the family priest, Pandit Hardial, for the baby’s horoscope, the man told the family, “He will be a great person. He will be loved and respected, nay worshipped, by Hindus and Muslims alike. His name and fame will spread over many lands (Singh 5-6). Later on in his childhood, when he was in school his teacher said to his father, “…this son of yours is an avtar, an incarnation of God. He is not an ordinary mortal. He will be a great teacher of mankind.” (Singh 10).” After seeing how the child behaved and wrote, this man realised that Nanak was no ordinary boy, which was very similar to what was prophesised for Siddhartha. The children who would become the first Buddha and first Guru were prophesised to each be great in more than one
Siddhartha was born around 563-483 BCE to King Shuddhodana and Queen Maya. Queen Maya claimed to have been visited by a white elephant, a sign that her child will be a great person (Ganeri 4). The symbol of the white elephant shows how, even in the womb, he was destined to be an important person with great wisdom. “…a wise man named Asita came to the palace to visit the baby…He told the king that his son would grow up to be either a great ruler or a great teacher, depending on what he discovered about suffering in life (Ganeri 5).” Similarly, Guru Nanak, who was born in 1469, was predicted to be a great teacher. When Nanak’s father called the family priest, Pandit Hardial, for the baby’s horoscope, the man told the family, “He will be a great person. He will be loved and respected, nay worshipped, by Hindus and Muslims alike. His name and fame will spread over many lands (Singh 5-6). Later on in his childhood, when he was in school his teacher said to his father, “…this son of yours is an avtar, an incarnation of God. He is not an ordinary mortal. He will be a great teacher of mankind.” (Singh 10).” After seeing how the child behaved and wrote, this man realised that Nanak was no ordinary boy, which was very similar to what was prophesised for Siddhartha. The children who would become the first Buddha and first Guru were prophesised to each be great in more than one