Hinduism and Buddhism

Introduction-
Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the five major religions in our
world
today. They are widely practiced, and have survived for centuries. Both
have
similarities and differences, as do all forms of religion. Hopefully,
in this
paper I will show you the basic structure of each religion. I would
also like to
show how they compare and contrast.
Hinduism !oundation
"o one is completely sure of where Hinduism was started and by
whom.
Their oldest written documents, the #edas, were written down in $%%%
B.&. but
they had e'isted orally long before. The #edas are where Hinduism
originated.
Today, Hinduism is the world(s third largest religion. )any changes
have come
upon Hinduism since they practiced it first. Hinduism includes many
different
sects, or denominations, and beliefs that have arisen. Though, there
are many
things in common with all of the Hindu sects. Their basic beliefs are
what ties
them together.
Basic Beliefs-
The religion of Hinduism teaches us that each living body,
including
animals, is filled with an eternal soul. Hindus say that the individual
soul was
a part of the creator spirit, Brahma. It is each soul(s job and wish
eventually
to return to Brahma. It is not possible though because by a soul(s
sins, and
impurities from the world, they are no longer pure and holy to return.
Instead,
a soul must become pure before returning to Brahma, who is absolutely
pure.
The process of becoming pure is so hard that no soul can become
pure in
only one lifetime. The soul is forced to live life after life until it
is pure
enough to return to Brahma. The cycles of rebirths are called samsara,
or the
*heel of +ife, by the Hindus. *hen a soul is finally cleansed enough to
break
free of samsara it is called moksha. The soul returns to Brahma for an
eternity
of contentment and ecstasy.
There is no one incorporating creed in Hinduism. , follower may
choose
any god as their personal god, or may worship several of them. Though
to be a
Hindu there are certain things that a follower must believe in and live
by.
Their main beliefs are
$. , belief in karma, the result of one(s good and bad deeds in
a
lifetime.
-. , belief in dharma, Hindu traditions.
.. , belief in the three main gods Brahma, #ishnu, and /hiva.
0. , belief in reincarnation after death.
1. Honor for the sacred #edas.
2. , belief that, if lived a religious life, the *heel of +ife
can end
and achieve moksha.
3. ,n honor for an ascetic religious life, to be an orthodo'
Hindu.
Hindus worship many gods, but they are truly monotheistic by
believing
in a single god. The reason behind this is that everything comes from
Brahman.
It does not matter who the worship is for because it is ultimately
Brahman.
Brahman does not reward or punish those for their deeds in life. 4very
soul
creates their own rewards and punishments through karma. 5arma rules
what each
soul will be in its ne't life, and it is formed from a soul(s good and
bad deeds
in each life. If a soul has had more good deeds than bad deeds, then
they have
good karma. 6r vice versa if they have had more bad deeds than good.
7harma is the ultimate meritorious balance of all things living.
It
belongs to everything, including the universe. 4very soul is
responsible for
balancing their dharma. The areas to balance in dharma are religious,
social,
and within the family. They must keep promises, and remain faithful to
religious
rituals, while also taking care of their family. If a soul loses this
balance,
then it will affect their karma. 7harma has been called tradition,
duty, and a
custom, but to a Hindu it is spiritually more than that. Hindus also
follow a
caste system, resulted from dharma, which I will discuss later.
8ods-
There are three main gods in Hinduism. )any others e'ist in the
religion,
but these are the most noteworthy. Brahma is the creator of life.
#ishnu is
known as the preserver of life. 9ou might pray to #ishnu if someone you
knew was
going in for surgery so that they(ll come through it with no problems.
!inally,
/iva, or /hiva is the destroyer of life. ,ll three of these gods are
portrayed
as female and male. #ishnu is more often a male, and /hiva is more
often a
female.
The &aste /ystem-
The society of Hinduism is strictly divided. The different
levels,
called castes, do not mingle. The division is largely due to the
practices of
dharma and karma. Both practices e'press the idea that if someone is
born into a
specific lifestyle, they must stay there. It would be bad karma to
attempt to
leave that lifestyle.
In the caste system, there are four levels along with two groups
that
are apart from the castes. 4very caste comes from Brahma, but each is
from a
different body part. The highest level is the Brahmin. It means
Brahman, but is
spelled in another way to resist confusion of Brahman, the creator
spirit.
