Swami Vivekananda believed Gautam Buddha was reborn as Christ

“The birth of two spiritual leaders within a short span of a few thousand years is remarkable and of immense importance. I had this very strong conviction within me that Buddha was reborn as Christ. Buddha had predicted that he would return after 500 years, and 500 years being nature’s measuring yardstick Buddha did appear after a thousand years as Jesus Christ. These enlightened beings took birth amid the entire human race. Buddha and Christ are two immensely powerful enlightened souls, they were manifestations of the Supreme Being. They divided the universe amongst themselves. In any part of the universe where,knowledgeable and enlightened human beings reside, they invariably bow their heads in reverence to the great spirit of Buddha or Jesus Christ.

It is very difficult to be one like them, but I do believe there will be more like them who will be born for our salvation. Five hundred years later Prophet Mohammad came, another 500 years later Martin Luther was born who initiated the Protestant Reformation movement. Since then, 500 years have passed. The birth of two great spiritual leaders within a thousand of years is of immense magnitude. Is it not enough that the human race was twice blessed by the Almighty? Both Jesus Christ and Gautam Buddha were God, the others were prophets and religious preachers. If you practice the lifestyle of these two great souls, you will notice how peaceful and unopposed lives they led. They had no materialistic belongings that they could claim to be their own. Both led a pauper’s life, neglected, hated, branded atheists and stupid and yet imagine the immense spiritual power they released to uplift the human race.”