Similarities Between Hinduism And Buddhism

Buddhism and Hinduism-- the core area of both is Northern India and each spread through the Indian subcontinent, yet both did not seem to expand with the same radius. Buddhism flourished and spread across central and eastern Asia; whereas, Hinduism generally stayed close to home, in India. The question now becomes why.

Upon reading about the historical and religious background of Ancient India, one can clearly assume that the country was strongly influenced by three main religious teachings: Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. These three sects in religious thinking have many similarities as all recognize the life-cycle and the need of liberation, they worship one central deity that used to be a human who gained enlightenment and they all recognize the existence of the eternal soul and after-death re-incarnation. However, they also share a lot of differences that mark the underlying principles of practicing them. I will identify the scope of differences and similarities in these ancient religions in an attempt to understand why each attracted followers, why

Hinduism is a very popular religion in India, being that it could possibly be the oldest religion of all time and originated in India, the Hindu population in India is 80%. With Hinduism being such a popular religion, it competes with Christianity and Islam at 900 million followers of Hinduism worldwide (Miksic, 10). As for the popularity of Buddhism, it is not nearly as prevalent as Hinduism is, even in India. A very important attribute to Hinduism is the caste system. The caste system is comprised of five levels that each Hindu is born into and cannot switch out of or marry into another. These levels include the Brahmans, who are the highest caste and include priests, scholars and other professionals, Kshatriyas, who are typically known

Scholars stressed that the role of Indian colonizers brought Hinduism to reflect the ideology that emphasizes on Southeast Asia. Hinduism spread throughout India by certain people and territory (Strayer, 183). Hinduism became part of the Indian civilization for the different people that migrated or invaded into Southeastern Asia (Strayer, 133).

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.

While the Western World is largely familiar with elements surrounding the spread of Christianity, these people are inclined to ignore that Buddhism came to experience a similar progression in the East. Beginning approximately five centuries before Christianity, Buddhism emerged as an ideology contrasting harsher Hindu laws and made it possible for people to understand that it was actually necessary for them to follow a Middle Path in order to achieve Enlightenment. In spite of the fact that the religion spread rapidly through its land of birth, it generally came to receive lesser appreciation in India while more and more countries to the East began to express interest in the concepts that it put across.

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

As in China, another dominant developing classical civilization, India, (300 B.C.-A.D. 500) focused greatly on philosophy and religious progress. Implanted within Indian divine belief systems, social status dictated all. The caste system, provided order and stability in India. Based out of Hinduism, the caste system clearly determined social status between five different divisions. The top of the caste were Brahmins (priests), followed by the Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaisyas (merchants), underneath merchants were Shudras (peasants and laborers), and the lowest rank were Pariahs (untouchables). Hinduism and Buddhism, the two dominating religions in India share many of the same concepts, as well as some distinct differences. These two religions

Religion and philosophy such as Hinduism and Buddhism could have affected India in many ways. First of all, it affected the way people acted. Second, It also affected the gods you would pray to. In the article it states, “Buddhists still paid attention to Hindu gods.” This Shows,” Everyone had a god to pray to.” There is also something called nirvana. Tou can reach nirvana by being a good person and also through meditation. Lastly, there is Ahimsa which means non-violence.

The Indian civilization has achieved complexity and sophistication in its culture through the intertwining of the Harappan and Aryan cultures. The Harappan society was based off a trade and alliance system that has maintained it in a cohesive environment, while the Aryans were a pastoral group that eventually came to settle down within these lands. From root of the mingling of these cultures, Brahmanism was established as the religion and has affected much of the social and political aspects of the Indian civilization. As a response to Brahmanism, Buddhism ventured outward from these practices and established a more collaborative environment that has influenced various regions of Asia.

The Gupta Era began in 320 CE and lasted all the way to 520 CE. During this period, Buddhism was an influence for India. Buddhist monks that were disciples of the Buddhism religion influenced education, literature, and higher learning during the Gupta Era. This spreaded across all of Gupta Empire which gave the empire a religion to mainly focus on. The Gupta empire was founded by Maharaja Sri Gupta. Buddhism went from being a not noticeable religion to a wide know religion during the Gupta era because the Buddhist monks spreaded the religion. However, the Buddhist teachings remained the same. Buddhism itself came back as a sort of a revival back in the Guptas.”By the 4th to 5th century, Buddhism declined in India, even when it was achieving in Central Asia (“Guptas”).” During that time, it wasn’t like Buddhism had no effect in India. Buddhism imposed some if its teachings, culture, and traditions upon India, and without those changes, India wouldn’t be the same today. The beginning of Buddhism started it all. Buddhist missionaries would travel to China along routes that were near Southeast Asia. Since then, Buddhism had sparked a new spread of religion that many people were majorly influenced by, just like the Gupta empire in the Gupta Era.

Buddhism and Hinduism Some similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism is that both Buddhism and Hinduism share a strong belief in rebirth of a soul in a new body which is an endless cycle of births and deaths that must be broken. Another similarity is that both religions are made up of smaller deities or sects. Hinduism is made up of 4 different types of deities, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Smartism. And Buddhism is made up of 3 sects, Vajrayana, Mahayana, and Theravada. Also another similarity is that they believe in karma.

Hinduism was fading away when other religion takes over India. Islam has influence the Hinduism in several ways including parda system, slavery, social impact, music, arts and culture. “The missionary zeal of Islam which aimed at conversion of the maximum number of Hindus to

Buddhism is a philosophy, a moral code, and, for some a religious faith which originated in 530 BC in India. Buddhism evolved as a modification of Hinduism when Hinduism started to become very complicated due to too many sacrifices in the name of God. Today, an estimated 300 million people follow one of the many varieties of Buddhism.

Trade and immigration influenced the spread of Hinduism throughout the world: “Hinduism spread to…Southeast Asia. Indian Brahmins may have arrived in the area through trade…they [the rulers] seemed to have gravitated to…the Hindu religious practices” (Opposing Views). Whilst migrating from country to country in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Indian immigrants searched for jobs, and once becoming wealthy, mandirs sprung up like livestock around the country of Great Britain. In addition, in 1906, the