Comparison of Hinduism and Buddhism Teachings during Foundational Periods - Essay Example

Running Head: A COMPARISON OF HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM TEACHINGS A Comparison of Hinduism and Buddhism Teachings during Foundational Periods Student’s Name Grade course Tutor’s Name Date A Comparison of Hinduism and Buddhism Teachings during Foundational Periods Repeatedly, religious commentators have indicated that Buddhism originated from Hinduism. The point that Buddhism is a splinter group of Hinduism is testimony to the fact that the two religions must have had separate ideologies, which keeps them apart. Yet, there are bound to be similarities between the two. Hinduism is a religion that is characterised by plurality as evident from a complex caste system and thousands of gods (Michaels, 2004). Buddhism on the other hand cannot be described as a religion since its followers follow the teachings of Buddha – the awakened one (Murty, 2012; Pratt, 1993). It is also less complex, with no beliefs in gods and much focus on the self, and the impermanence of everything (Gerner, 2008). Notably, Buddha “implies the principle of enlightenment attained by the individual, rather than being a personal name for an individual” (Cantwell, 2010, p. 180). This paper will compare and contrast the teachings in the foundation periods of the two. One of the teachings shared between Hinduism and Buddhism relates to life and death. In Hinduism, it was taught that until one attains enlightenment, they would have to undergo a cycle of reincarnation, also known as samsara (Hannabus, 2002). It is indicated that samsara is shaped by one’s actions also known as karma (Hannabus, 2002). In Buddhism, a similar teaching argues that one would be reborn over and over again until they attain Nirvana (Mittal & Thirsby, 2009). The teachings of Buddha however indicate that Buddhism is the only way one can attain Nirvana. They however do not criticise other religions or claim superiority over them. Hinduism “believes that the Divine is in man” (Radhakrishnan, 1975, p. 72). In other words, the teachings in Hinduism contend that man can liberate his own soul by thinking and acting right. To attain order and harmony, human beings are encouraged to subdue the body’s yearning for satisfaction, likes and dislikes, and instead, adopt self-denial, which would, according to the teachings, lead to spiritual illumination (Radhakrishnan, 1975, p. 73). This is in contrast to Buddhism’s teaching about adopting a ‘middle path’. Early teachings in Buddhism stressed the importance of the ‘middle path’, which underscores the need to live moderately (Pratt, 1993). This means that Buddhists avoid extreme luxury or self-denial. The middle path was a discovery of the Buddha himself, when he finally realised that no amount of personal self-denial would earn him the state of Nirvana. On their part, Hinduism teachings indicate that self-enquiry, meditation, purification, personal discipline and pilgrimage are ways through which a person can dictate their karma. The law in Hinduism refers to the stages in life and the duties that a person should have in relation to their caste. Additionally, it was codified in Dharma Sutra and underpins Bhakti (the path of devotion/love), karma (the path of action), and Jnana (the path of knowledge).Yoga was indicated as a suitable route for the acquisition of knowledge since it encourages self-denial and discipline (Pratt, 1993). Hinduism teachings were based on fundamental principles which include Atman (the self), Ishvara (the creator), and Brahman (Godhead) (Pratt, 1993). In its part, Buddhism rejects the foregoing ontological principles arguing that they are a creation of the human mind. Some of the major differences between Hinduism and Buddhism lie in the latter’s rejection of rituals. Buddha’s teachings indicate that rituals would hinder a person’s journey to Nirvana (Fowler, 1999). Additionally, and in contrast to the physical asceticism that Hinduism attached to worship, Buddhism rejected excessive incorporation of rituals in the Buddhism tradition (Fowler, 1999). Early Buddhism further rejected a belief system that believed in a deity or deities. The foregoing was based on the argument that Buddha’s attainment of Nirvana was not aided by deities or other supernatural divine forces; rather he was perfected through his own efforts and dedications. As such, the first Buddha told people “to work out their own salvation” (Fowler, 1999) and by so doing, emphasised the need for individual effort towards the attainment of Nirvana (p. 36). The Buddha further rejected the caste and class systems which were critical in Hinduism. Unlike Hinduism therefore, Buddha indicated that there was no place for the superiority of Brahmin castes and priests (Fowler, 1999). Even more indicative of the early teachings of the Buddha was his insistence that discipleship depended on mastering one’s mind and finding the peace within as opposed to depending on occupation, caste or class as Hinduism taught. Teachings in early Buddhism conducted by Buddha underscored the importance of dharma, which was founded in four noble truths identified as dukkha, samudaya, nirodha, and magga. Dukkha was a common theme in both Hinduism and Buddhism and referred to suffering. Suffering was a condition that was part of the worldly life. In Hinduism teachings, suffering would be alleviated by the attainment of moksha, which is described as the attainment of bliss or consciousness (Mann, 2004). In Buddhism however, suffering would be alleviated by the attainment of Nirvana, which is indicated as the doing away with greed/desire, anger/hatred and delusions (Fowler, 1999). In different ways, Buddhism teachings suggested that man is in charge of his/her destiny and that through the eightfold path, one could attain enlightenment. Enlightenment is defined by Cantwell (2010, p. 181) as “the complete ending of ignorance, cravings, and