At a Glance
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Buddhism
Self-liberation through the Noble Eightfold Path
GodNo creator God — the universe is self-existent and eternal
ScriptureThe Tipitaka (Pali Canon) and Mahayana sutras
JesusNot recognised — the Buddha is the supreme teacher
SalvationSelf-liberation through the Noble Eightfold Path
SinIgnorance and craving — not moral guilt before a holy God
The SoulNo permanent self (anatta) — the self is an illusion
AtonementNone — no sin to atone for, no God to be reconciled to
EternityRebirth (samsara) until nirvana — extinction of self
PrayerMeditation — not addressed to a personal God
AssuranceNone — liberation may take countless lifetimes
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Sovereign Grace
God alone saves, by grace alone, through Christ alone
AuthorityScripture alone — Sola Scriptura
GodThe triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
SalvationGrace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone
JustificationComplete, instantaneous, eternal — Romans 5:1
AtonementFinished once for all at Calvary — John 19:30
JesusGod the Son, crucified, risen, and reigning
EternityHeaven or hell — by God’s sovereign grace
AssuranceThe believer may and ought to know he is saved — 1 John 5:13
The ChurchAll elect believers; no earthly headquarters
PrayerTo God alone through Christ alone — 1 Tim 2:5
Detailed Doctrine-by-Doctrine Comparison
Topic
Buddhism Teaches
Scripture Teaches
God & Creation
BuddhismBuddhism is non-theistic. There is no personal creator God. The Buddha explicitly avoided answering questions about the origin of the universe, considering them unhelpful to liberation. The universe has always existed or arises through dependent origination. Worship of gods is permitted in popular Buddhism but ultimately irrelevant to salvation.
GraceThe Scripture declares that God is the personal, eternal Creator of all things: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1). He is not an impersonal force or an optional belief — he is the living God who made man in his own image, who is to be loved, feared, and obeyed. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God (Psalm 14:1).
The Nature of Man & Sin
BuddhismBuddhism teaches that the self (anatta) has no permanent existence — what we call a person is a temporary combination of five aggregates (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness). Sin in the biblical sense does not exist. The fundamental problem is ignorance (avidya) and craving (tanha), not moral guilt before a holy God.
GraceMan was created in the image of God as a real, individual, immortal person. He fell in Adam and now stands guilty before a holy God: All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Sin is not ignorance — it is wilful transgression of God’s law. Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). Man’s problem is not that he craves too much but that he has offended a holy God.
Salvation & the Eightfold Path
BuddhismThe Four Noble Truths diagnose the human condition (life is suffering; suffering arises from craving; craving can be extinguished; the Eightfold Path leads to its extinction). The Noble Eightfold Path — right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration — is the means of liberation. Salvation is entirely self-achieved through diligent practice across many lifetimes.
GraceSalvation is not self-achieved but entirely the gift of God. Man is dead in sin and cannot save himself by any path or practice. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8–9). No amount of right conduct, meditation, or self-discipline can atone for sin or reconcile a sinner to God.
The Person of Christ
BuddhismJesus of Nazareth is not a significant figure in Buddhism. Some modern Buddhists regard him as an enlightened teacher or bodhisattva, but this is a later accommodation. He is not recognised as God incarnate, Saviour, or the unique mediator between God and man. The Buddha alone is the supreme teacher of the path.
GraceJesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, God manifest in the flesh, the only Saviour of sinners, and the only mediator between God and man. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). He is not one teacher among many but the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
The Soul & Personal Identity
BuddhismBuddhism teaches anatta — no-self. There is no permanent, unchanging soul or self. What continues after death is not a soul but a stream of consciousness conditioned by karma. Personal identity is ultimately an illusion. The goal of nirvana involves the extinction of any sense of individual self.
GraceGod breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). The soul is immortal and individual. After death, the dust returns to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Every individual will stand before God in judgment and give account for his own life (Romans 14:12).
Death, Rebirth & Nirvana
BuddhismAt death, the stream of consciousness continues into a new life — rebirth (samsara) — determined by the accumulated karma of past actions. This cycle of birth, death, and rebirth continues until nirvana is achieved. Nirvana is not a heaven or a paradise but the extinction of craving and the cessation of rebirth — a state beyond description.
GraceScripture teaches that man dies once, and after that faces judgment: It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). There is no reincarnation. After death the soul of the believer is with Christ; the soul of the unbeliever is in torment. At the resurrection all are raised to face the final judgment before God.
Meditation vs. Prayer
BuddhismBuddhist practice centres on meditation as the primary means of developing wisdom and liberation. Meditation is not addressed to a personal God — it is a technique for training the mind to observe reality clearly and extinguish craving. There is no personal God to pray to, no forgiveness to be sought, and no grace to be received.
GracePrayer is communion with the living, personal God who hears and answers. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth (Psalm 145:18). God is not a state of consciousness to be achieved but a person to be known: This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3).