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10/28/2019 Print - and - Reference Articles

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Buddhism and Hinduism Reference Articles Hinduism is a very popular in , but it is practiced outside that area as well. Because beliefs and practices vary greatly within the religion, Hinduism is seen as a generalized term to describe several different small religious groups. Throughout Hinduism there are many different , founders, writings, and teachings. Hinduism also shares many traits with Buddhism, which was founded in what is now by Gautama, who sought a way for people to escape the cycle of death and .

Hindu Beliefs and Practices

Despite the religion's variation of beliefs and practices, Hinduism can be characterized by commonly shared scriptures, practices and beliefs within the religion.

Among the most inuential scriptures of Hindu teachings are the . The Vedas were originally passed down orally from generation to generation. There are four compositions that make up the Vedas: the , hymns of praise; the , and for ; the , notes on and ; and the , philosophical teachings of Hinduism. The oldest of the four compositions are the Samhitas, which also contain four parts: the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, the Atharva Veda, and the .

Hindus believe that all life is sacred. One of the best known examples of this is the way that traditional Hinduism honors cows. Cows are seen as gentle, seless givers and are mentioned in the Rigveda as representative of all life. Cows also symbolize one of the main values of Hinduism—peacefulness.

Hindus believe in (samsara) and . The basic concept of both is that a 's status is based on actions taken during past lives. This applies not only to , but to plants and animals as well. , the liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, is the ultimate goal of each soul. When a soul achieves moksha, it is reunited with . https://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/2217664?terms=buddhism+and+hinduism&sTypeId=2 1/3 10/28/2019 Print - - Reference Articles Another important concept of Hinduism is —the correct way of living according to one's place in life. In short, dharma is determined by universal law and duty. To go against dharma leads to bad karma, while living according to dharma brings karma.

Caste System

The caste system is a social hierarchy determined by birth. There are four major groups (varnas) and the untouchables (now referred to as the , who are outside the caste system). From highest to lowest, the four varnas include the , priests and academics; the , warriors; the , craftsmen and merchants; and Sudras, laborers and servants to the other three classes. Traditionally, the untouchables are seen as unclean and are left to do work such as cleaning sewage or disposing of dead bodies.

Hinduism is strongly tied to the caste system. Dharma encourages Hindus to accept and live within their caste group. The concepts of karma and reincarnation validate the caste system —being born into a lower group is seen as evidence of bad karma from a past life.

Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama, or the , was the founder of Buddhism. Legend says that Gautama was born into a wealthy family, but when he saw the world outside of his palace, he gave up his possessions and began to wander the world in search of religious . Gautama began working to achieve , also known as enlightenment—the release of his soul from the cycle of reincarnation. When he achieved this goal he became the Buddha (the enlightened one). He began to spread his teachings to help others achieve enlightenment, thus founding the Buddhist religion.

Like Hindus, Buddhists believe in karma and reincarnation. However, is not determined by a person's actions within the caste system.

One of Gautama's rst sermons was about the Four Noble . He used the to explain that life is a process of suffering, but that the suffering can be eliminated through different behaviors and ways of thought.

Gautama's teachings name the Eightfold Path as the solution to ending suffering. Legend says that the path had been used successfully before Gautama by all of the other Buddhas. The Eightfold Path explains how to end suffering and achieve nirvana through higher , concentration, and moral discipline.

Although Hinduism and Buddhism overlap somewhat in beliefs and practices, the two are distinct. Their approaches to karma and reincarnation are different and Buddhism is not tied to a caste system. Both religions continue to be practiced today and have spread to countries around the world.

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Amanda Barrett Further Reading

Flood, Gavin D. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996; Harrassowitz, O., ed. The in India and . Translated by E. Obermiller. New , India: Paljor, 1999; Klostermaier, Klaus K. A Survey of Hinduism. Albany: State University of New Press, 2007; Mahajan, V. D. Ancient India. : S. Chand, 2008; Reat, N. Ross. Buddhism: A History. Berkeley, CA: Asian Press, 1994.

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MLA Citation Barrett, Amanda. "Buddhism and Hinduism." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC- CLIO, 2019, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/2217664. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

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