Buddhism and Hinduism

Both Buddhism and Hinduism are well known religions. They are two of the most popular polytheistic faiths in the world. Some people believe them to be sects of the same religion, but they are mistaken. Buddhism and Hinduism have some similarities, but many things set them apart from each other as well. They are each their own religion in many aspects.

“Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma ("eternal spiritual path") began about 4000 years ago in India. It was the religion of an ancient people known as the Aryans ("noble people") whose philosophy, religion, and customs are recorded in their sacred texts known as the Vedas” (United Religions). Vedas are written in the ancient language of India, called Sanskrit. Vedas means “knowledge” or “sacred lore.” The Vedas gives great intelligence about the variety of Gods from the Vedic period, 2000 to 500 BCE (Molloy,78).

Some people may think that Hinduism and Buddhism are the same religions with just two different names. They aren’t, Buddhism and Hinduism both have different types of rituals, holidays, founders, and so-on. The two extensive religions of Hinduism and Buddhism have lots of information behind themselves. They are made up of cultures, rituals, practices, and many other things.

While Hinduism and Buddhism come from the same cultural backgrounds, they are extremely diverse in their beliefs on afterlife, deity, and rituals. Both religions believe in reincarnation, but it is where an individual goes after he or she gets off the endless cycle that differs. These religions also part when it comes to whom they do or do not worship. Every religion comes with rituals and Hinduism and Buddhism are no exceptions.

There are more than seven billion people living across the world and about 19 major religions with about 270 subgroups. In many states and countries, there are two or more religions that are being practiced by its residents. Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the 19 major religions, that are widely practiced. Hinduism and Buddhism both have common origins, and share similar beliefs. Both Hinduism and Buddhism are religions that focus on the way to live and the different paths to gain enlightenment. There are certain differences that make them different in terms of individual life time and its major principles (Silf).

Hinduism and Buddhism have common origins in the Ganges culture of northern India around 500 BCE. We have to admit that they share a lot of similarities, but also involve tons of differences. For example, as Hinduism claims that Atman is Brahman, Buddhism reject the existence of Atman. Hindus think that the way to becoming enlightened is to union with God, but Buddhists pursue a throughout understanding of the universe by following the Noble Eightfold Path. Hinduism believes that Atman is changeless, while Buddhism tells people that everything is impermanent. Disagreement about permanence is a very apparent issue between Hinduism and Buddhism.

Both traditions have almost similar backgrounds. However, Hinduism began earlier as compared to Buddhism. They were both traditions of native Indians. The traditions were therefore influenced and developed by the nature, culture, and surroundings of the Indian people. Hinduism began with the Vedic civilization about 3000 years ago. Scholars believe that the beginning of Hinduism was influenced by fusion of tradition and cultures from all Indian subtribes. The tradition encouraged running life through the gods’ specifications, devotion to different gods and goddesses and finding one’s souls. However, Buddhism was influenced by the life of

In this essay, I intend to compare and contrast two major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, that came out of India thousands of years ago. Though these two religions are old, they are still practiced today by millions of followers within the continent of Asia and the West.

Hinduism is a very broad term that encompasses a multitude of different backgrounds, traditions, beliefs, and practices. Hinduism, as we know it today, has gone through many changes. To fully understand how Hinduism became as it is currently, knowledge of its development over the course of history is essential. This paper will demonstrate the primary shifts of its central beliefs, practices, and goals between periods of Early Vedic, Late Vedic, and Classical Hinduism.

In the first place, the Hindus believe in a caste system made of social classes, whereas Buddhism does not have a caste system, but rather practice peace. The Hindus caste system provides a way to organize people into social classes based on their status and popularity. In spite of the Hindus, the Buddhists strive to achieve peace by making sure everything is “equal parts of a whole”. Additionally, The Hindu religion has no single founder. On the other hand, an Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism. In further detail, Hinduism was not founded by anyone particular, but instead Hinduism is a combination of beliefs of the early Indus Valley peoples and Aryans. On the contrary, Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, whose main purpose was to erase of suffering from the world. Finally, the Buddhism religion contains no sacred literature, as the Hindu religion was built of three major scared texts. The Hindu’s three sacred texts include the Vedas, Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. However, the Buddhists have no sacred text, but followers of Siddhartha Gautama write down his ideas and teaching to this

Although Buddhism evolved from Hinduism it differs from Hinduism in god beliefs. According to Buddhists there is no God, but they reverence the Buddha and his teachings as though he were one.

Describe the key elements in the competition between Hinduism and Buddhism, including such issues as principal beliefs, role of the clergy, role of the home, social hierarchy, and support of the government.

“Look to this day, for it is life, the very breath of life...For yesterday is only a dream, and tomorrow is yet a vision… Look well, therefore, to this day”(Ancient Hindu Sanskrit); “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”(Buddha, n.d.). Buddhism and Hinduism are similar in various ways, in that they both originated from the Indian subcontinent and continued to spread across Asia. Each of them also believe in multiple paths to enlightenment, represented in Buddhist Eight-Fold and Hindu's Vedas Path, and both believe in reincarnation. They are different however in that Hinduism has a concept of sin, whereas Buddhism does not. These religions are also different because Siddhartha Buddha founded Buddhism, but nobody knows who founded Hinduism. The final reason that they are different is that their philosophies differ. These two religions are homologous with how they are structured yet have different characteristics in some areas.

Hinduism and Buddhism are both eastern traditions with much to say about the human condition as well as the reason human beings exist at all. In some ways they are different while also being similar in other ways. In this essay, those differences will be discussed and the similarities examined for their message. In conclusion, we will examine what these two faiths offer to the human beings of the twenty-first century.

Buddhism and Hinduism come from the same region, India. Both of them are very focused on nature, the things around them, though they both believe in several hells and heavens, or higher and lower worlds. They both believe in karma which is the affect a person’s actions in this life will change his next life. Another point is that both religions focus on peace, and non violence towards all