Buddhism and Hinduism

Corbett Wassum
Rel-202 OM3
March 16, 2013

Both Buddhism and Hinduism are well known religions. They are two of the most popular polytheistic faiths in the world. Some people believe them to be parts of the same religion, but they are mistaken. Buddhism and Hinduism have some similarities, but many things set them apart from each other as well. They are each their own religion in many aspects.

Hinduism and Buddhism are both their own religions and cultures. They are different in many ways that define who they are and what their faith is. Hinduism was not founded by any sort of prophet, whereas Buddhism was founded by Buddha. Hindus believe in the Vedas, but the Buddhists do not believe in the Vedas or any other Hindu holy book. Buddhists do not believe in the existence of souls, or the Christian God. Hindus believe in Atman, who is the individual soul, and Brahman, the creator of all. The people of the Hindu religion believe the Buddha to be a reincarnation of one of their gods of the Hindu Trinity but the Buddhists do not believe in any Hindu god as equivalent better than Buddha. Hindus believe in the four stages of life, but the Buddhist do not share that believe. Whereas the Buddhists believe in the concept of Bodhisattvas, or the enlightened existence, but the Hindus do not. Buddhists must believe that the Buddha, Sangha, and Dhamma are the three most important requirements on the eightfold path, or the principal teachings of the Buddha. Hinduism has many different paths of self-realization. Both religions believe in karma and reincarnation, but their terms and conditions vary, different in as many ways as they are similar. Buddhists have no priests or rituals like the Hindus do. Also, in the Buddhist religion, any follower than achieve Nirvana, but in the Hindu religion, only the Brahmins, or priests, could achieve moksha, the Hindu equivalent of Nirvana. Another large difference is that Buddhists do not believe in the Caste System, a main factor in Hinduism. This is one of their largest differences. Hinduism does not know their original creator, unlike most other religions; they’ve lost any information about their founder over the many years, whereas the Buddhists know their creator, Buddha. Buddhism is a much younger religion than Hinduism. The two religions are very much different.

Both religions came from the same soil, in what is now known as India. They share a rather odd and uncomfortable relationship, being in the same area and having some strong differences, but strong similarities as well. Many people believe that Buddhism became popular in India because it freed people from the oppression of tradition. Buddha’s teachings gave the Indians hope and aspiration which Hinduism did not offer them at the time. Even people today claim Buddhism was a part of Hinduism. This belief is not acceptable by the Buddhists who said Buddha was the first to experience Nirvana and shared the experience with others and taught them the eight fold path, showing them a way to experience it was well, firing up the religion and causing its growth and popularity. As in most religious disagreements there were times of executions of Buddhists by Hindu rulers. Although despite their many disagreements and battles, the two religions did indeed influence each other in many ways. After all, the founder of Buddhism, Buddha, was born and raised a Hindu himself. It would be rare for the two religions not to share any likenesses.

Buddhists and Hindus share many similarities though. They also have a fair share of differences. They share a history with each other, which is to be expected since they blossomed from the same region of Asia. The two religions are definitely two separate beliefs.