preview

Essay On Hinduism Vs Buddhism

Decent Essays

The earliest religions of India possess many of the same attributes. Despite this, these religions grew independently, adopting their own cultures and standards. Two such religions are Hinduism and Buddhism, that, regardless of their base similarities, developed notably different belief systems. Ultimately, Hinduism and Buddhism have compelling similarities in regards to their moral codes and interpretations of the afterlife; however, are fundamentally different through their history, objects of worship, ultimate goals, hierarchal structures, and methods of teaching their beliefs. The origins of Hinduism are somewhat remarkable in that the founders of the religion are not explicitly known. It is known, however, that Hinduism emerged in India during the Vedic age, around 1500 B.C, due to the migration of a nomadic, warlike people, known as Aryans, …show more content…

Subsequently, his father decided that he had matured enough to leave the palace for the first time (Messina 11). However, upon leaving his childhood home, Prince Siddhartha, for the first time in his life, encountered an elderly man, a sick man, and a dead man, all of which slowly strengthened his resolve to find the source of human suffering (11-12). Faced with this moment of intense catharsis, Prince Siddhartha abandoned his privileged lifestyle, devoting himself to six years of meditation beneath a bodhi tree. Through these years of meditation, Prince Siddhartha reached a state of complete enlightenment (12). Now known as the Buddha, or “the Awakened One,” Prince Siddhartha founded the Sangha, a community in which monks and nuns studied his teachings in an attempt to follow him into a state of enlightenment (12-13). As these concepts spread, Buddhism emerged throughout the entire world, spreading beyond the confines of the Indian subcontinent

Get Access