The two Christian saints who are the Buddha
Christian legends of Saints Barlaam and Josaphat appear to be adaptations of the Buddha’s life story, with even the name “Josaphat” tracing back linguistically to “Bodhisattva.” Commenters use this case to explore how religions borrow from and reshape one another’s myths, especially between Buddhism and Christianity, and to debate whether such parallels imply deep syncretism or merely shared narrative patterns. The thread branches into related themes such as the history of canonizing and later demoting saints, Catholic “inculturation” of local traditions, the role of power and culture in shaping religion, and whether religious stories retain value even when seen as constructed rather than historically unique.
Linguistic and Site-Name Asides
- Several commenters note that “Signore Galilei” is unidiomatic Italian and should be “Signor Galilei,” but others suggest the non-elided form could reflect archaic or regional usage.
- Some light joking about unintended meanings of the phrase in Italian.
Bodhisattva → Josaphat Transmission
- Commenters outline the phonetic chain from Sanskrit Bodhisattva to Latin Josaphat via Pali, Arabic, Georgian, and Greek, arguing the name itself is strong evidence of Buddhist-to-Christian story transmission.
- The Barlaam & Josaphat legend is described as a Christianized retelling of the Buddha’s life, with the name functioning as a “paper trail.”
Christianity, Buddhism, and Syncretism
- One side argues Christian monasticism, narrative forms, and some ascetic literature closely parallel earlier Buddhist traditions, implying influence or syncretism.
- Counterarguments stress deep doctrinal differences (nature of self, God, reality, evil, salvation) and claim Christianity is not “a syncretic import from the east,” even if it absorbed some narrative or institutional forms.
- Monasticism in Christianity, originating in Egypt, is highlighted as unusual among Abrahamic faiths and possibly influenced by Indian ascetic models.
Canonization and Saint Status
- Barlaam and Josaphat are said to predate formal canonization; they entered lists later and were subsequently removed from the Roman Martyrology, though some Orthodox churches still venerate them.
- Distinction is made between removing feast days or listings and formally “unsainting” someone; pre-congregation saints are considered historically uncertain.
Religious Syncretism and Inculturation More Broadly
- Extensive discussion of how religions routinely absorb local traditions:
- Catholicism in Indonesia, Latin America, China, and elsewhere integrates local rituals and iconography (e.g., Day of the Dead, Andean elements, Christmas trees).
- Concepts like syncretism and “inculturation” are debated; some see cultural integration as pragmatic adaptation, others as colonial erasure.
- Similar patterns are noted in Hinduism, Sufism, Buddhism, and folk-Christian blends.
Religion, Myth, and Power
- Multiple comments frame religions as evolving story-systems or “psychological technologies” that reuse archetypal hero patterns (Raglan, Campbell) across cultures.
- Others emphasize hypocrisy, violence, and power structures tied to religion (genocide, forced conversion, exploitation), while some respond that these are choices by people and institutions, not inevitable outcomes of belief.
- Debate continues over whether similarities between traditions undermine exclusive truth-claims or simply reflect common human narrative needs.