Religious Studies: Hinduism and Buddhism

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Similarities
Differences
Conclusion
Bibliography

Introduction

Hinduism and Buddhism are the major religions in India. The religions enjoy a huge following and have very many specific beliefs that guide their followers. Buddhism is the development of Hinduism. Thus it contains some beliefs that can be compared to Hinduism.

Despite this, its beliefs take a different direction in some instances. The two religions share similar beliefs regarding the concept of rebirth and Samsara, although differences exist when the two concepts are considered beyond the surface. In Hinduism, the Upanishads and ancient Vedic hymns describe a universal deity known as Brahman. Being considered omnipresent, this deity conveys a sense of immanence.

Similarities

The concept of Samsara is a Hinduism belief relating to what happens to humans after death. Thus, it seeks to describe how humans exist in a continuous cycle of reincarnation. This concept has its origins in the Vedas, an old scripture of Hinduism. This scripture was produced between 500BCE and 1500. Samsara refers to the processor rebirth whereby the individual is reincarnated in a succession of lives.

This is based on karma, defined as a metaphysical record of an individual’s moral worth. Thus, a person is reincarnated based on their moral behavior in life. Individuals are expected to behave as expected by religious doctrines so that they can have good karma and not bad karma. Bad karma can only assure an individual that they will be reincarnated as an animal, or in a form that suits their character.

The word Samsara means, ‘To flow together,’ showing how the cycles depend and follow each other. Hinduism considers this rebirth as a curse and not a blessing. Thus, it is seen as a chance for the individual who is reborn to cultivate their spirituality so that they can be released from the Samsara.

In Hinduism, Samsara is compared to the caste system or Varna. In this regard, an individual can eradicate their karma and be born into a higher caste system. This means that their duty in life can change as they advance into different castes. Achieving a higher caste would also mean that the individual is closer to Moksha. The individual can then realize union with Brahman. This is where the individual can exit the cycle of rebirth.

Thus, individuals within the lower caste have more requirements to realize union with Brahman. Samsara can also be compared to how Buddhists view rebirth. Buddhists also believe in karma. A difference exists in that according to Buddhists, karma results in reincarnation into one of six types of beings.

These are demigods, hungry ghosts, humans, gods, animals, and hell-bound beings. Humans are the only beings that can achieve a state of Nirvana. Thus they can exit the cycle of death just as it is in Hinduism. Moreover, ignorance is also vanquished during this phase.

In both Hinduism and Buddhism, the followers consider an exit from rebirth as the ultimate goal. Living entails following all the requirements of religion. This means that the individual lives a religious life all through. Moreover, the individual should play a role in society as expected by religion. While a Hindu’s main goal is to escape Samsara by fulfilling its requirements, a Buddhist seeks to escape karma by detaching from it.

Buddha is attributed to have discovered how to take the shortcut for achieving enlightenment while beneath the Bodhi tree. In Hinduism, the ultimate goal of life is not to achieve an increasing form of rebirth. Instead, the goal is to escape Samsara entirely. This is where the soul is reunited with Brahman. The means to this end is defined as yoga or yoke. The concept behind this idea is that the individual ‘yokes’ themselves to the divine.

Siddhartha Gautama is considered as one of the Buddhas who have been able to live over time. In Buddhism, he is commonly referred to as ‘The Buddha.’ Thus, he has been distinguished from the others because he taught Dharma to the believers. Those who have come after Siddhartha are considered to be Arhats since they had the advantage of Siddhartha’s teachings to guide them, which other Buddhas did not have.

Siddhartha, in his teachings, was able to describe how the individual can reach enlightenment. After death, the person will have reached a level known as Parinirvana.

This is where life and death meet in a state of immortality. This period is characterized by the spiritual joy that exists in eternity. It is now that the individual becomes a full Buddha or Arhat. Despite this, an individual can still delay reaching this stage by helping others to achieve the same state. Thus the individual becomes a Bodhisattva.

The views the subscribers of religion have on their religion also guide how they conduct themselves in real life. Both Buddhism and Hinduism are primary religions in India. They differ significantly from Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in their opinions about animals. Both religions share this major similarity. Being a religion based on polytheism, Hinduism has many traditions that exist within it. Hindus do not have a single view of animals.

Moreover, many Hindu gods are in the shape of animals, for instance, the Hanuman who takes the shape of a monkey. Such animals are not to be harmed, but they are to be protected by the Indian law. Moreover, other Indians are vegetarians because of the concept of Ahisma. Both Hindus and Buddhists believe that animals will be reincarnated, as well, because they have souls just as humans do.

