...Comparison of Buddhism & Hinduism For many in the western world zen, yoga and feng shui concepts are the most that is understood about eastern religions, particularly Buddhism and Hinduism. Although many would be interested to know that yoga is not just an exercise class that makes you zen; there are many more important details about Buddhism and Hinduism we are misinformed about; especially, the differences of these two religions. Since Buddhism evolved from Hinduism, they are very similar, but they are two different faiths, with different sets of beliefs and interpretations on life and enlightenment (the ultimate objective of both). It might be in our best interest to begin this discussion at the end, with enlightenment. This is the goal of both Hinduism and Buddhism. To be exact, enlightenment in its simplest definition, is the ultimate release from the cycle of samsara, or the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. In both faiths, every living spirit will eventually achieve this goal, even if it takes numerous reincarnations. In Hinduism, this goal is also called moksha, liberation of the soul from suffering. However, in Buddhism enlightenment is called nirvana, and is a release from the cycle completely into a state of bliss. The sort of middle way between these two extremes is a belief held by Mahayana Buddhists, whom identify the Buddha in three bodies, one of which, the Ultimate Buddha underlies the entire universe and is identified as nirvana itself. On this...
Words: 819 - Pages: 4
...ASSIGMENT TITLE In this assignment, you will select two (2) religions from those studied thus far in the course (i.e., Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism). Next, compare and contrast them . Hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it has no founder or date of origin. While most major religions derive from new ideas taught by a charismatic leader, Hinduism is simply the religion of the people of India, which has gradually developed over four thousand years. The origins and authors of its sacred texts are largely unknown. Although today's Hinduism differs significantly from earlier forms of Indian religion, Hinduism's roots date back as far as 2000 BC, making it one of the oldest surviving religions. Also the linguistic similarities between Sanskrit, Greek and Latin are the result of Aryan migrations in the opposite direction, out of India and into Europe. Aryan tribes from within India spread throughout Europe bringing their culture, language and religion. Passages from the Mahabharata and other Hindu texts are quoted in support of this theory. Whether the Aryans came from outside the subcontinent or whether Aryan culture developed within India, matters little for our purposes here. However, there are some beliefs common to nearly all forms of Hinduism that can be identified, and these basic beliefs are generally regarded as boundaries outside of which lies either heresy or non-Hindu religion. These fundamental Hindu beliefs include: the authority...
Words: 1016 - Pages: 5
...Buddhism and Hinduism are two very comparable religions. One way that Buddhism and Hinduism are similar is that they both believe in a type of reincarnation. In Buddhism, reincarnation centers around their idea of Karma, which is the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, and is ultimately viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. This means that their actions have consequences. Every good thing a person does affects them in a positive way, and every bad thing a person does affects them in a negative way. As a person continues their lives making these choices, their Karma is always changing. According to Buddhism religion, followers of Buddhism continue to make these better choices, which in turn makes their Karma better, until they have reached the point that their mind becomes free and pure. This is when Buddhist reach the state of Nirvana, which is the ultimate happiness, and Buddhists lose their sense of self and become released from the cycle of rebirth. Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhism, as their fluctuating Karma is their idea of rebirth or reincarnating, until they have reached their ultimate happiness in the state of Nirvana In Hinduism, the idea of reincarnation is more of the traditional cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Hindus believe that their souls are pure and everlasting, and what they do in one life directly correlates with what there next life will hold. A Hindu’s soul will reincarnate into a being repeatedly...
Words: 649 - Pages: 3
...Buddhism and Hinduism are often regarded as two of the most popular Eastern religions. However, the two faiths are occasionally mistaken as the same religion due to their numerous similarities. Unlike many Western religions, both religions believe in the concepts of reincarnation and karma in the journey to achieve enlightenment. Despite these similarities, each religion perceives incarnation differently. They differ in regards to the notion of the presence of a soul and have contradicting views regarding the means of achieving nirvana. This paper will evaluate Buddhism and Hinduism as distinct religions by examining the differences in the cycle of reincarnation as a path to liberation from the physical world. It is a common thought that both Buddhists and Hindus believe in the concept of reincarnation as the transmigration of a soul to another body after death. Hindus believe that life on earth is not a discrete event that occurs once. They believe that a soul makes multiple appearances on earth through reincarnation. This soul is a permanent, conscious entity that inhabits a body, and at the time of death, leaves that body and goes on to assume another body. In Hindu belief, this soul is not limited to reincarnation in human beings, but rather any living being including animals and plants. The soul has a karma that follows it through the transmigrations. This karma is a “log” of good and bad deeds it performed in its past lives.1 If a soul has a good karma,...
