Hinduism Unlike Buddhism example essay topic

According to Margarete Bieber (45), In about 1500 BCE, group of Indo-Europeans known as the Aryans, invaded the Dravidian peoples, founders of the Indus River Valley. With them, the Aryan people brought the Vedic teachings presently known as Hinduism. Hinduism is a religion based on a collection of oral texts known as the Vedas. Quickly this religion spread, presently including 750 million Hindus worldwide. 700,000 in South Africa, 575,000 in North America and 500,000 in the United Kingdom with the majority living in Southern Asia. Closely related is Buddhism.

Buddhism is a religion founded by Siddharta Gautama (a former Hindu) around the fifth century BCE. It is believed that "Gautama was raised in his father's palace" (Gary 132), secluded from the evils and sufferings of the outside for all of his childhood and some of his adult life, but when he was older, he began to think about the world around him. His father let him outside, and when he did, Gautama encountered a sick man, an old man, a corpse and an ascetic sadhu. After seeing this, he began to think about suffering in the world. He yearned to find the cause and solution to this suffering so he became a wandering ascetic. For several years he lived a life of strict austerity and severity.

Then he realized neither a life of severe discomfort nor a life of luxury were the answer to suffering and so he made the Middle Way. Buddhism was founded in India and spread to many different cultures through sages, monks, trading and travelers. Hinduism vs. Buddhism in many aspects; such as, the castes system and the polytheistic religion. Buddhism and Hinduism are alike and unalike. In Hinduism unlike Buddhism, there are social classes also known as castes. These castes make up a caste system.

This caste system is made up of 5 varna's or classes. They include the Brahmins or priests, the Kshatriyas or warriors and aristocrats, the Vaisyas or the merchants and craftspeople, the Sodra or the workers and the Dalit, better known as the social outcasts or "untouchables". In Hinduism, you are born into your caste and cannot marry out of your caste nor work up to a higher caste. But if you marry someone in a lower caste, you are permanently a part of that caste. However, in Buddhism, social stratification does not exist because everyone lives lives following the Middle Way.

This is a life of little luxury but also avoiding extremes. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion with hundreds of male and female deities. The 3 central Hindu gods make up the Trimurti or "The Trinity". They are Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. "All of their consorts (lovers) are incarnations or forms of the Mother Goddess" (Wepman 19). Brahma's consort is Sarasvati, Vishnu's is Lakshmi, and Shiva's is Parvati.

All Hindu gods are anthropomorphic, and in order to enter the world, they have avatars or different forms. Some of the most famous avatars are those of Vishnu's ten forms including Krishna, and Rama. Many Hindu gods are merges of other religions and were adopted from other local cultures by a simple name change, and a few additional powers. Whereas, in Buddhism, there are no gods.

Instead there is an important figure known as Buddha. Knowing that Buddhism is a branch of Hinduism, it is best to also be known that Buddha in the Buddhism faith is one of the ten avatars of Vishnu in Hinduism. The word Buddha means "Enlightened One" and is the title given to Siddharta Gautama who was the first person to reach ultimate enlightenment and became The Buddha. In Buddhism, there are no gods because when there are gods, a person can blame misfortune as well as good fortune on the likes of the gods. Buddhism teaches personal achievement and enlightenment. Buddhism and Hinduism are very different as well as alike.

Both believe in reincarnation and the release of the soul. Both contain specific laws of behavior and both reach to achieve the same goal. Though they are very similar and equally different, both hold the same significance in the lives of millions of believers.

Bibliography

Wepman, David. "Hinduism vs. Buddhism". New York, Chelsea House Publishers, 1986, 3-23 Bieber, Margarete".
Buddhism and Hinduism". Chicago: Argonaut, Inc., Publishers, 1964, 29-50 Alt, Gary.
Buddhism". Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. 2000 ed.