Thoughts on Buddha and Marx

A comparison between Karl Marx and Buddha could be interpreted as a sarcastic remark. This should come as no surprise. Marx and Buddha are 2381 years apart. Karl Marx was born in 1818 A.D., while Buddha was born in 563 B.C. Karl Marx is credited with creating a new ideology-polity—and thus a new economic system. On the other side, the Buddha is thought to be nothing more than the creator of a religion unrelated to politics or economics. The title of this essay, "Buddha or Karl Marx," suggests a comparison or contrast between two such persons separated by such a long period and occupied by such disparate realms of thought. Marxists will readily mock it and scorn the notion of putting Marx and Buddha on the same footing. Marx is so contemporary, whereas Buddha is so ancient! Marxists may argue that the Buddha is unsophisticated in comparison to their master. What can possible comparisons be made between two such individuals? What is there for a Marxist to learn from the Buddha? What can a Marxist learn from Buddha?