A Christian Buddha: Story of Barlaam and Josaphat (Buddha as a Christian Saint)

Buddha remained one of the prominent saints of Christianity for over 1000 years. But why Buddha was made a saint of another religion? How Buddha converted to Saint Josaphat and entered the Golden Legend, a medieval text that gives life stories of Saints of Christianity. And when did people in Europe realize that the story of famous saint Josaphat was the story of none other than Buddha himself?
How Buddha converted into a Christian Saint is an interesting story spread over more than a thousand years. Perhaps the first interaction of the Middle East and Europe with the story of Buddha was the result of the missions sent across the known world by king Ashoka. Ashoka sent missions to spread Dhamma to different countries including Egypt, Syria and Greece.

#Buddha #Buddhism #Buddhastory

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro
0:33 - From Buddha to Josaphat
3:53 - Buddha as a Christian Saint
5:55 - Story of Barlaam and Josaphat


Credits:

Credits:
File:Indian Relief of Ashoka, circa 1st century BC, from the Amaravathi village, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh (India), in the Guimet Museum (Paris).jpg
Neoclassicism Enthusiast, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
File:Asoka̠ Buddhist Missions.png
Javierfv1212, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
File:Jataka tales panels, Dhamma Nagajjuna, Nagarjuna Sagar Telangana, India - 1.jpg
Ms Sarah Welch, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
File:Spread of Manicheanism.png
Aldan-2, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
File:St. Barlaam et St. Josaphat Met DP891231.jpg
Jacques Callot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
File:Umbria, jacopo da varazze, leggenda aurea, 1290 ca. 01.jpg
Sailko, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
File:Caesar Baronius.jpg
Nicolas de Larmessin and Esme de Boulonois, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
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Josaphat and Barlaam in Conversation - Alsatian manuscript
Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.