Hinduism and buddhism - Essay Example

First Sur Number 10 September Comparing Hinduism and Buddhism Hinduism and Buddhism share some similarities, which include the following ; Both Hinduism and Buddhism stress the role of karma and the deceptive fauna of the world in maintaining men bound (Gellner 23) to this world and the progression of childbirths and fatalities (Gellner 45). Both of these religions consider and regard the concept of karma (Gellner 54), to be true and that it affects the daily live of the people causing the transmigration of souls and the sequence of childbirths and mortalities for each and every soul (Gellner 47).

According to the greatly worshipped, Buddha, desire is regarded as the root foundation of anguish and deletion of desire outcomes in the interruption of anguish and misery (Gellner 120). Some of the oldest known Hindu manuscripts such as the Bhagavadgita and the Upanishads deliberate doing activities stimulated by aspiration and yearning as an attachment that would lead to oppression and distress and that execution of actions without craving the fruit of accomplishment would result in emancipation.

Both of these religions emphasize on non-violence and compassion regarding all living beings whether it is wild or domestic animals or other human races. Both of them deem and believe in the presence of several heavens and hells or lower and higher worlds. Both of these religions believe strongly in the actuality of deities or gods on different places or planes. Both greatly believe in the renunciation and detachment of worldly life as a requirement to enter to spiritual life. They believe in some similar spiritual practices such as concentration, meditation, and the cultivation of bhavas or the states of mind.

The Advaita philosophy (Gellner 140)of Hinduism is greatly related in closer proximity to Buddhism in a lot of regards (Gellner 35). Hinduism and Buddhism have their own forms of the Tantra. Although Hinduism and Buddhism have some similarities, they exhibit a lot of differences that distinguish them greatly. Hinduism presumes the reality as a unit whereby all beings are united as one divinity (Gellner 45). Buddhism on the other hand sees the reality as nothingness. While the Buddhist acquire Nirvana by disconnecting themselves from everything till they remain “Nothingness” the Hindus gain Moksha where they become unified with all the beings in the universe (Gellner 67).

In the daily practices of these religions is in the rituals they perform. Hinduism entails the proper arrangement of an altar, proper offering making, proper directions to face while praying etc. while Buddhism lack any of the traits. Another difference that these religions present is that Buddha’s fundamental principle involves and portrays that living is suffering while the Hindu greatly believe that living is a pathway to another realm. While Hinduism turns to the Gita, the Ramayana, the Vedas, and the Upanishads to appreciate life, Buddhism on the other hand does not acknowledge any of the Hindu manuscripts (Gellner 45).

Buddhism does not primarily worship gods, in fact some of the Buddhists do not believe in the existence of gods while those that believe in their existence also believe that the gods are not worth worshipping. Hinduism on the other hand Hinduism has great belief in gods (Gellner 95). Works cited Gellner, David N. The anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism: Weberian themes. Oxford Press, 2001. 23-145