The Buddha and Jesus on Suffering and Evil in the World

The Buddha’s teachings on morality and the universality of suffering are admirable. I agree with him that suffering is universal. I also agree that our desires and expectations cause our individual sufferings. Buddha has a way to help people accept and cope with their individual pain. However, our desires are not the cause of all of the world's sufferings. Evil and injustices of the world –diseases, terrorism, crimes, rapes, murders, and accidents– also inflict much suffering. We might say we have the choice to reject the pain of suffering. Do we really agree that if we learn to ignore the effects of the suffering, the suffering will cease? It may become bearable, but it will still not cease. Individually, we would be left with the haunting, unanswered questions, “Why does suffering exist, and why did I, not some other person, have to endure it?”

 

My first point of disagreement is that, though Buddha admits the universality of suffering, he doesn't really explain or address its real cause: the evil and injustice of the world. Furthermore, even if we ignore the pain of our individual suffering, God –the universal judge– must address the injustice by repaying the evildoers. That is where I have the second disagreement. Will God (or the force of nature that controls the universe) judge anything or any happening fairly any day? Started differently, will God hold the perpetrators of evil accountable? That is why I believe in Christ. Jesus Christ came not only to help people cope with their individual suffering, but to address the corporate root cause of all suffering: evil and injustice.

 

During his earthly life, Jesus reversed the suffering of many humans, giving them a taste of the suffering-free world he intended to inaugurate (by his resurrection) and eventually bring through the final resurrection of all humanity. He endured unmatched suffering but still did not surrender to hatred. He loved his Father and his people till the end, and did not return their hatred with hatred or evil with evil. Thus, he defeated hatred and evil by obeying the Father until his last breath. It is challenging to obey God if we have to suffer for it. Jesus obeyed and remained faithful. He loved his Father and his people sacrificially. Thus, he defeated hatred, with which people challenged God's love, with love. By refusing to disobey the Father or fighting hatred with violence, he defeated hatred, sin, evil, and the devil.

 

Jesus paid the price for the sins of all humankind, once for all. God is just, and therefore, he must punish sin. Even so, God can punish a sin only once. Jesus took the punishment of our sins on our behalf so that we don't need to be punished by God again. Thus, Jesus defeated the devil's idea of using God's law to make people feel guilty and condemned. Based on the price he paid, Jesus forgave those who trusted in him. Thus, God dealt with the root cause of all injustice, evil, and suffering: people's sin. Even so, God was not the direct cause of the sufferings inflicted by his killers on Jesus, as some scholars ignorantly claim; the fallen human nature was. The fallen human nature of hatred made Jesus’ killers do the unimaginable: the Jews handed over their Messiah (King), and the Romans nailed their Savior to a cross.

 

To unpack, God had created people in his image of love to love him and lovingly steward his creation. People failed to love God or his creation by seeking autonomy and the same authority as God, contrary to the loving nature they already shared. Thus, the first family felt separated and ashamed of one another's nudity. They blamed each other, and hatred entered humanity. Therefore, God cursed people with death and decay because of their sin. The word for sin in the root language implies “missing the mark.” Since God created them to love, they missed the mark by succumbing to comparison with God and each other and hatred. As a direct consequence of hatred and God’s curse, Cain killed Abel. Thus, God’s curse of death became physically active in humanity. The same hatred made the religious Jews gather against Jesus and hand him over to the Romans to kill him. Jesus defeated people’s hatred with his love.

 

After Jesus had dealt with the punishment of people’s hatred and sin, he could now reverse the curse of death and decay. Jesus was righteous throughout, and God can’t let a righteous person go down like a sinner. Therefore, God reversed Pilate’s verdict and raised Jesus from the dead. In his resurrection, Jesus inaugurated the new humanity: perfect and immortal. Jesus will return to give such immortal and perfect bodies to all who trust in him. He will make them new, perfectly holy humans. Thus, ending the cause of human suffering –sin– forever. Right now, those who believe in Jesus' forgiveness receive his Holy Spirit. He transforms them into a loving new humanity from within. Such people forgive others, bless others, serve others, save others, and love others sacrificially. They are the new humanity whom Jesus would ultimately transform into people with immortal, incorruptible, holy, and perfect bodies.

 

In this manner, Jesus deals with the cause of individual suffering more comprehensively. First, he annihilates people's emotional suffering due to guilt of past sins by forgiving them. He removes their fear of condemnation. Second, he affirms their inner man through his Holy Spirit, enabling them to live morally upright lives and to serve others lovingly. Thus, he affirms their final destiny and inclusion in God’s family. Finally, he will annihilate all sufferings due to disease, death, and decay by giving them immortal physical bodies when he returns. Thus, he will enable them to reign with him for eternity. In that coming age, there will be no injustice, pain, tears, fears, or suffering. The just God will set every wrong right and will replace every pain with everlasting joy.

 

What is more, God has set a date for Jesus to return as the Judge of all humanity to address the corporate cause of suffering: evil and injustice. The one who never sinned, but died for others' sin, and conquered the consequences of sin, namely, death and decay, is the Righteous One of God, who deserves to be the Judge of all humanity. Having suffered himself, he is also a compassionate Judge who knows the human experience inside out. He never sinned, so he has the authority to judge others rightly. He is a fair judge who knows everything about every human fully. Jesus will judge all injustices fairly and punish the guilty. Thus, God will deal the final blow to the phenomenon of evil and the injustices of this world.

Therefore, what does all this imply for us –Christ-followers– today? We acknowledge that suffering is real and has a cause: injustice and evil in the world due to the fallen condition of humanity, hatred, and sin. God sent Jesus to reverse sin and its effects –death and decay– tangibly. It includes everything that leads to death: diseases and deficiencies. That is why Jesus healed the sick, nourished the hungry, and raised the dead in reality. Many Christian institutions feed the poor, heal lepers, and raise dead families by empowering their women and children through imparting practical skills and education. Jesus said: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

 

The worldwide Christian movement tackled leprosy by touching lepers as Jesus did. They also ended slavery by enacting legislation and fighting for fair treatment and equal rights for slaves. We remember St Damian of Molokai's fight against leprosy and William Wilberforce's fight against slavery. In Bharat, Mother Teresa's work among orphans and Ramabai's Mukti Missions' work among destitute women is notable. By loving and serving humanity sacrificially, we reflect Jesus and defeat suffering, evil, and injustice. Thus, we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. A little salt and a little bright light can make a big difference to the tasteless food of an overburdened humanity and the dark rooms of sinful humanity.

 

Besides, the missionary movement has enlightened and empowered many Hindus to tangibly fight suffering and injustice rather than succumb to the idea of fate and karmic justice. Jesus came to end suffering and its causes, not just spiritually but tangibly. Gautam Buddha offers a solution, but it only goes so far. It helps people cope with their individual suffering, deny it, and finally find refuge in an impersonal Brahman, not knowing why they went through what they did. However, Jesus Christ’s solution has far-reaching implications. It not only exposes the spiritual cause of evil  –sin, hatred, and fallen humanity– but also its physical results –disease, death, and decay– tangibly. Jesus conquered death, and we will conquer it too one day after he returns.