Brahmin comes from his head, and they are to be the voice of Brahma.
They are
the priestly caste, but many are also teachers and keepers of the
religion.
Today, many Brahmins are also involved in business and government.
The second level of castes is the 5shatriyas :warrior; caste.
They were
the kings and soldiers, and come from Brahma(s arms. The third level is
the
#aisyas. They come from the thighs of Brahma, and occupy the jobs of
merchants,
artisans, and farmers. The fourth and final caste is /udras. These
people are
the manual workers, represented by Brahma(s feet. It is considered a
sin to
associate with people of a lower caste than you. /o each caste is made
up of a
different level of the society.
There are also two groups outside the caste system. 6ne group is
for
foreigners. They might be a nonbeliever or anyone who receives special
treatment
from the Hindu society. The second <outcaste< group is the
<=ntouchables.< These
people are considered nonhuman and cannot participate in any Hindu
practices.
They do the work no one wants to do and do not associate with anyone
that is of
a higher caste.
Buddhism !oundation-
Buddhism was founded by /iddartha 8autama, and he became the
Buddha. His
intentions were not to form a new religion, only to modify an older one.
Brahmanism, or Hinduism, had become very orthodo'. /iddartha was a
minor king of
northern India. 6ne day, he ventured outside the palace walls and saw
how life
really was. Inspired, /iddartha left his home, and family to look for
the
meaning of life. !or years he listened to and studied with the Indian
wise men>
then he turned to meditation. 7iscouraged from not finding the answer
he wanted,
he sat under a fig tree. /iddartha determined that he sat there until
he found
the answer, this lasted 0? days. It finally came to him, and he became
Buddha.
Buddhism was founded.
Basic Beliefs-
Buddhism is a reformed version of Hinduism. Buddha discovered
the !our
"oble Truths. The !our "oble Truths are the foundation for all forms of
Buddhist
philosophy.
$. There is suffering.
-. /uffering is caused.
.. 4liminating the causes of suffering can e'tinguish suffering.
0. The way to e'tinguish the causes of suffering is to follow
the )iddle
*ay stated in the 4ightfold @ath.
The 4ightfold @ath also comes from Buddha. It teaches to
practice
moderation. It is the practical side of Buddhism. If followed, one may
achieve
true enlightenment, or nirvana. "irvana is reaching Brahma in one
lifetime.
Buddha believed that you could live a perfect life and not have to
continue in
the samsara. The basic way to this is the 4ightfold @ath, which says to
practice
moderation in these areas
$. Aight views. 9ou must have the right mind set.
-. Aight intent :or right resolution; , person must want
actively to
eliminate suffering.
.. Aight speech. 9ou must not lie, slander others, or insult.
9ou(re not
to cause suffering with words.
0. Aight conduct :or right action;. To behave in a way that does
not
cause suffering.
1. Aight means of livelihood. "ot to live in a way or hold a job
that
causes suffering.
2. Aight endeavor :or right effort; To prevent unclean states of
mind
from happening.
3. Aight mindfulness. To be aware of body activities, the
senses,
perceptions, and thoughts.
B. Aight meditation. The specific concentration to improve
oneself.
Buddhists believe that if you follow this you will be
enlightened. )any
Buddhist beliefs are almost the same as a Hindu(s. Buddhists do not
practice the
caste system. 6ne of the only ways to achieve nirvana in one lifetime
is to be a
monk or a nun. If you break an area in the 4ightfold @ath, then you
cannot
achieve nirvana. ,lso in order to follow the 0th part of The 4ightfold
@ath, all
Buddhists are vegetarians. 5illing of an animal is seen as causing
suffering.
+ike the Hindus, an animal has a soul.
7espite all the talk about suffering, Buddhism is really about
the
absence of suffering. Buddhism is a way to develop the ability to love
the
entire universe, simply because it is. It is understanding that the
universe
e'its inside a blade of grass, just as the blade of grass resides
within the
universe. ,ll things are inter-connected.
&omparisons Between Hinduism and Buddhism-
Both Hinduism and Buddhism accept and believe that there is one
creator
spirit. 4ach of them recogniCes Brahma or a version of Brahma as the
creator
spirit. Though they also recogniCe other gods, Brahma is the ultimate
god. ,ll
praise goes to him, no matter which god you are praising. This is a
significant
similarity between the two religions.