the attainment of wisdom”. Buddhism’s final goal is enlightenment. Early teachings in Hinduism are also responsible for the religion’s belief in an all-pervasive, transcendent, immanent and supreme being who is the creator of reality (Swarup, 1999). The Hinduism literature is awash with references to God (a supreme being) and soul, while the same references are conspicuously absent from Buddhist literature. Buddhism on the other hand has taught its followers that the supreme has a state of nonbeing because he/she is transcendent (Sullivan, 2001). Additionally, Hinduism teaches that Vedas and Agamas are the foundation of Sanatana dharma (the eternal religion). In contrast, Buddhism teachings underscore the “four noble truths” as what should guide the followers of Buddha. The noble truths are indicated as “suffering exists; desire is the cause of suffering; suffering may be ended by annihilation of desire; to end desire one must follow the eight-fold path” (Mann, 2004 p. 18). Hinduism’s early teachings further taught that the cause and effect (or karma) dictates the destiny of each individual. Specifically, Hinduism taught that a person’s thoughts, deeds and words dictate his/her destiny (Mann, 2004). Buddhism on the other hand taught that the eight-fold path would help a person chart his/her destiny. The eight-fold path constitutes right: aims, speech, actions, occupation/livelihood, endeavour/effort, mindfulness and meditation/concentration (Flood, 1996; Pratt, 1993). Hinduism and Buddhism also differ in matters of death and reincarnation, especially since Buddhist teachings indicate that dying is a state that enables a person to enter into awakening, and transmigration into a new life (Aldritt, 2009). Awakening is the most desirable state among the followers of Buddha. Should a person fail to attain the awakening, they transmigrate to the next life. According to Aldritt (2009), the early teachings of Buddhism represented progressive social attitudes, which had not been adopted by Hinduism. For example, Buddhism offered women “an independent spiritual path, one which was not dependent on their husbands or fathers” (Aldritt, 2009, p. 25). Additionally, unlike Hinduism, Buddhism recognised second sons in families, although Hinduism held that such sons could not be included in the family’s inheritance. By embracing people from all castes, and especially those who were considered outcastes, Buddhism further deviated from the teachings of Hinduism, which mainly upheld the caste system (Aldritt, 2009). Buddhism also failed to recognise the authority of the Vedas, who were revered in Hinduism, and also rejected some Vedic principles. The differences between Hinduism and Buddhism are perhaps best summed up by the Dalai Lama, who in a Hindu congress, said that “tastes, interests and abilities differ from man to man. Hence it is not feasible for any one religion to fulfil (all) their needs” (Weber, 2005). In other words, the Dalai Lama was trying to convey the message that Hinduism might not be the best way for all people; and neither was Buddhism. As such, the different ideologies taken by both Buddhism and Hinduism gave people (especially in the Asian continent) a choice in religion and spiritual matters. To sum up the findings in this paper, the differences between early teachings in Hinduism and Buddhism relate to the attachment that Hinduism attaches to priests and rituals, while Buddhists have no such attachments. Buddhism further taught that regardless of one’s caste, one could enter Nirvana. Hinduism however taught that only Brahmins (people from the Brahmin caste) could enter moksha. The eightfold path is also identified as the entry to Nirvana in Buddhism, while in Hinduism, the dharma of one’s caste was indicated as a way of earning karma. Hinduism further taught extreme asceticism as the way to attain enlightenment while Buddhism rejected the same and instead supported the ‘middle path’ where extreme indulgence or self-denial was to be avoided. The similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism were mainly in terms of the religions’ beliefs in reincarnation, the belief that there are varied ways to attain enlightenment; the conviction that excessive attachment to worldly things causes suffering; the belief that there is a spiritual reality which supersedes illusions present in the world; and the belief that eventually, every person will attain enlightenment. References Aldritt, L. D. (2009). Buddhism. New York: Infobase Publishing. Cantwell, C. (2010). Buddhism: The basics. New York: Routledge Flood, G. D. (1996). An introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Fowler, M. (1999). Buddhism: Beliefs and practices. Eastbourne: Sussex Academic Press Gerner, K. (2008). Religions around the world. Buddhism. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. Hannabuss, S. (2002). The A to Z of Hinduism. Reference Reviews, 16(2), 11-12. Mann, M.A. (2004). Science and spirituality. New York: Mary A. Mann. Michaels, A. (2004). Hinduism: Past present. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Mittal, S., & Thursby, G. (2009). Studying Hinduism: Key concepts and methods. New York: Routledge. Murty, D. (2012). Buddhist studies for young students. Sydney: Buddhist Council of New South Wales. Pratt, D. (1993). ‘Buddhism expression phenomena’ In D. Pratt (Ed), Religion: A first encounter. (pp. 209–226). Longman Paul: Auckland, NZ. Radhakrishnan, S. (1975). ‘Hinduism.’ In A. L. Basham (Ed.), A cultural history of India (pp. 60-82). Oxford: Clarendon Press. Sullivan, B. M. (2001). The A to Z of Hinduism. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Swarup, R. (1999). ‘Hinduism & Buddhism.’ In Editors of Hinduism today. What is Hinduism? (pp. 139-141), New Delhi: Himalayan Academy Publications Weber, E. (2005). Unity of Buddhism and Hinduism in experience and teachings of the Dalai Lama. Journal of Religious Culture, 72, 1-3. Read More

