About five centuries separate Siddhartha Gautama, usually called the Buddha, from Jesus of Nazareth. Both inspired communities that crossed languages and borders. Both are quoted by people who have never read a full discourse or Gospel.
So read slowly. “Buddhism” includes several large traditions, and Christians do not all explain every verse alike. A short article can identify central differences without pretending every follower fits a paragraph.
Where the teachings touch
Both teachers saw that unchecked desire can rule a person. The Buddha's early discourse on the Four Noble Truths connects suffering with craving and describes an Eightfold Path of right view, speech, conduct, and related practices. You can read a current translation at SuttaCentral.
Jesus warned that greed can own us and that storing treasure can capture the heart (Matthew 6:19-24; Luke 12:15). He told a wealthy ruler to release the possession that kept him from following (Mark 10:17-22).
Compassion matters in both traditions. Buddhist texts commend restraint from harm and a mind free from hatred. Jesus told His followers to love enemies and pray for persecutors (Matthew 5:44-45). That command reaches into motive as well as behavior.
Their accounts of the problem differ
In the Four Noble Truths, craving gives rise to suffering and continued becoming. The path aims at the cessation of craving and release. Different Buddhist schools debate how best to describe nirvana, selfhood, and rebirth, so a Christian should resist cartoon versions.
Jesus also challenged destructive desire. Yet He described the human problem in relational and moral terms: people turn from God, sin against one another, and need forgiveness. Evil comes from the heart in forms such as greed, deceit, envy, and pride (Mark 7:20-23).
The answer is therefore more than detachment. Jesus calls people back to the Father and teaches them to love God and their neighbor with the whole self (Matthew 22:37-40).
Jesus speaks of the Father
Classical Buddhism does not center liberation on a creator God who loves the world. Jesus' teaching does. He prayed to the Father, trusted the Father, and said the Father knows what His children need (Matthew 6:6-13, 25-34).
This changes the emotional center of the path. A follower of Jesus is learning obedience inside a relationship with God. Prayer is conversation with the Father. Love for another person reflects God's own generosity, even toward enemies.
The cross has no close Buddhist equivalent
The Gospel says God demonstrated His love while we were sinners and Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus taught people how to face suffering, then entered it and gave His life for the forgiveness of others.
Then comes the claim that separates Christian hope sharply from Buddhist paths: God raised Jesus bodily from the dead. Christian hope points toward resurrection, creation restored, and life with God (1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Revelation 21:1-5).
Do not flatten either teacher
Calling Jesus and the Buddha identical may sound respectful, but it ignores both. The Buddha did not teach the Gospel of a crucified and risen Son of God. Jesus did not teach the Eightfold Path or nirvana.
You can appreciate Buddhist observations about craving and still ask whether Jesus rose. That question cannot be answered by comparing favorite sayings. Read Matthew, then John. Read the early Buddhist discourse linked above. Notice the different destinations, not only the places where the roads briefly run near each other.
If Jesus is the risen Son of God, admiration is too small a response. He calls us to follow.