Comparing Hinduism And Buddhism

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.

In the past few weeks of class we talked about so many different religions around the world. Three religions we discuss in class were Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. These are three of the major religions in the world that still exist today. I will be focusing on how all three religions started, and I will compare and contrast Hinduism and Buddhism. Then at the end, I will discuss on how I feel about the three different religions.

Dayananda Saraswati, philosopher and scholar, said, "Because a human being is endowed with empathy, he violates the natural order if he does not reach out to those who need care. Responding to this empathy, one is in harmony with the order of things, with dharma; otherwise, one is not." Dharma is the religious and moral law governing individual conduct in Hindu culture. Dharma is not something a person can just run away from. Dharma is always a factor in the duty and logic of the people.

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.

Hinduism and Buddhism are among the oldest traditions in the world. Incidentally, both traditions have their roots in India. Since their beginning, both traditions have co-existed peacefully and even spread beyond India in similar patterns. Most people have scattered information about the traditions and make assumptions that they are similar. However, they also have clear distinguishing features. This paper intends to study the similarities and contrasts between the two traditions in various contexts. First, the traditions will be compared and contrasted based on how they began. The development processes of both religions will then be contrasted. The paper will then discuss the similarities and differences between the two religions based on the social and the political roles they played.

Hinduism and Buddhism shared many similarities and differences in their origins and founders.Hinduism originated in early India, it evolved over time from the original Vedic religion of the Aryans. It had no exact founder. Buddhism also originated in Early India, Siddhartha Gautama was a king in the kshatriya system. Siddhartha Gautama was the founder of Buddhism, a person who believed being kind to everyone and respectful, he did not believe in violence and achieved nirvana. Both Hinduism and Buddhism came from the same place, showing how they had similar qualities. Since Hinduism did not have a founder it is showing how they did not have someone leading them,

The religious history of India is long and complex. Hinduism was the first known religion to permeat India and the surrounding area. A couple thousand years later, Buddhism originated as a reformation of Hinduism–rejecting its caste system and deities–and began to rearrange the religious status of India. Today, Eastern Asia is divided between Buddhism and Hinduism. Only Nepal employs both religions, considering them inextricably linked. The history and current situation of the relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism begs the question: Can Buddhism exist in a Hindu society in a way that fulfills each religion? Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions and the Buddhist Scriptures each contribute to this controversial conversation. Despite strong arguments for the conjunction of the two religions and the similarities they share, the philosophical and categorical difference between the two demonstrates a tension better than it does a cohesion.

Another key concept of Hinduism is that every individual is responsible for his or her own solution. This idea is mainly connected with the terms Karma and Dharma. Karma is this principle where actions of an individual influence the future of that individual. Karma is what feeds samsara, or your rebirth. If you have karma, good or bad, that is unresolved when you die you will be reborn again. As said before, the main purpose of life on earth for Hindu’s is to break this cycle of time and receive moksha, so every individual is responsible for taking care of his or her own karma. Dharma works oppositely, as it only brings you closer moksha faster. Dharma is one’s duty or course of conduct. Following your dharma without any personal agenda will bring you closer to your purpose in life.

Hinduism and Buddhism were both founded and popular in northern India by 600 CE. Although Hinduism and the Hindu caste system maintained a strong influence in South Asia throughout 600-1750 CE, the Hindu majority eventually gave way as Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and syncretic faiths gradually moved in and across the Indian Ocean basin by 1750 CE. Even then, Hinduism did spread from northern India through southern India to Southeast Asia. The caste system was maintained from 600-1750 CE, given the fact that Hinduism promoted such rigid class distinctions as morally right, though the caste system developed sub-castes during this period. Buddhism actually declined with Hinduism and Islam gaining more ground in its native India only to slowly gain influence in SE Asia. This spread was caused by Buddhist merchants, who brought their religion to their trade partners. Founded in 622, Islam had large and rapid growth due to early military conquests, spread of religion through missionary work, and trade, which exposed non-Muslim merchants to the religion. Other faiths such as Christianity, Sikhism, and Akbar’s “Divine Faith” had modest success. By 1750, the Indian Ocean contained many different religions, and each faith influenced various empires, social classes, and port cities to differing degrees.

In many religions one is not free of sin until the God tells them they are on either judgement day or at the time of their death. Hinduism is the opposite, one can cleanse themselves of sin by working their way up the caste system through reincarnation to achieve moksha or liberation. India’s’ complex caste system also plays a major part in Hinduism. A caste system is simply a social order for how different people are expected to behave and how they fit in into society. There are five main levels; Brahmin, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Shudras, and Dalits. Brahmins, “Possessors of Brahma”, are the highest and most important level, they are the priests, or intellectual leaders. They are often thought as having a have a direct

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 is a religion that started in India, as mentioned before in the previous paragraph, in 1500 BCE. The religion was found by a group of Indo-Aryan people. Hinduism is polytheistic religion, meaning that they believe in more than one god. For example, three most important Hindu gods are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the triad gods. In the religion, they use the caste system in order to keep organization in the community. The only way to move up in the system is for the person to their own dharna very well, then when the time comes for death, they go through the process of samsara and move up on the caste system. This cycle