This means that Buddhists avoid extreme luxury or self-denial. The middle path was a discovery of the Buddha himself, when he finally realised that no amount of personal self-denial would earn him the state of Nirvana. On their part, Hinduism teachings indicate that self-enquiry, meditation, purification, personal discipline and pilgrimage are ways through which a person can dictate their karma. The law in Hinduism refers to the stages in life and the duties that a person should have in relation to their caste.

Additionally, it was codified in Dharma Sutra and underpins Bhakti (the path of devotion/love), karma (the path of action), and Jnana (the path of knowledge).Yoga was indicated as a suitable route for the acquisition of knowledge since it encourages self-denial and discipline (Pratt, 1993). Hinduism teachings were based on fundamental principles which include Atman (the self), Ishvara (the creator), and Brahman (Godhead) (Pratt, 1993). In its part, Buddhism rejects the foregoing ontological principles arguing that they are a creation of the human mind.

Some of the major differences between Hinduism and Buddhism lie in the latter’s rejection of rituals. Buddha’s teachings indicate that rituals would hinder a person’s journey to Nirvana (Fowler, 1999). Additionally, and in contrast to the physical asceticism that Hinduism attached to worship, Buddhism rejected excessive incorporation of rituals in the Buddhism tradition (Fowler, 1999). Early Buddhism further rejected a belief system that believed in a deity or deities. The foregoing was based on the argument that Buddha’s attainment of Nirvana was not aided by deities or other supernatural divine forces; rather he was perfected through his own efforts and dedications.

As such, the first Buddha told people “to work out their own salvation” (Fowler, 1999) and by so doing, emphasised the need for individual effort towards the attainment of Nirvana (p. 36). The Buddha further rejected the caste and class systems which were critical in Hinduism. Unlike Hinduism therefore, Buddha indicated that there was no place for the superiority of Brahmin castes and priests (Fowler, 1999). Even more indicative of the early teachings of the Buddha was his insistence that discipleship depended on mastering one’s mind and finding the peace within as opposed to depending on occupation, caste or class as Hinduism taught.

Teachings in early Buddhism conducted by Buddha underscored the importance of dharma, which was founded in four noble truths identified as dukkha, samudaya, nirodha, and magga. Dukkha was a common theme in both Hinduism and Buddhism and referred to suffering. Suffering was a condition that was part of the worldly life. In Hinduism teachings, suffering would be alleviated by the attainment of moksha, which is described as the attainment of bliss or consciousness (Mann, 2004). In Buddhism however, suffering would be alleviated by the attainment of Nirvana, which is indicated as the doing away with greed/desire, anger/hatred and delusions (Fowler, 1999).

In different ways, Buddhism teachings suggested that man is in charge of his/her destiny and that through the eightfold path, one could attain enlightenment. Enlightenment is defined by Cantwell (2010, p. 181) as “the complete ending of ignorance, cravings, and the attainment of wisdom”. Buddhism’s final goal is enlightenment. Early teachings in Hinduism are also responsible for the religion’s belief in an all-pervasive, transcendent, immanent and supreme being who is the creator of reality (Swarup, 1999).

The Hinduism literature is awash with references to God (a supreme being) and soul, while the same references are conspicuously absent from Buddhist literature. Buddhism on the other hand has taught its followers that the supreme has a state of nonbeing because he/she is transcendent (Sullivan, 2001). Additionally, Hinduism teaches that Vedas and Agamas are the foundation of Sanatana dharma (the eternal religion).

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