Preview

A Comparative Study between Hinduism and Buddhism

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
734 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Comparative Study between Hinduism and Buddhism
Hinduism * A combination of a member of religious traditions in India * A polytheistic religion (More than one god) * God is Brahman - Creator and creation, made manifest in 3 persons: 1. Brahma - Creator 2. Vishnu - Preserver 3. Shiva - Destroyer * According to Hinduism, our true self is Brahman * The human soul is Atman * Basic Hindu phrase is "Atman is Brahman" or "Tat Tatum asi", meaning "That Thou Art!" * Goal of Hindu life: 1. Become perfected to the extent that the soul merges with the soul of god 2. No need to be born again in another human body * Hindus believe that the human soul journeys through one life and then dies and is born again into a new body through "reincarnation" or "transmigration" * Samsara: Cycle of Rebirth * Dharma: Ethical duties of a person * Karma: Law of receiving what one deserves * Hindus believe that the soul is reborn into a higher stage of existence if the person has lived a good life * Moksha: The liberation from the Hindus endless cycles of rebirth * The path to Moksha which most followed is devotion * Hindus believe in the Caste System. Social Groups in to which Hindus are born * 4 Main Castes: 1. Sedras - Laborers 2. Valeyas - Producers 3. Kshatrlyas - Administrators 4. Brahmias - Seers * 4 Stages of Hindu Life: 1. Student - (Brahmancarin) 2. Householder -(Grihartha) 3. Retirement - Working out the philosophy of life (Vanapratha) 4. Wonderer - Free from all attachments of life (Sannyasin) * Sannyasin: The Stage of Life where one renounces family, name and any memories of the past * 4 Wants of Hinduism: 1. Pleasure 2. Success 3. Duty 4. Liberation * Classic Period of Hinduism: Era when Hinduism becomes distinguished as a religion * In regards to other religions, Hinduism is tolerant * Both Buddhism and Jainism grew out of Hinduism and were founded as reactions to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The world has many different religions. Out of these, Buddhism and Hinduism are the most popular beliefs in the general population. Hinduism is the oldest known religion and is very rich with literally hundreds of gods, symbolistic rituals and beliefs. It is believed to have been established around 1500 B.C. but one person never founded Hinduism, as it evolved over a long period of time. Buddhism on the other hand has a definite founder, Siddhartha Gautama who is otherwise known as the Buddha or Enlightened One who lived from 565 to 483 B.C. Both these religions originated in India. Siddhartha Gautama was a Hindu who found Hindu theology lacking and after years of searching for truth created a religion now known as Buddhism. Because of these basic similarities, the two religions have much in common, but in the same light they differ immensely.…

    • 1370 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ahimsa is the belief of nonviolence, which Buddhism justifies by reminding followers that all life experience suffering and additional pain is not needed in this world. Also, Buddhism teaches the belief in the cycle of rebirth, however, without a belief in a soul; Buddhists believe it is the parts of the individual’s personality that reform in the new life. Finally, Buddhism teaches followers about nirvana granting release from the cycle of rebirth. Nirvana is a state of bliss without pain, and liberation from the cycle of rebirth and Buddhists believe that it can be obtained within one’s lifetime, rather than at death (Molloy,…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Life and death are both part of what Hindus call maya, a grand illusion; Hindus believe that when a soul dies, it gets born into a new body.…

    • 1639 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    IV. The Question of Morality. Hindu is a caste system which relative reincarnation and that of karma. Karma is seen as the cause and effect and the reincarnation is indicates the cycle of life, death and rebirth as it pertains to cause and effect. Caste system encompasses different classes of people and Brahmins are the closest to divine. Though discrimination based on the caste system is considered wrong in India which the most Hindu followers, attitudes are difficult to discontinue ( Winfred Corduan, Neighboring Faiths, p. 195-197. In Hindu religion gods can come the form of good and evil.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    They also believe that one should live honest, disciplined and balanced life and one who good in their life will be happy in the future and future lives otherwise you will have bad future. Through all of their similarities, these religious had few differences which gave each religions their own believes. Hinduism doesn’t have a founder and they strongly believe in caste system and Brahmans. Hinduism also focused on life of luxuries and indulgence, while Buddhism and Jainism rejected the existence of gods, caste system and luxuries. Buddhism mainly follows the Noble Eightfold path to achieve the stage of Enlightenment and escape from the cycle of rebirth. Jainism had a same goal as Buddhism and they can accomplish by being honest, speak the truth, sexual monogamy and by detaching themselves from material…

    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Many people say that Hinduism is the product of melding different religions and cultural influences. Around the 5th or 6th centuries, two religions emerged in India that had heavy influence on the formation of Hinduism (Kinnard, 2013). Those two religions were Jainism and Buddhism, and are of course not new, but formulated newer ideas through Hinduism (Kinnard, 2013). Like Hinduism, there are many other Eastern Religions that worship more than one god. However, it is believed by many that Hinduism has the most gods that are worshiped. There are over 300 million Hindu…

    • 2283 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ap World Notes

    • 7402 Words
    • 30 Pages

    Caste system – Brahmins (5 stages, cannot advance past the class you were born into, still exists in some parts of India.)…