Words: 1047 - Pages: 5
...“Thank goodness for eastern religion, I’m going to yoga class now and I redid my room to improve like my Zen, it really works…” for many in the western world, this is the most that is understood about eastern religions, particularly Buddhism and Hinduism. Although many would be interested to know that yoga is not just an exercise class; there are many more important details about Buddhism and Hinduism we are misinformed about, Especially, the differences of these two religions. Since Buddhism evolved from Hinduism, they are very similar, but they are two different faiths, with different sets of beliefs and interpretations on life and enlightenment (the ultimate objective of both). It might be in our best interest to begin this discussion at the end, with enlightenment. This is the goal of both Hinduism and Buddhism. To be exact, enlightenment in its simplest definition, is the ultimate release from the cycle of samsara, or the cycle of birth, death and rebirth (Wagnu, 2001). In both faiths, every living spirit will eventually achieve this goal, even if it takes numerous reincarnations. In Hinduism, this goal is also called moksha , existence in the realm of the gods (Wagnu, 2001). However, in Buddhism enlightenment is called nirvana, and is a release from the cycle completely, not a deployment to the realm of gods. The sort of middle way between these two extremes is a belief held by Mahayana Buddhists, whom identify the Buddha in three bodies, one of which, the Ultimate Buddha...
Words: 926 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism and Buddhism are two religions that both originated in Asia. Together they are the most popular religions across Asia (http://spiritualityinformation.in). Buddhism is thought to have developed based on Hinduism. It is said that the creator of Buddhism liked Hinduism Theology but found it lacking in some areas and therefore created Buddhism to fill those gaps (http://spiritualityinformation.in). Since Buddhism was founded on Hinduism there are many similarities, however since it was created on the basis that Hinduism was lacking some fundamental values there are also a wealth of differences. Buddhism originated in the 5th Century B.C.E in northern India. Most historians agree that Siddhartha Gautama was the founder and the original Buddha, which means the “awakened or enlightened one.” (http://www.patheos.com). Gautama started a journey to make life better when he observed so much suffering in the world. It has been said that he meditated and achieved a state of peace, therefore putting an end to suffering and freeing his soul from rebirth. (http://www.patheos.com) Buddhism is a study and religious practice building off Hinduism and incorporating Gautama’s life teachings and living from his experiences in order to achieve divine happiness. Hinduism is a religion based out of India, there is no known founder or origin that it can be traced back to. Hinduism is understood to be built on a collection of historical traditions and beliefs that are timeless. To many...
Words: 1200 - Pages: 5
...Buddhism vs Hinduism Hinduism and Buddhism are two religions that both originated in Asia. Together they are the most popular religions across Asia (http://spiritualityinformation.in). Buddhism is thought to have developed based on Hinduism. It is said that the creator of Buddhism liked Hinduism Theology but found it lacking in some areas and therefore created Buddhism to fill those gaps (http://spiritualityinformation.in). Since Buddhism was founded on Hinduism there are many similarities, however since it was created on the basis that Hinduism was lacking some fundamental values there are also a wealth of differences. Buddhism originated in the 5th Century B.C.E in northern India. Most historians agree that Siddhartha Gautama was the founder and the original Buddha, which means the “awakened or enlightened one.” (http://www.patheos.com). Gautama started a journey to make life better when he observed so much suffering in the world. It has been said that he meditated and achieved a state of peace, therefore putting an end to suffering and freeing his soul from rebirth. (http://www.patheos.com) Buddhism is a study and religious practice building off Hinduism and incorporating Gautama’s life teachings and living from his experiences in order to achieve divine happiness. Hinduism is a religion based out of India, there is no known founder or origin that it can be traced back to. Hinduism is understood to be built on a collection of historical traditions and beliefs...
Words: 326 - Pages: 2
...Hinduism vs. Buddhism Teasa Wright Professor King World Religions February 1, 2014 Hinduism is about understanding Brahma or existence from within their own Atman, roughly soul, whereas Buddhism is about finding the Anatman or not soul. In Hinduism, attaining the highest life is a process of removing the bodily distractions from life, allowing one to eventually understand the Brahma nature within. In Buddhism, one follows a disciplined life to move through and understand that nothing in ourselves is ‘me’ such that we dispel the very illusion of existence. In so doing one realizes Nirvana. About 80 percent of India’s population regard themselves as Hindus and 30 million more Hindus live outside of India. There are a total of 900 million Hindus worldwide, making Hinduism the third largest religion (after Christianity and Islam). The term “Hinduism” includes numerous traditions, which are closely related and share common themes but do not constitute a unified set of beliefs or practices. Hinduism is thought to have gotten its name from the Persian word hindu, meaning “river,” used by outsiders to describe the people of the Indus River Valley. Hindus themselves refer to their religion as sanatama dharma, a word emphasizing the fulfillment of duties (dharma) appropriate to one’s class (varna) and stage of life (asrama). Hinduism has no founder or date of origin. The authors and dates of most Hindu sacred texts are unknown. Scholars describe modern Hinduism...
Words: 1122 - Pages: 5
..."Buddhism, in its origin at least is an offshoot of Hinduism." -S.Rahdhakrishnan Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the world’s largest and most influential religions. Both religions originated in the Asian country of India, and thus stem from a similar culture as well as philosophy. While contrasting greatly with the monotheistic religions of the West, Hinduism and Buddhism also contrast greatly with each other. Although similar in respect to general philosophy, the two faiths differ markedly on matters of social structure. The two religions also contrast in that Hinduism omits and Buddhism emphasizes individual freedom to progress spiritually and socially in the current life. By comparing the two traditions, one can unambiguously see why it is that Hinduism has proved the more unwavering and Buddhism the more humanitarian philosophy. Hinduism and Buddhism are more philosophical than doctrinal. Both exhort and encourage an all-encompassing way of life and define existence itself. For instance, the essential Hindu concept defining the individual and humanity’s responsibilities is called dharma. An intricate term, dharma is conceptually one’s sense of obligation. One must fulfill his role in society and the world. Such responsibilities include procreation and caste duties, but extend into the philosophical realm of peaceful and humble acceptance of one’s position...
Words: 1278 - Pages: 6
...As an off shoot of Hinduism, Buddhism accepted the notions of karma, dharma, samsara, and moksha. It differed in its understanding ot these terms and how to achieve spiritual liberation. As Buddhism spread through south and east Asia, these differences became greater." Samsara, the "upholstered hell" , it is known in Hinduism as the endless cycle of death and rebirth, and Moksha being the supreme enlightenment, the realization of Atman the one's true self, and the liberation from samsara. Despite the fact that Moksha means Something different in Buddhism, words are meaningless but their meanings aren't. Explanation: "The ultimate goal of the Buddhist path is release from the round of phenomenal existence with its inherent suffering. To achieve this goal is to attain nirvana an enlightened state in which the fires of greed, hatred, and ignorance have been quenched." This is the essence of both religions, freedom from the ignorance of what I call "Blam"Ï. The central core of Buddhist teachings is the Four Noble Truths, which are: 1. All life is suffering and pain. This is more than a mere recognition of the presence of suffering in existence. It is a statement that, in its very nature, human existence is essentially painful from the moment of birth to the moment of death. Even death brings no relief. 1. Desire is the root of suffering. "People become attached to relationships or things they have, and suffer when they experience their impermanence. This impermanence leads to disappointment...
Words: 1127 - Pages: 5
...| | | Islam Islam is known as one of the fastest-expanding religions in history. Many methods were used in order to spread this religion at such a rate.. Muslims were very reasonable people. They were tolerant, and offered many alternatives to the other religions of conquered lands. Mohammed once stated that another religion can either believe in Islam, or pay to keep his own religion. He would give the religions protection in exchange for obedience. Mohammed, however, threatens the lives of children or elders related to those who did not obey. This was one of his most powerful methods of obtaining new lands. Another method used by Mohammed was that he offered many reasons to other religions as to why they should convert to Islam. First and foremost, he offered them direction and guidance to heaven, which, alongside Muslims, was an eagerly anticipated place by Christians and Jews. The writer of History of Arabs describes the Muslim people as those who consider each other equals under Allah, and who worship him to the fullest. They would rather be in heaven with him than a child under him on earth. The expansion of Islam was also obviously obtained by means of conquering lands around Arabia. The impression of surrounding lands on the Muslim army is that they were strong, determined, relentless fighters who conquered any land they pleased. They had countless weapons and a drive that could cut through thick steel. Despite these characteristics, however, they would...