The two religions of Hinduism and Buddhism believe in the
process of
reincarnation. Aeincarnation is being reborn again with one soul.
Inside this
belief, they also believe that your deeds, or activities, during your
life will
determine where you will end up. If you have lived a good life, you
will be
rewarded by another good life, or you might be allowed finally to
rejoin with
Brahma. If you(ve led a bad life, you will remain on earth longer, and
most
likely have a bad life when you are reborn.
,nother similarity is that both Hinduism and Buddhism are very
kind to
animals. They believe every living creature has a soul, and through
reincarnation, you might one day end up as one. )ost Hindus and
Buddhists that
strictly follow the religion are vegetarians of one sort or another.
It(s
impossible to tell whether or not that hamburger you ate at Burger 5ing
was a
relative of yours. 4ating them would bring you bad karma, and break one
of the
4ightfold @aths.
&ontrasts Between Hinduism and Buddhism-
In the religion of Hinduism there are castes, or social classes.
They
decide what your lifestyle will be like in that lifetime. If you are
born a
slave, you must stay a slave your whole life. 6r, if you are born a
wealthy man
or woman, that is what you must be all of your life. To the Hindus, it
is a sin
to try to change what caste you belong to. ,s well as to associate with
a person
from a caste that is lower than yours.
6n the other hand, the teachings of the Buddha did away with the
caste
system. , person is allowed to change their social class. They can go
from a
slave to an emperor or a president, if that is their calling. If they
follow the
4ightfold @ath, then this is permissible. It is an honor to be a monk
or a nun,
for they are the ones who can achieve nirvana. Buddhists also will
mingle with
those of less importance then themselves.
Hinduism teaches that you must go through samsara in order to
finally
reach moksha. They do not believe that a soul can totally cleanse
itself of all
impurities in just one life. It is a gradual process involving dharma,
balancing
one(s life, and karma, weighing the deeds of a lifetime.
)eanwhile, the Buddha again went and brought Duestion to
samsara. He
found that it is possible to cleanse oneself in one lifetime and return
to
Brahma. He called it nirvana. In order to achieve nirvana, a Buddhist
must
follow and accept The !our "oble Truths, and the 4ightfold @ath. The
4ightfold
@ath serves as an instructional guide as how to keep yourself on the
right path
to nirvana.
Hinduism and Buddhism also have several smaller differences. The
area of
greatest concentration for Hinduism is India. India is where Buddhism
originated,
but Hinduism eventually was a more appealing religion and it died out.
Buddhism
is found mostly in 4ast ,sia, inside &hina and )ongolia. These areas
prefer
having many, many small gods, as opposed to the Hindus only having
three major
ones and then smaller, less important gods. Buddhism was founded by
/uddartha
8autama, or the Buddha. Hinduism was started gradually> no one knows
for sure
who founded it> most likely, it was many people. Both practice
meditation, but
they practice it in different forms. , Hindu will meditate obtaining
inner peace
through the charkras of the body. 6nce all of the centers, charkras,
have been
balanced, a white light is said to be above the person(s head, and they
are
enlightened. Buddhists meditate similarity, but have different
variations of how
it is preformed. Their main goal is to end suffering.
&onclusion-
The two religions of Buddhism and Hinduism are very alike, and
yet very
different. To accept their way of thinking, one must put aside their
religion if
they aren(t Hindu or a Buddhist. They strive for an inner peace, and
finally to
reach heaven through either moksha or nirvana. I being a &hristian,
have found
in some ways it hard to understand the process of reincarnation, and
Brahma.
Though, I can see how that for people of another culture, these
religions are
very supportive, and soothing. &ulture plays a big part in determining
your
beliefs. 6bviously, they are very deep-rooted for surviving for longer
than
&hristianity(s been around. Through this paper, I learned a lot about
accepting
different beliefs, and gained a sense of what it really means to be a
Hindu or a
Buddhist. I admire their strong faith and their desire to become pure
and
unblemished. Hinduism and Buddhism are two major religions, firmly
planted in
their cultures, and I am sure that they will remain for a long time to
come.