    • 7402 Words
    • 30 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the most dominant and profound religions around the world. Both religions have similar foundations and philosophies that began in India before the Common Era. (Citation?) They are among the top five major religions in the world.(Citation?) Hinduism is the third highest ranked organized religion and has been around much older than Buddhism. 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(Citation?). They have survived for centuries and are still widely practiced around the globe.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism and Hinduism both became popular in Ancient India during the Mauryan Empire, probably due to the idea that one could achieve perfection and escape their worldly troubles. Buddhism and Hinduism both have a state enlightenment and a belief in nonviolence, but Hinduism has many gods and a rigid caste system, while Buddhism is more free, rejecting the caste system and the idea of gods.…

    • 549 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In these religions of immanence it is important to realize that the sacred is everywhere, including within, and meant to be a way of seeing reality more clearly rather than attempting to reach something that is above and beyond. The sacred reality found in Hinduism is the Brahman. Brahman is described as universal consciousness; it is truth, knowledge, and infinity. In Hinduism everything has its own spark of Brahman, Atman, which is never actually separate from the Brahman. Ultimately all Hindus intend to achieve moksha, or liberation, the realization of the unity between Brahman and Atman. By realizing this unity the Atman becomes aware of maya, the illusion of separation, and the cycle of death and rebirth known as samsara is ended.…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Unreached Peoples Project

    • 4982 Words
    • 20 Pages

    There are many different people in the world today with a varied view of religion. There are perhaps thousands of religious belief sets throughout the world. In the workplace we are confronted with individuals from all walks of life, cultures and religions. There is a woman that I work with by the name of Kiran. She is of Indian descent and I have had the good fortune to become close to her and share the gospel of my God. She is always kind and listens to me preach to her without judgment or condemnation.…

    • 4982 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Belief In Hindu Religion

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the Hindu religion, there are nine essential beliefs that you must believe in to be considered a Hindu. One of those beliefs is the belief in one supreme being, saying that there is one “being” who creates and destroys the universe. The second belief is the belief that the Vedas, the Hindu sacred texts, are Divine and that they are truly a representation of how to live in the religion. The third belief, relating to the first, is that the universe goes through cycles of formation and deformation that never end. The fourth belief is that karma exists and it is that which determines fate through causes and effect. The fifth belief is that everybody will eventually achieve moksha, separation from a cycle of eternal reincarnation, and that there…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Religion Paper

    • 1193 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In Hinduism we learn that the world is considered evil. There are many cast systems in this religion, which are paths an individual must overcome before leaving the cycle of Samsara; which is the cycle of rebirth and reincarnation which is considered to be the problem. To achieve liberation from the cycle is the goal of Hindus, to free their soul from bonding of samsara when they pass on to the next world to become a Brahman- Hindu idea of a formless divine.…

    • 1193 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hinduism and Buddhism

    • 1467 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The world has many different religions. Asia has seen many religions emerge and develop over the course of human history. Out of these, Buddhism and Hinduism are two of the most popular religions within the general population. Hinduism is the oldest known religion and is very rich, with literally hundreds of gods, symbolistic rituals, and beliefs. It is believed to have been established around 1500 B.C., but Hinduism was not the brainchild of any one person, as it evolved over a long period of time through the contributions of a great many religious leaders. Buddhism, on the other hand, developed its equally complex belief and ritual system much later than Hinduism under its founder, Siddhartha Gautama (565-483 BC), who is otherwise known as the Buddha or Enlightened One. Both these religions originated in India. Siddhartha Gautama was a Hindu who found elements of the Hindu theology lacking and after years of searching for truth created the religion now known as Buddhism. Because of these basic similarities, the two religions have much in common, but in the same light they differ immensely.…

    • 1467 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Buddhism

    • 373 Words
    • 2 Pages

    I would definitely recommend enrolling in this class next semester as it has been one of the most interesting classes I have taken here at Cornell. In this class I have learnt about many of Asia’s major religions. I have learnt about the Indian Religion called Hinduism in which there are numerous deities which are worshipped . By studying this religion I have come to better understand many concepts in the Hindu world view including the concept of transmigration which is what I find to be most interesting thing about this religion. The concept of transmigration generally accepted by all Hindus and believed to be true. In the Hindu world view death is not the end of one’s existence, it is but a stage of a continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth that all Hindus are subject to. For Hindus, after death one is not transported to a heaven or hell, or some other world in perpetuity as in other religions, but rather they return to worldly life to live and die again in a different mortal form1. This cycle termed samsara in the Hindu philosophical texts the Upanishads, means circling or wandering. This wandering or circling refers to the fact that after death one does not cease to exist, but instead wanders to a different location and continues to live on in a new time and body. The quality of life a person has after being reborn is not simply determined by chance but is thought to be as a direct result of the way that individual lived in his or her previous life. This idea of one’s actions having later consequences is termed karma in Hinduism and is an integral part of Hinduism and Indian culture. This is just one of the many interesting things I’ve learnt about Asian religions.…

    • 373 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics