Hinduism and Buddhism - What Sets Them Apart - Essay Example

Hinduism and Buddhism: What Sets Them Apart? Hinduism and Buddhism are among the many religions that originated in India. Each religion has its own principles, sacred texts, views of human goals, and rituals. In spite of common views, they managed to drift apart. A majority of Indians follow Hinduism, while Buddhism is more popular in other South and East Asian countries. Although Hinduism and Buddhism originated in the same place and share similar worldviews, their teachings and practices are quite different. Understanding the differences between the Hindu and Buddhist notions of the self, God, human goals, and authority gives us a clearer understanding of how their different practices evolved, even though they share a similar worldview. The notion of human self differs in Hinduism and Buddhism. According to Hinduism, the individual soul or atman is separate from the body and the intellect. This atman is indestructible, eternal, and unaffected by the changes in life. Individual actions (karma) are governed by the caste, but the soul is independent of caste and action. The ultimate goal of this atman is to end the cycle of births by merging with the all-pervasive Brahman (Mundaka Upanishad, in The Upanishads cited in Hinduism 66). Buddhist teachings on the other hand claim that there is mo such thing as eternal self. According to Buddhism, each individual is formed by combining the form, feelings, perceptions, volition, and consciousness. The law of karma (action) binds these five forces (The Theravada Buddhist Worldview). Individual actions are results of desires, which lead to suffering and rebirth. To break away from the cycle of births, one must give up desires. As with the Buddhist perspective of the human soul, their views on God are quite different from those of Hindus. Buddhism is an atheist religion. Buddhists believe that individuals have to strive for enlightenment and that God does not help man in this struggle. Even Buddha is not considered a God, but a venerated leader who showed the path to enlightenment (Means: The Four Noble Truth – The Eight-fold Path of the Middle Way). On the other hand, Hinduism is a religion with many gods, the most venerated being Brahma the creator of the universe, Vishnu the preserver, and Siva the destroyer, along with their respective divine consorts Sarasvati the goddess of knowledge, Lakshmi the goddess of wealth, and Parvati the universal mother. Buddha is considered an incarnation of Vishnu and hence a God (Devotional and Literature Movements: The Puranas). A Hindu could be devoted to any particular God of his/her choice. This Hindu tolerance towards many gods caused Buddhism in India to fade into Hinduism over time (Introduction, Theravada Buddhism – the Middle Way). Individual human goals are emphasized in both Buddhism and Hinduism. According to Hinduism, human life has four aims: dharma or righteousness, artha or wealth, kama or sensual pleasure, and moksha or freedom from re-birth (The Hindu Worldview). While one can pursue wealth and sensual pleasure through righteousness, moksha is the ultimate goal. Conservative Buddhism on the other hand rejects the pursuit of wealth and sensual pleasure, but focuses on the attainment of nirvana or a blissful state of liberation from the cycle of births. Here, dharma is the means to achieve nirvana (Chapter 5 Buddhism). The ban on pursuit of wealth and sensual pleasure caused early Buddhists to lead a life of mendicancy, which soon lead to the formation of monastic orders. To achieve the goal of freedom from the cycle of births, each religion offers different paths. Hinduism offers many paths to liberate the soul, the primary being Karma yoga, Jnana yoga, and Bhakti yoga (The Hindu Worldview). The Karma yoga or path of action focuses on righteous living as suited to one’s gender, caste, and age with an attitude of detachment (Karma Yoga: The Path of Action). In Jnana yoga or path of knowledge, seekers follow a path of discipline to attain spiritual wisdom. In Bhakti yoga, devotion to a particular deity can lead to moksha, irrespective of the individual’s gender, caste, and occupation (Bhagavad Gita, cited in Hinduism p. 68). Buddhism offers the eight-fold path to liberation, a middle way between self-indulgence and self-denial (Means: The Four Noble Truth – The Eight-fold Path of the Middle Way). A fundamental difference in the both religions’ means to achieve liberation is that Hinduism does not call for renunciation of the world. The notion of religious authority differs in both Buddhism and Hinduism. In Hinduism, brahmin males have dominated the religion for many millennia (Awakening of Universal Motherhood). They were the priestly class and were knowledgeable about the Hindu religious scriptures. These brahmins developed the Hindu worldview (A Brief History of India). It is this class, which taught about the cycle of births and the role of karma in life. In a caste-dominated society, every caste’s standing and social obligations were defined (Chapter 3 Hinduism). According to Manu Smriti (an ancient treatise on human laws and duties), the brahmins are the highest birth, the best caste. They had control over dharma and had the power teach people of other castes their "duties" (Duties of the Four Castes from Manu Smriti). Buddhism opposes brahmins’ control over the religion as well as the rigid class system (A Brief History of India). In Buddhism, dharma or duty is not caste-based and anyone can achieve enlightenment, irrespective of their caste and gender (Means: The Fourth Noble Truth—The Eightfold Path of the Middle Way). One can attain liberation only through self-effort, without help from God or other humans, according to Buddhism (Sacred: Spiritual Atheism). With modernization, many changes occurred in both Buddhism and Hinduism. The rigid Hindu caste system, which Buddhism opposed, has undergone a drastic change with the lower castes being given better educational, employment, and leadership opportunities compared with the higher castes (Independent India). Buddhism too was affected by modernization. Monastic withdrawal, a primary requirement of Buddhism, is no longer the norm. Apart from following the teachings of Buddha, social and political consciousness that balances material gain and spirituality forms the basis of this modern form of Buddhism called Engaged Buddhism (Engaged Buddhism in Asia). Both Buddhism and Hinduism advocate the theory of rebirth and the law of karma. However, their similarities end there. Buddhism’s atheist notion, the requirement of monastic withdrawal and renunciation of the world, and the dismissal of the caste system and authority of a particular group sets it apart from Hinduism. However, recent changes in both religions such as empowerment of Hindu lower castes and the development of Engaged Buddhism are likely to minimize some of the differences between the two religions. Read More