Hinduism and Buddhism also hold that humans can be reincarnated into animals and vice versa because both are considered to be in the same plane of reincarnation. Moreover, humans are regarded as being at the apex of what life is about. Thus, reincarnation into an animal results from negative karma and an unhappy state.

Buddhists believe that both humans and animals have ‘Buddha nature,’ which means they have the potential to reach enlightenment. Being born an animal is regarded as bad since it becomes harder to improve an individual’s karma and achieve enlightenment. Thus, both religions view animals in a complex manner.

Differences

It has been argued that Buddhism, in itself, is not a religion, but a philosophy. However, this can be considered as a semantic issue that is dependent on how a person views religion. Moreover, Buddhism also lacks the concept of god. This also depends on a person’s definition of ‘god.’

Unlike other religions, Buddhism does not create a separation between creations and the creator. Instead, it considers the process of creation as an independent one. Buddhism also teaches that the ‘gods’ also go through the process of life and death. They also move towards the transcendence of death. However, for many Buddhists, the Buddha is considered as a personal deity.

In contrast to Hinduism, the Buddhism doctrine ‘Anatman’ advances the thought that the self does not exist. Thus, all the feelings that an individual possesses are illusions. This illusion creates a desire for something, resulting in karma. According to Buddhist beliefs, denial of the self leads to nirvana.

This is where karma is no longer produced, and there is a state of non-existence. Thus, karma results from a specific activity occurring in human life. This depends on the decisions a person makes and how they conduct themselves in daily life. In Buddhism, recognizing the illusionary aspects of life is important.

According to Buddhist teachings, every physical or spiritual thing that binds a person can be overcome. Thus, life and death, as well as karma, cannot bind one at all. It is easy to surpass life and death through the practice of Buddhism. It is also important to practice personal meditation, an element that is missing in Hinduism. According to Buddhism, true understanding can be achieved without teachings or Scripture but through practice.

Thus, Buddhism is set apart from Hinduism because it does not rely on the teachings from Scripture for an individual to achieve enlightenment. Scripture can only be used as a guide, but it cannot guarantee enlightenment unless the individual works towards its achievement.

Hinduism is a religion that is characterized by giving oneself to the teachings of Brahman. In Hinduism, this is known as Bhakti. In religion, it is a difficult task to pray to an absolute being that is impersonal because it is considered formal and lacks a distinction from itself. This is the reason for the existence of many gods and deities within the Hindu religion. For instance, the Shiva statues in ancient India were used for personal worship.

Thus, the worship persisted during the Vedic period and with the advent of writing. These writings were able to popularize spiritual devotion and knowledge. This was done using legends and myths that shaped national events.

The writings were attributed to the growth of Hinduism in a period when Buddhism was also gaining followers, although it did not recognize the Vedas. It is evident that Hinduism relied on such scriptures for growth. Some of the readings are known as the Puranas, while others are called the Epics. These religious texts portray the Supreme Being as a human being or human-like supreme beings in various forms.

The concepts in Hinduism are transformed into their usage and meaning when it comes to Buddhism. This is what has led to the many differences that arise, causing Buddhism to be viewed as a religious form of Hinduism.

In some forms of Buddhism like Mahayana, which exists in East Asia, the followers believe that there is an eternal Buddha born of a virgin. Some beliefs also teach that individuals who are enlightened can survive death and maintain their physical selves even after death. There is also special heaven called pure land where the Amitabha Buddha resides.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the underlying goal in both Hinduism and Buddhism is that the spiritual individual will be liberated from the cycle of life and death. Thus, there is also a detachment from the karma that guides the process. Both religions are characterized by various similarities because Buddhism can trace its origins to Hinduism. The religions also have differences when it comes to the belief systems applied.

Bibliography

Coogan, Michael David, and Vasudha Narayanan. Eastern Religions: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places. Oxford: New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Lecture. “Hinduism”: modern (1800s) umbrella term for diverse traditions. 9/24/13 Lecture. Mahayana Buddhism. 10/1/13

Lecture. Recap: the Buddha Story. 9/26/13 Lecture. The Hindu (Buddhist) universe moves through cycles of creation & destruction and lack of creator god. 9/19/13

Lewis-Highcorrell, Donald. Witch School Second Degree: Lessons in the Correllian Tradition. Woodbury: Llewellyn Publications, 2008.

Trainor, Kevin. Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

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