Eastern Religions : A Discussion On Buddhism And Hinduism

Siddhartha Gautama called “Buddha” is the story of one man’s spiritual journey to Enlightenment, and the teaching of a ways of living to face suffering. Buddha himself was born into a royal family and he lived a life of prince. His mother died ten months after his birth, and his father wanted him to become a conqueror. After Buddha wittiness the suffering people around him, he went on for a journey of Enlightenment around the sixth century. One day he stayed under a tree and meditated to the point he reached nirvana the highest point every Buddhist wants to reach. Buddhist do not view Buddha, the awaking one, as god, but they follow his teachings that has been passed on from generations

Hinduism is known as the world's oldest religion. According to ISKCON Educational Services (2004), it is hard to construct a timeline because Hinduism has no identifiable human founder or specific origin in history. It is so old that its past goes into pre-history. It is extremely diverse with the Hindu people being more interested in the meaning of events than in providing first hand records. There is also no clear-cut divide between history and myth.

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

Buddhism has been around for over two thousand years, and continues to do so in many countries around the world. This religion originates in Asia and has a very unique adversity, much of its structure arose from the end of World War II, predominantly Asian nations needed to restructure society (RoAT 167). The word ‘Buddha’ means one who has awakened and will no longer be reborn. Thereafter, one who will enter nirvana, the state of being free from suffering.

First, I would like to introduce the religion of Hinduism. The term Hinduism was derived a river of South Asia, the Indus. This term was used by the ancient Persians to classify the people of that region of the North-West territory of the subcontinent. Indian religion, Hinduism, was the term given by the British in the nineteenth century to the population of India that were neither Muslim or Christian.

Hinduism is generally regarded as the world's oldest organized religion. It consists of thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BCE. Because of the wide variety of Hindu traditions, freedom of belief and

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.

Throughout the world, different nations have different beliefs or religion. Some religions evolve from others, and others are combination of other religions. Religion is a way of life, a lifestyle; it should dictate how you live your life. For instance, in India, Buddhism evolved from Hinduism, a religion were people believe in 300, 000 gods. Even though, Hinduism and Buddhism have different similarities such as believes in god, soul, and rituals, which in some ways connected to each other, both religions believe of what happens after life.

Hinduism has undergone many changes throughout its nearly four thousand years of history. Hinduism doesn’t have a founder or date of origin making it the world’s oldest surviving world religion and the third largest religion worldwide. Hinduism was introduced to the world in the nineteenth century and has 330 million deities in India according to tradition. Hinduism existed in the religions that were practiced by the early Dravidian people. The Brahmanic tradition existed during the Vedic age which is traced back to thousands of years ago. Philosophical systems such as Samkhya, Advaita, Vedanta and yoga were developed long ago in India.

Hinduism is the oldest religions. The most interesting thing about Hinduism is that they have no specific founder or date of origin. Based on their beliefs Hindu’s are divided in to two casts. In the current world, there is still a big conflict about whether Hinduism is a monotheistic religion or a polytheistic religion. Because according to Hindus believe it’s one God with many different faces. This concept regarding Gods is accepted by some scholars, but not all of them. Hinduism has four sacred text Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Epics. The two most common sacred texts are the Vedas and Bhagavad Gita. The authors of all sacred texts are still unknown.

Buddhism’s founder was a man named Siddhartha Gautama, meaning “one who realized his goal.” Buddhists believe that when Siddhartha’s mother, Maha, was conceived she had a dream involving a white elephant carrying a lotus flower. She interpreted the dream to mean that her son would grow up to become a great spiritual leader. Just a week after Siddhartha was born, his mother died. Upon her death, he lived with his wealthy aunt and his father on a large estate. As Siddhartha grew up, his father kept him away from all suffering and anguish of the world. Unlike many of his peers, he was well educated and free from the world’s sorrows.

Buddhism stands as a philosophy and a religion founding itself on the theory of a possible eternal soul. Until awakening is achieved, this eternal soul is locked in the vicious cycle of rebirth (Samsara). According to the Four Noble Truths preached by the Buddha, life is a perpetual suffering caused by desire and attachment, and freedom from suffering is only possible by practicing the Eightfold Path. The World is suffering in a succession of temptations and negative experiences from birth to death. Therefore Buddhism advises on searching to go beyond suffering, and only aspire to rest, nothingness, and liberation, into a final state called Nirvana. Happiness or Nirvana can eventually be achieved in a hereafter, another life, if man abandons any desire or perspective of action within his present life, in order to go past suffering.

The story of Siddhartha Gautama is one of renunciation from a life of privilege and wealth to that of monastic asceticism, driven by an innate desire to “reach enlightenment through the banishment of suffering and spiritual emptiness” (Wattananarong). Gautama left behind wealth and nobility in order to cease his own suffering and upon achieving his own enlightenment, provided a path for others to follow. Following his enlightenment, Gautama came to be known as the Buddha and his journey, the epoch of Buddhism.

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.

Siddhartha Gautama also known as Buddha (Enlightened One) was born in Nepal in the 6th century B.C. Buddha father was the king who ruled a tribe that was known to be economically poor. Buddha’s mother had died a shortly after giving birth to him, which caused his father to be very protective over him. Buddha father wanted to protect his son from misery and pain of the world, so he was raised in palace built just for him. Buddha was in his late 20s when he first experienced the world outside the palace. In which, caused him to realize that there is a lot of pain and suffering in humanity. Buddha came to this realization that suffering lays at the end of all existence, this occurred when he encountered an old man, an ill man, a corpse and an ascetic. Shortly after Buddha renounced his princely