Words: 1902 - Pages: 8
...Compare and contrast Buddhism and Hinduism Buddhism and Hinduism are two of the world's largest and oldest religions. Both are excellent examples of how religions that come from the same part of the world can develop differently and appeal to different people. When comparing Buddhism and Hinduism focus could be placed upon a myriad of ancient traditions and beliefs, so many traditions and beliefs that the mind begins to swirl in the attempt to comprehend everything. To summarize the similarities and differences of these two religions, focus will be on placed on three aspects of each religion, karma, worship practices/belief in a supreme being and the philosophy each religion holds regarding reincarnation. Despite bearing some striking similarities, the differences between Hinduism and Buddhism are pronounced. While reincarnation is an important aspect of both Buddhists and Hindus faith, it is quite different in each religion. Karma is quite similar in each religion. Karma is the basic belief that a person's fate is determined according to his actions while on earth. A soul who does good Karma in this life will be awarded with a better life in their next life. Souls that have bad Karma will be punished for their sins, if not in this incarnation then in the next incarnation and they will continue to be born in this world again and again. “The good souls will be liberated from the circle of rebirth and get redemption. In the Hindu religion this cycle is called 'Moksha' meaning...
Words: 1192 - Pages: 5
...Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity Many countries form ideas and rules based on religion that is practiced as a whole by the society of that country. In addition religion continues to affect rules and ideas that is promoted by various cultures. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity are some of the most popular religions that are used throughout the world. Arabs has made Islamists powerful in Countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. Religious institutions are a public significance more so now than before. “In the Muslim political imaginary, the khulafa’ al-rashidun represent an idealized moment in history, that of the first four caliphs, the rightly-guided, who came after the prophet Muhammad: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, Umar Ibn al-Khattab, Uthman Ibn Affan, and Ali Ibn Abi Talib. The period from the death of the prophet in 632 to that of Ali in 661 marks a golden era after which political history is conceived as having degenerated. However, Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz (717-720) from the Umayyad dynasty is often seen as part of the rightly-guided Caliphs and defines what is often dubbed the “5th caliphate”. He exemplifies the possibility of being a pious and just ruler in times of corruption.” (Zeghal, 2012) The above reference was used by Jebali and was taken out of Islamic past to state about political renewal within an Islamic saying. Representatives of al-Nahda insisted that the reference was symbolic, and did not question al-Nahdha’s commitment to...
Words: 1058 - Pages: 5
...after death. There are many religions around the world, some religions branch off of other religions. When looking into these religions I came to see why many are similar. They have the same beliefs but worship and view some aspects in different ways. Hinduism and Buddhism are sometimes mistaken as being the same religion, though they are similar. They both originated in India. Buddhism came to be by breaking off of Hinduism and now has their own beliefs....
Words: 889 - Pages: 4
...The Nature of Karma in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism People of all religions partake in traditional ceremonies, have special symbols to represent what they worship, peruse different sacred writings and hold diverse theological beliefs. One tradition that is very common among Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, is the law of karma. The religious tradition is defined as the “universal causal law by which good or bad actions determine the future modes of an individual’s existence (Olivelle). This tradition has inimitable meaning in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, with slight differences. Hindus believe that people are reborn into another life after this one and that the law of karma suggests that a person’s mental and physical actions are binding to the cycle of birth and death. The idea of karma states that actions in one’s present life will determine the condition of the next life. When people begin their current life, karma accumulates because of their actions. And when they die, they will be reborn into another life, as either a human again or in another form, depending on the quality of the former life. The ultimate goal of Hindus is to attain liberation by escaping what is known as samsara, through a process called moksha (Frisch). In Hinduism, “a man becomes pure through pure deeds, impure through impure deeds (Fisher 77). Like the Hindus, the Jain believe that one’s behaviors and motives entice karma. A person's karma from past lives determines the quality of present life...
Words: 617 - Pages: 3
