The Buddha as a Christian saint
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For centuries Christians honoured 'Saint Josaphat', an Indian prince who gave up his palace. His story is the life of the Buddha.
India first (well documented)Culture, games, language & ideas
Indian claim
The medieval Christian legend of Barlaam and Josaphat is the story of the Buddha, carried west and retold as a Christian tale.
Evidence for the Indian claim
- Britannica describes the romance as a Christian adaptation of tales about the Buddha.
- The plot follows the Buddha's life: a prince is shielded from suffering, meets an old man, a sick man and a corpse, and renounces his palace.
- Scholars trace the name Josaphat, through Arabic and Georgian forms, to the word bodhisattva.
Commonly credited to
Barlaam and Josaphat were long treated in Christian tradition as real early Christian saints of India.
Evidence for the other claim
- The legend spread widely in Greek, Latin and later European languages, and Josaphat was listed among Christian saints for centuries.
What historians and scientists say
This is a well-documented case of an Indian religious story entering medieval Christian and European literature. The original is the life of the Buddha.